My favorite show — Northern Exposure.
It started as a summer replacement series on CBS in 1990, and was immediately hugely popular, as well as lauded by critics. The series centered around the “fish-out-of-water” story of its lead character, Joel Fleischman (played by Rob Morrow), a fast-talking, high-strung young Jewish doctor from New York City who is forced to practice in the tiny, fictional Alaska town of Cicely for four years, as the state of Alaska paid for his medical schooling. Cicely is peopled by a variety of quirky and eccentric characters; Joel’s interactions with them made up a large part of the show’s initial premise, and while often quite funny, it could also be quite philosophical and “deep”.
Over the course of its six-season run, Northern Exposure was nominated for 39 Emmy Awards, winning seven, and five Golden Globes, winning Best Drama Series twice.
But during the 4th season, star Morrow, unhappy with his contract, began trying to negotiate a new one, and was unable to come to terms with the show’s producers. The conflict caused the showrunners to minimize Joel’s role and add/expand others, and Morrow ultimately quit the show midway through the 6th season.
He was replaced by comedian Paul Provenza, as Dr. Phil Capra, a fast-talking, Italian-American doctor from L.A., but alas, audiences were invested in Joel, and after over five seasons, not interested in becoming invested in a new doctor. The series’ ratings dropped significantly after Morrow’s departure, and it was cancelled at the end of the season.
It’s a shame that such a terrific show had to go out on a low note.
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