 |
Northern Exposure - The First Episode by Joe Napolitano, Randall Miller, Matt Nodella
Buy this VHS video movie at online store in your country
Canada
Product detailsActor: William J. White Director: Joe Napolitano, Matt Nodella, Randall Miller Edition: VHS Tape Audio: English (Original Language), Analog Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC Running Time: 50 minutes Release Date: 1998-01-01 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Publisher: Universal Studios Studio: Universal Studios
VHS Movie Reviews of Northern Exposure - The First EpisodeMovie Review: Dr. Fleischman has a rude introduction to Cicely, Alaska Summary: 5 StarsThe "Fish Out of Water" story (a.k.a. the "Stranger in a Strange Land" story) is a narrative staple given all the different types of fish and all the myriad bodies of water available. "Northern Exposure" was about a young Jewish doctor from New York City, Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob Murrow), who had his medical education paid for by the state of Alaska and consequently owes them several years of medical servitude. Fleischman expects to end up in a large hospital in the state's largest city, but instead ends up in the town of Cicely, a small logging village in the middle of nowhere where he gets to be the only doctor in town. To Fleischman, operating a free clinic in bombed out Beirut suddenly looks better.
Created by Joshua Brand & John Falsey, the same pair who gave us "St. Elsewhere," and if Joel Fleischman was a walking clich?, at least the rest of the quirky characters in Cicely were offbeat enough that the ocean was a lot more interesting than the fish, who seriously needed to relax and eventually would (a little). But that was rather difficult given the shock and anger he had to work through in the pilot episode (first aired July 12, 1990). Fleischman arrives all ready to fulfill his obligation in repayment of the $125,000 the start anted up for medical school, but the hospital in Anchorage does not need him and his services have been bought, so to speak, by Maurice Minnifield (Barry Corbin), a former astronaut not developing his small part of the Alaska wilderness as a money making opportunity for tourism (and anything else he can think up).
"Northern Exposure" is actually established as two shows in one. First the pilot shows Dr. Fleischman being introduced to the interesting characters in town, most notably Holling Vincoeur (John Cullum), Ed Chigliak (Darren E. Burrows) and Marily Whirlwind (Elaine Miles) in the pilot (One of the surprising things about the pilot is that John Corbett's Chris Stevens, who becomes the voice of Cicely on KBHR, has no dialogue in the first episode). One of the best sources of humor on the show is Fleischman's sense of outraged civilization beating impotently against the ways of the Native Americans. Ed and Marilyn listen to Dr. Fleischman, but they certainly do not obey.
Second, there is the constant battling and bickering between Fleischman and Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner), the bush pilot who flies him to Cicely. Whereas everybody else in town takes Fleischman's outbursts in stride, Maggie insists on getting in his face and outbursting right back. Of course these two are going to end up in the sack together (actually it would be a literal role in the hay), and it is a question of whether we will be witnessing another romantic disaster a'la Dave and Maddie on "Moonlighting" (okay, not that bad, but it was not pretty). The two parts of the show did not exactly mesh, but in most episodes you were usually going to like most of the entwined plotlines.
"Northern Exposure" would win the Emmy for Best Dramatic Series in 1992, which was interesting since it was obviously a comedy. But the rule of thumb was always a half-hour show was a comedy and an hour-long show was a drama, which was before "M*A*S*H" became the first dramedy and then "Moonlighting" was nominated for both Best Drama and Best Comedy by the Directors Guild of America. The next thing we knew there was "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd," "Hooperman," "The 'Slap' Maxwell Story," and "Northern Exposure." This pilot episode explains why the last one on that list lasted the longest.
Movie Review: Northern Exposure NOT on DVD? Summary: 5 StarsI have seen some of the dumbest movies and TV series come out on DVD, and they were just made recently. Where's Northern Exposure? This series has been over with for a long time, what is it you are waiting on? I have never been glued to a TV set before in my life until NE came to TV. I, as well as others are extremely disappointed in this, so PLEASE begin recording this on DVD so the entire world population can once again watch the best series that was ever created. I thank you very much.
Movie Review: QWERKYNESS SQUARED!!! Summary: 5 StarsIf you like brilliant writing coming from the qwerkyest characters ever put on screen, than this is the show for you! I stumbled upon this show years back while channel surfing and have sought it out ever since. Awhile back, A&E ran it every day, and there was a marathon that I taped, but of course it was VHS. Having had DVD for two years now, I just can't watch VHS or broadcast TV anymore. Apart from the obvious video quality and sound issues, the incredible ease of navigation and repetition abilities of DVD's make VHS tapes more obsolete to DVD's than dinosaurs are to humans; it is that drastic a quality difference! PLEASE, PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE release this brilliant drama/sitcom...IT DEFIES DESCRIPTION really, but you can't watch it for five minutes and not be a fan forever. The Northern Exposure fan base is huge. So speaking for Joel, Maggie, Maurice, Chris, Ed, Holling, Shelly, Marilyn, Ruth Ann, Adam, and Jesse The Bear; please release Northern Exposure so I can die a HAPPY MAN!!!
Movie Review: season one available on DVD in UK Summary: 5 StarsIf season two comes out on DVD in the UK I'm going to buy one of those "illegal" DVD players that let you watch DVD encoded for others regions-countries. The players start at $89.00 and are as high as $600.00. There is a huge amount of good DVD stuff out there that will never be released here so that $100.00 bucks would be well spent. The $89.00 one is small and easy to slip into a crowded area. So instead of getting all my money the studio will only get a royalty. too bad for them.
Movie Review: what's the hold up with the DVD's ? Summary: 5 Starsi can get "Britney Spears" concerts on DVD, but not the all-time best TV series EVER??
|
 |