Northern Exposure

Thematic and technical details

The main street of Cicely and the filming location was actually that of Roslyn in Washington.

Related Topics:
Roslyn - Washington

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Northern Exposure's unique flavor comes from a combination of various influences: the show?s creators, Joshua Brand and John Falsey, had been members of the Esalen Institute in California where they imbibed an eclectically "spiritual" worldview, best exemplified in wisdom writings of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung and American anthropologist Joseph Campbell (whose works are frequently referenced in the series). There are also fantasy elements, which were likely inherited from the novels of Carlos Castaneda and, on a higher level, the works of Latin American magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez. Both were also conversant with classical Russian Literature. This characteristic is evident in the drastically satirical elements from the show that are ?trademarks? of the Russian literary grotesque style of such authors as Gogol and Dostoevsky. Above all, Northern Exposure explored the timeless themes that pattern the human condition: envy, love, hate, aging, snobbery, ambition, motherhood, alienation, boredom, et cetera, all in a broad-minded and humane manner that attracted a faithful following from around the globe.

Related Topics:
Joshua Brand - John Falsey - Esalen Institute - Carl Jung - Joseph Campbell - Carlos Castaneda - Gabriel García Márquez - Russian Literature - Gogol - Dostoevsky

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The show made frequent use of dream and fantasy sequences and other dense imagery. In that sense, Northern Exposure could be described as a light hearted version of Twin Peaks which was filmed in the same area. Indeed, an early episode acknowledged the similarities by performing a pastiche of Twin Peaks, right down to David Lynch's slow, ethereal direction and self-consciously obtuse dialogue.

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