Northern Exposure

[Harv]

Del -

Since you seem to be back in action here on the board, I'll ask you a question I've been meaning to ask you for a long time.

One of my all-time favorite TV series was a show called "Northern Exposure". I loved the back woods small town atmosphere, and I always wished I had friends and neighbors like those portrayed on that show.

Although it was supposed to take place in Sicily, Alaska, I believe it was filmed in Roslyn, Washington, which is virtually in your back yard, isn't it? Did you ever see the show, and have you been to Roslyn? If so, does it resemble the town that was portrayed in the show? Or are there towns in your area that come close?

Also, if anyone else is familiar with the show -- in the opening montage you see an orange tractor with FEL and a black cab parked in a lot, which you get to see for about 1 second. Anybody know for sure what make/model it is?

I haven't seen my own tractor for 2 weeks, and this is what happens to my brain. /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

 

[Jag]

HARV... you are just too far out there..

 

[RobS]

Harv, your subject caught my eye as I really enjoyed that show too. Apparently you are much more addicted to tractors than we all previously thought. I can't remember a tractor and I saw nearly every show.

Not tractor related, but do you watch "Ed" now? I caught a couple of episodes and it reminds me a bit of N.E., mainly in it's "quirkiness". If so, have you spotted any tractors? Did you get up to your place this weekend to get a tractor fix?

Rob

 

[Rick572]

I used to watch Northern Exposure with some regularity mainly to see all the old Willys pickups and wagons which is an old personal addiction. I would have difficultly explaining what the show was about, but I can still remember some of the trucks that was in the back ground...

Rick

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Yes, I've been to Roslyn many times, before and after the show was on. I used to go dirt bike riding around there and Cle Elum. Now there is a big fight going on, a development wants to put in a resort, a HUGE resort on 3500? acres fairly close by. Gotta have a reason to get those WalMarts and McDonalds in!

Do you have "The Northern Exposure Book" by Louis Chunovic? revised 1995,a Citadel Press Book, published by Carol Publishing Group.

If you can't get one at Amazon, etc, keep searching using the book store search engines, abe.com bookfinder.com bibliofind.com etc.

I know what you mean,so much on TV is bottom of the barrel or harmless drivel, I found that show a breath of fresh air. I think many of us long for such a town. I don't know if one exists anywhere.

In the early days there was quite a flap over the episode where the guys run naked through the town. I think the townsfolk were mixed on their like/dislike of the show being filmed there. Next time I run up there I'll have a beer at the Brick for you!

del

 

[ERNIEB]

Harv, I watched it some. Don't remember seeing a tractor in the opening credits, only the laconic moose wandering thru the town.
As a side note. My sister's husband was a guide, trapper, and bush pilot in Alaska, my two newphews grew up in the wilds. They have all assured me that the small town folk of Alaska, are friendly, and helpful to each other. They also tend to be a little eccentric.

Ernie
"It would be a waste of men to put our brave little band against thousands" James Bowie

 

[RobertN]

Harv,
We rode our Hog's up through there. It is pretty countryside!

The "main" part of the town was like they showed on the show(it was 7 yrs ago!). There was more to the town than that though. It semed a pretty cool place.

Interestingly, when we went in the bar for a drink, we could understand how it used to be a real mans bar. There is a trough that runs along the bottom of the bar, that has running water in it. It goes all the way around. You never had to leave the bar to take a leak!

And, the store shown in the show was there. They had a "show" checkout counter in front. The real checkout was in back.

Roslyn's cafe is really Roslyn Cafe. For the show, they hang up a " 's " on the end of "Roslyn".

I don't remember seeing tractors much though. Believe it or not, I didn't care too much about tractors then [shock]

-Robert

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[Bird]

RobertN, did your finger stutter on the mouse and "continue" key?/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I've done that, but thought Muhammad had fixed it so you couldn't post the same thing twice./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

And as many times as I watched Northern Exposure (some time ago though), I don't even remember a tractor.

Bird

 

[RobertN]

Espresso, Bird, Espresso /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[Harv]

Del, RobertN -
Thanks for your firsthand account of my favorite fictional town. Not sure how I feel about a combo drink bar/urinal. Maybe I'm not as manly as I thought. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Amazon says the publishers of "The Northern Exposure Book" are out of stock. I don't generally buy TV show books, but it might be fun to track this one down.

<font color=blue>the small town folk of Alaska, are friendly, and helpful to each other. They also tend to be a little eccentric.</font color=blue>

Well, Ernie, I'd have to say the TV show characters fit that description to a tee. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

I'm a little disappointed nobody noticed the tractor in the opening credits sequence. Like I said, it's there for a full second at the beginning of every episode, and it's <font color=orange>bright orange</font color=orange>. I went ahead and taped a re-run today, but my video digitizing hardware is not online right now, so I just took a snapshot of the screen (not the best way to get a quality image). I attached the screen shot, but I doubt there's enough detail for a proper identification.

There! I think I've got this trivia stuff out of my system. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif