Alaska’s Impact on TV-Part I
People and TV Shows Featuring the Last Frontier
To many people, Alaska is a mystery. It's a land of snow and tundra and the North Pole. However, by watching TV, you can get a glimpse into The Last Frontier.
Alaska is the only non-contiguous state in the continental US. It was purchased from Russia on April 16, 1897. The cold and not easily accessible – its capital, Juneau, is only available by air or sea – land hasn’t made as much of an impact on our Reality TV culture. However, if you look hard enough, you can find memorable people and TV shows that have had an Alaskan focus.
ALASKA ON REGULAR TV:
Alaska first hit the airwaves before reality TV made its mark. From October 1959 to
September 1960, ABC showed a one-hour drama called The Alaskans. The series followed the travails of a couple of adventurers who were seeking gold in Skagway, a small Alaskan Port Town during the 1890s.
About thirty years later, Northern Exposure, starring NUMB3RS’ Rob Morrow, became a CBS staple. Morrow’s character, Joel Fleishman, was fresh out of med school and, as a condition of his scholarship, moves to an eccentric town in Alaska (Cicely) where he meets an interesting bunch of people and becomes the local physician. The series aired for six seasons and gave many down “South” a glimpse inside Alaskan life, no matter how ‘real’ or ‘surreal’ it was.
Finally, in 2006, Anne Heche’s author character, Marin Frist, arrives in Elmo, Alaska for a book signing and decides to stay to enjoy the gorgeous scenery and learn more about the Men in Trees. The series is all about looking for love in the most unexpected places and is currently doing quite well in the ratings.
Read Alaska's Impact on TV-Part II.
About the Author: Deanna Goodson is a freelance writer/web content editor. She is currently the featured writer at the Reality TV section at Suite101.com. She’s also the editor of TeamRT.com a reality TV gossip blog. Learn more about her here.
