Northern Exposure could be exposed to a whole new generation of TV fans in the not-too-distant future. The beloved 90s series has a revival in the works at CBS, and it would bring back the original star to reprise a character that has a special place in the hearts of fans everywhere. Yes, Rob Morrow is on board to return as Dr. Joel Fleischman. Here's what we know so far.
Another round of Northern Exposure is in development at CBS. Given that the project is slated to be a revival rather than a reboot and star Rob Morrow, we can expect it to pick up sometime after the original series left off. It won't be a whole new show with an entirely new cast. Unfortunately, it's status as a revival may mean an unfortunate fate for a particular original series character.
According to EW, an original series character will likely be killed off to kickstart the revival action. Dr. Joel Fleischman returns to Cicely, Alaska to attend the funeral of an old friend. While there, he reunites with friends from days gone by and encounters folks he never met before who bring their fair share of quirks to the table.
No details are currently available about which of the original series stars may be killed off for the revival, but we can rule out Chris Stevens. John Corbett is reportedly slated to return as the character, although likely not on a regular basis. He has also been listed as a producer on the revival of Northern Exposure.
Executive producing the new project are series creator Joshua Brand as well as star Rob Morrow. Interestingly, the premise of an original series character dying sounds quite similar to the premise of the NYPD Blue revival, which is in the works at ABC. We can be confident that the two revivals (assuming both go to series) won't be all that similar once they get going, however. Something tells me that Joel Fleischman won't be called back to Cicely because of a murder.
All of this said, Northern Exposure fans shouldn't start planning their revival viewing parties just yet. The project is currently only listed as "in development," which means that there are still a number of steps before it could get a series order. In fact, it hasn't even gotten the order for a pilot yet! Given how CBS has gone in on a number of revivals in recent years, however, I wouldn't be surprised if we see Northern Exposure back on the air in the next couple of TV seasons.
Northern Exposure certainly was a hit when it first aired. It ran for six seasons, from 1990 - 1995, and it won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 1992. The show didn't air so long ago that its fans will have forgotten it and won't want to tune in, and what's not to love about the continuation of Dr. Joel Fleischman's fish-out-of-water story?
Only time will tell if Northern Exposure makes it back to the small screen. The show isn't currently available streaming on any of the major platforms, but there are plenty of viewing options now and in the not-too-distant future to keep you entertained while we wait for more news of the revival.
