MovieChat Forums > Northern Exposure (1990) Discussion > So few award wins (+ nominations). I ju...

So few award wins (+ nominations). I just don't get it

posted 9 years ago by SpiceTea
3 replies | jump to latest

This is Wiki's list of award nominations and wins:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Northern_Exposure

I just don't get it. I can understand not having more wins or nominations for best show as it is admittedly an idiosyncratic piece of work and there may have been more popular series each year.

But there should have been way more writing wins beyond the ones this show did get. Chris ' s on-air radio monologues alone should have merited more than the one Emmy writing win.

And speaking of the actors, can it really be true that only Valerie Mahaffey (who was fantastic in the recurring guest role as Eve) got an acting Emmy win? Really, Emmys?!

I won't argue too hard for Rob Morrow or Janine Turner as, while I think they are competent actors who are enjoyable to watch, neither is an outstanding actor. But John Cullum and Barry Corbin have true acting chops in this show and I'mstumped as to why they at least have never taken home gold for their work here.

Overall I'm just very surprised that outstanding writing and acting were not more recognized than they were.

What do you think? Was anyone involved in this show "robbed" or snubbed for awards or recognition you think they deserved?

P.s. I know not everyone thinks much of awards but you have to admit they are an industry standard of achievement.

[–] dijomaja-382-516639 9 years ago

I don't really care about awards but this does put the lie to David Chase's statement.

To re-cap: producer David Chase took the show over for the last two seasons. There is general (but not universal) agreement that the show went seriously and quickly downhill from the time of the takeover and the previously popular show was cancelled.

Chase himself is quoted (somewhere on the NX IMDb page) as saying he disliked NX partly because it was winning "all these awards" at a time when a show he was working on did not.

[–] ClementinaSpur (1267) 6 months ago

Chase himself is quoted (somewhere on the NX IMDb page) as saying he disliked NX partly because it was winning "all these awards" at a time when a show he was working on did not.

If true, he intentionally sabotaged Northern Exposure. He's referring to his show "I'll Fly Away" which was an early social justice drama on NBC that ran concurrently with Northern Exposure.

[–] ClementinaSpur (1267) 6 months ago

And speaking of the actors, can it really be true that only Valerie Mahaffey (who was fantastic in the recurring guest role as Eve) got an acting Emmy win? Really, Emmys?!

Yeah, this aggravates me to no end. I just watched S3E1 in which Eve appears for the first time. This is the first episode of the show that I am watching the clock waiting for it to end. Adam and Eve bickering back and forth got a bit long in the tooth. Besides, Eve was in only five episodes! Supporting actresses in the show would be someone like Ruth Anne or Shelley or even Marilyn.

Also, I don't see why they awarded Valerie Mahaffey with an Emmy because she plays the same crazed woman in more than Northern Exposure. Watch her in Wings as Sandy Cooper and tell me it's not Eve Part Two.