S4E6: “On Your Own” with Vicky Berglund-Davenport

Summary

Podcast Summary: “On Your Own” with Vicki Berglund-Davenport
Northern Disclosure, S4E6 (May 26, 2026)
Host: Evergreen Podcasts

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Northern Exposure stars Rob Morrow and Janine Turner revisit Season 4, Episode 6, "On Your Own." They’re joined by Vicki Berglund-Davenport, the show's locations manager, for an insider deep dive into the unique and cinematic locations that made the beloved series come alive, discussing the making of this distinctive, film-inspired episode and sharing personal, behind-the-scenes stories. With affectionate banter, the hosts and their guest highlight the collaborative magic that made Northern Exposure an enduring classic.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Rediscovering "On Your Own"

• Episode Premise:
  • Love of many kinds arrives in Cicely—paternal (Maurice and his son), romantic (Maggie and Mike Monroe), and cinematic (Ed becomes possessed by the spirit of Federico Fellini after finding a ring).
  • Features the return of the New Perception Players (Mummenschanz) and an extended homage to Fellini’s films.
  • Rob describes it as, "almost self-contained... a real changeup episode" (01:35).
• Ed Chigliak’s Storyline:
  • Both Rob and Janine praise Darrell’s performance, with Janine noting, "He could put on another persona and we could see another side of him. His work was super, super solid." (03:07)

Cinematic Influences & Set Design

• Fellini Homage:
  • Extended flashbacks referencing Fellini's style, with Janine raving about, "the hair and makeup, all the little intricacies... the set design was amazing" (03:59).
• The New Perception Players:
  • Rob reveals the troupe were real Swiss performers—Mummenschanz—who brought surreal, performance-art energy to the episode (04:49–05:52).
  • Notable for their spontaneous appearances, adding offbeat charm to Cicely.
• Personal Anecdotes:
  • Janine shares meeting Fellini while filming in Rome and losing his autograph: "It had Fellini's signature on it... I think it was accidentally thrown away. Can you imagine what that would be worth?" (06:23–08:03)

Behind the Scenes with Vicki Berglund-Davenport

How the Magic Was Made

• Vicki’s Role:
  • Locations manager, came onboard after the initial episodes, helped scout and secure unique Washington state locations.
  • Reminisces, "This is something really special... just take, you know, moments and put them in your heart." (10:48)
• Process of Location Scouting:
  • Broke down scripts, identifying new and standard locations.
  • Tag-teamed with another manager to prepare and shoot episodes in tandem (13:01).
  • Woody Crocker, the production designer, advised, "Think wide and think beautiful," emphasizing landscape as a character (13:49).
• Collaborative Logistics:
  • Scouting was multi-stage: manager(s) select, director reviews, cinematographer and crew scout for technical needs (21:02–21:54).
  • Locations were found through a mixture of local knowledge, outreach, and research: “Born and raised Washingtonian... part of location scouting and managing is the researching part.” (22:28)
• Challenges & Adventures:
  • Sometimes, local negotiations got dramatic—Vicki tells the story of her colleague being left stranded as a tactic: “Drops him out, 20 miles out of town... sent a driver out to get him.” (18:10–19:44)
  • Janine marvels, “So many adventures on a set. Always, always, always.” (19:54)
• Local Color:
  • Friendly rivalry with Twin Peaks, shooting nearby; some locations overlapped (19:54–20:33).
• The Bubble House:
  • The on-screen “bubble” was built at Circle 8 Ranch, aided by local square dancers, with part-interior, part-stage construction (25:14–26:20).

Legacy and Community

• Roslyn, the Town:
  • Once wary of the production, the town warmed as the show gained popularity and shops were compensated for disruptions (31:40–32:18).
  • Chief Mike and Mayor Denning were crucial civic allies, sometimes reviewing scripts and smoothing over eccentric filming requests (29:56–31:27).
• Production Family:
  • Lifelong friendships grew from the show; Vicki and key set decorator Lori Malindy remain best friends (33:28).
• Rob on Reboots:
  • Notes previous failed attempts that overlooked the importance of the real locations: “That town was a character, and the audience is going to want that.” (28:54)
  • Vicki agrees: “I’m really proud of all the work the location department did on Northern Exposure.” (28:44)

Washington’s Film Industry Today

• Current Role:
  • Vicki is with Washington Film Works, advocating for productions to return and strategizing around state incentives (09:00–09:03; 34:01).
• Competitive Edge:
  • Details how the film commission lobbied for increased tax incentives and diversity uplifts (36:12–36:56).
  • Hopes for a return of more ongoing TV work in the state.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Northern Exposure’s Enduring Power:
  • Janine: "I think the show is a real treasure." (00:45)
  • Rob: "This was the first television show where landscape was a character." (13:49)
• Woody Crocker's Influence:
  • Vicki: "[He said] think wide and think beautiful. This is something special." (10:48; 13:49)
• On Words and Silence:
  • Marilyn (as quoted by Rob): “Words are a heavy thing. They weigh you down. If birds talked, they couldn’t fly.” (14:40)
• On Set Life:
  • Rob: "The scripts would come and they’d have 10, 12 days maybe to get these things up and running... Woody’s aesthetic was just really unparalleled." (32:37)
• Fellini Autograph Story:
  • Janine: "It had Fellini's signature on it... I think it was accidentally thrown away. Can you imagine what that would be worth?" (07:38)
• Quirk of Small-Town Filmmaking:
  • Vicki: “Some actor... running naked down the street, double dog dared people to go naked. So then we had to make Roslyn a fire truck to make up for that.” (29:59)
• On Reboots & Location’s Role:
  • Rob: “They wanted to do it in a different town. I said, you are making such a mistake, you’ve got to at least put it in that town, because... the audience is going to want that.” (28:54)
• On Staying in Washington:
  • Rob: "If I could do one thing over, it’d be to stay up there... every time I get to go up there, I’m just so happy." (34:49)
• Vicki’s Parting Words:
  • “I'm so happy. We're working on getting a [new] series, you know, keep your fingers crossed for us.” (35:20)
• Classic Banter:
  • Rob (in response to ‘you haven’t changed a bit’): “Well, that’s not what my chiropractor would say.” (38:20)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:45 – Janine on the show as a “real treasure” and inviting listeners to share the podcast.
• 01:35 – Episode synopsis and themes by Rob.
• 03:59–05:52 – Discussion of the Fellini homage, Mummenschanz, and performance art in the episode.
• 08:54 – Introduction of guest Vicki Berglund-Davenport.
• 10:48–13:49 – Vicki describes her job and Woody Crocker’s vision for Northern Exposure’s look.
• 14:40 – Marilyn’s memorable line about words and flight.
• 18:10–19:44 – Story of the location manager left in the woods by a townsperson.
• 21:02–21:54 – Detailed breakdown of location selection and scouting process.
• 25:14–26:20 – Construction and logistics of the Bubble House set.
• 28:54 – Rob’s perspective on the importance of filming in the real Cicely/Roslyn.
• 29:56–31:27 – Local response to the production and managing town relationships.
• 32:37 – Tribute to the production and art design teams.
• 34:01–36:56 – Status of Washington state film production and incentives.

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Conclusion

This episode of Northern Disclosure offers an affectionate, insider’s look at what made "On Your Own" and Northern Exposure itself so singular: the rich Pacific Northwest landscapes, the collaborative family behind the camera, and the quirky magic that continues to inspire fans and industry veterans alike. Through Vicki’s stories and the hosts’ reminiscing, listeners gain a vivid sense of both the creative vision and the practical efforts that brought Cicely, Alaska to lasting TV life.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Disclosure fans, thanks for tuning in again. Sorry we've been away for a couple weeks. I guess it is. Janine and I both have other things going on, other projects, so we had to take some time away, but we're happily back here and. And we love talking about the show. We love watching the episodes again. Neither of us had watched them in years. And so. And then when we put it, put them out to you guys and you respond and we read your comments, it's just a real gift to be able to do this. So there'll be times where we will have to occasionally take some. Some weeks off, but we will do our best to get back as soon as possible. So, Janine, how you doing today?

[C]

I'm fine, thank you. Fine and dandy. Good. Good to be back with you. And it's just, you know, sometimes I sit down and watch shows and I'm like, okay, I don't even remember this one. I don't know. And then at the end of the show, I'm like, oh, you know what I mean? That was so good. And so I think the show is a real treasure. And Rob and I want to encourage all of y' all to subscribe and also to share it with others to let people be aware because there's so many people that don't know. I think what, you know, people all around the world, all around the country love the show, but they're like, oh, I didn't know you had a podcast. So it's just, it's nice that we have this time together to go back and bring these amazing guests from all elements of the show. And it's been 30 years. And the thing that all everybody says pretty much Rob, right, Is this was my favorite project.

[B]

A lot of people say that. Yeah, it's amazing. Our guests that we're going to have today said that. And this episode is. Well, this is called on your own. It's season four, episode six. And again, it was very special. They're. They're so. There are little. These are as Josh intended. They're like little movies. They're almost self contained, you know. And this has this. They changed tone and pace. And this was a real change up episode as well. You want me to read the synopsis? Yes.

[C]

Yes. Because it was excellent episode.

[B]

So it's love of different kinds arrives in Sicily, as do the new perception players who are putting on a show at Brick. First, there's a father's love for his son as Maurice asks Mike Monroe to alter his will so to include Duck Juan in his will. But mostly there's romantic love between Maggie and Mike, whose friendship is deepening. And from the flying man who returned to Sicily, that's Bill Irwin, still in pursuit of Marilyn's affections. Meanwhile, after finding a ring engraved FF with the initials FF Within a fish that he caught, Ed believes himself possessed by the spirit of Federico Felini, which is only a taster for the crowd of grotesques that pursue him through Sicily. Very interesting homage to cinema and. And great part for Ed in this episode.

[C]

Yeah, Ed was. It was a good part. I think that this was. This and the next episode after this were some of Ed's best work. He just really kind of went. It was great that he could. He could put on another Persona and we could see another side of him. And I just thought his work was super, super solid.

[B]

One of the only female directors of our. Maybe the only. I think actually the only.

[C]

No, no, we had another one.

[A]

All right.

[B]

Well, this was Joan Tewksbury, who's was. I think she's still around. And I don't know why we didn't. I didn't think to call her, but. But she. She wrote screenplays for Nashville and for Thieves Like Us for Robert Altman. She worked with him for years. And I loved working with her. I just adored her. And I don't know why she didn't come back, but she probably was busy. It was written by. Sigh. Cy Rosen and. And Christian Williams.

[C]

It was quintessential you, and I like to say that, but it really was Quint. Quint. Quintessential. Quintessential. Northern Exposure. And that they did that extended flashback, which I kind of liked. It wasn't just one sort of throwing, you know, waking up from a dream. It was an extended flashback. And they went back to it and back to it and back to it. And there's something I want to say about Fellini, so I just have to say this before we move on, but I thought the hair and makeup, all the little intricacies when we go. When they go back to those flashbacks and you watch all those Fellini characters come forward and casting, casting, the casting, the intricacies of the sort of different types of faces and then the different hairstyles and the makeup and the costumes, all that goes into that. And of course, I'm always blown away by the set design. I thought the set design was amazing.

[B]

Let me just say the new Perception players, who are the troupe that Bill Irwin travels with, were literally the performers of a group called Moment Shots, which is a Swiss.

[C]

Oh, so they were all. They were all from. From that company?

[B]

Yeah. And that's their Swiss kind of theater group, Swiss Mask Theater group. And I remember seeing them as. On Broadway as a kid, and so I was so excited that they're there. And what's so cool in the episode is they just. They just show up in all these places, like Joel's playing golf, and there's a couple of these kind of slinky characters that are, you know, these. Just people in these slinky tubes watching him, kind of watching. And then Ed comes and talks to him and they're just there. And. And it's. I. I take note that Joel. Joel doesn't even question it anymore. He's just like, okay, whatever.

[C]

So all of those performance art type of folks, like the hands and the toilet tissue and all that, they're from Mum and Shots.

[B]

They are, yeah, they were.

[C]

I didn't know anything about Mum and Shots.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, they were. They were a great, great group.

[C]

And where did you see them growing up?

[B]

I saw them on Broadway when I was a kid.

[C]

Huh. Okay. Well, I don't know. My dad took me to see Fiddler on the Roof. It's like I saw the original Fiddler on the Roof, but I did not. And I did not see mom and Shots. Okay, Co. You know what? I didn't put two and two together. Well, anyway, it was still amazing costumes. They were amazing, the performance. But I particularly loved the hand that pushes Bill Irwin forward to man. There's so much to talk about in that episode, but you want to hear my Fellini story?

[B]

Yes.

[C]

So when I was filming Cliffhanger, we did our interiors at Chinicheta, which is the famous sort of film studios of Rome. And it sounds so glamorous, but, you know, it's so funny. I'm like, I got to remember this. It sounds glamorous. When I was very homesick. When I was filming it, I was so homesick.

[B]

It is glamorous.

[C]

It is glamorous. It looks very glamorous in Variety magazine, but it sometimes could be very lonely for me. But nevertheless, I was walking around. But at Chinacitta in Rome, Fellini was there.

[B]

Oh, cool.

[C]

So I went into a soundstage and met him and I asked him to sign an apple box. An apple box are these things that you put actors to stand on if they need to be a little taller or this or that. And I brought it home to Seattle, packed it back with all my trunks of stuff when I left Cliffhanger. All these things in Italy that I purchased over three months. But here's the sad thing. You ready?

[B]

Where'd it go?

[C]

Don't know.

[B]

Well, you stole it anyway, so it was karma.

[C]

No, I'm sure he let me have the apple. I'm sure I asked if I could have the apple box. I don't think I stole anything. I wouldn't just pick up an apple box from a set.

[B]

And he's like. He tells the story. He's like, this guy. Actually, she comes. She's like, I want an apple box.

[C]

It had Filipino signature on it. And I think. I think it was thrown away by someone. It's just. I think it was accidentally thrown away. People thought it was trash or something. And I'm like, oh, my God. And it's Leni's autograph. Can you imagine what that would be worth?

[B]

Well, let's. Let's. Because we got a. We have a shorter show today, so let's get our guest going.

[C]

Yes. And it. But it's an awesome show. Really, really fabulous show. Okay. Our guest today is Vicki Davenport, everyone. She was our locations manager in charge of locations. Helped us find all these beautiful, beautiful locations. Rob. My mother likes to go to sleep to Northern Exposure like a lullaby every night. So I'm always getting these little glimpses of Northern Exposure. And there was one where you and I were out in the middle of nowhere acting with falling snow, real snow, not fake snow, all over us. And I thought, oh, that's part of the magic is what made it so wonderful. But these locations were a star in themselves. And Vicki Davenport is here to. Is a star. He created the star dumb of these locations. So welcome, Vicki. Welcome to the show.

[B]

And we should also say that Vicki works for the Washington State. Work. Work. What is it called?

[A]

Washington Film Works. It's basically the Washington Film Commission.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. And she's helping to try to bring production back to Washington. And she. Or you can put Janine and I right on the list. We would come back to Washington in a second.

[A]

I was gonna say, you two are directors.

[C]

Yes. It's so beautiful there. The frogs, the pine trees, the air. But you also, you. You before. You did many films before doing locations, and you worked with Tom Skerritt and Amy Poehler with the three. The three Debras.

[A]

Three busy Debras.

[C]

I wrote down busy, but I wasn't sure I wrote down the right thing. Three busy Debras. Yeah. So you've had quite. And we love your wa. Behind you there on the right. On your left. Our right. Those are actual drawings from our set. Designer.

[A]

Yes, yes. Those were.

[B]

Can you pan the camera? Yeah. So those are set drawings. Oh, yeah. Is that. That looks like the town of Sicily that they built?

[A]

It is.

[B]

Wow. I can see that with my bad eyes.

[C]

Well, they didn't build Sicily. Sicily was that.

[B]

No, no. The fate. The one they built for the beginning of when Back in the original town of Sicily, for the flat, you know, the episode Sicily, where we go back in time. Ginny.

[C]

Oh, right. For the episode Sicily. Got it, got it, got it.

[B]

And then you got all kinds of memorabilia. I see you've got a north exposure bag that we got for a gift one year. You got a picture of the Tre Boucher. You got a cast picture. You got.

[A]

That's a picture from the Russian show.

[B]

Yeah, right.

[A]

And Joel's Cabin.

[B]

Joel's Cavan.

[A]

It was the best show I worked on.

[C]

Oh, see? Thank you. We were talking about that. Everybody really feels that way. I feel that way. I've done a lot of great work and so has Rob, but I think it's the best show I've ever worked on. Talk to us about how you got the job.

[A]

It's really a very funny story. And then I have to. Don't let me forget something that Woody Crocker said to me when I first started. I turned down the show twice, and sometimes I kick myself, but you guys did the first eight. And then I was able to come in when you were starting to get the awards and there were bigger budgets and I felt very lucky. But Woody said to me, he was so excited that I was there, and he pulled me aside and he said, vicki, this is something really special. This is something that you need to remember and just take, you know, moments and put them in your heart, because this is something special. And I didn't quite, you know, I was young enough to not quite get what he was saying, but he was absolutely right. And I think that everyone that I talk to from the show, or, you know, we stay in touch, we're a family, it's like we pick it right back up.

[C]

Were you working on locations before this? Was that your specialty?

[A]

Yes, yes. I was supervising location manager. Location manager for years before I came on to Northern. And when Bruce Shirley came on, I was working on the Vanishing with Jeff Bridges and for Sutherland and Bruce Shirley, he said to me, come on over and interview. I really want to talk to you. And I said, well, Bruce, you know, I. I would love to. I would love to be on the show. We're shooting nights. I'm opening the set. If you don't have my rate. I can't leave set. He says, I have your rate. Come over and meet me.

[C]

So I know we need to talk about this. This show in particular, but. But I know everyone, since the locations really were a star of this show. Can you talk about the process of each episode? Reading the script, figuring out what locations, finding new locations. We were out in the middle of the woods sometime. We were in all kinds of random places. How did that process even work from the beginning? From, like, getting the script and moving on?

[A]

I was always excited to get the scripts. There were certain writers that I was more excited to get the scripts from. But at first when I came, we were. Dan Dusek was the other location manager, and we would tag team. So when I was prepping a script, he was shooting a script, and we would go tag team that way. So when I would read the script, I would basically break it down. And we would have standard sets that were always in each episode. Right. But there would always be, like, the mum and shots or the Fellini scene or, you know, the sweet picnic scene in this one. And we always. One of the things that Woody always said to me was, think wide and think beautiful.

[B]

Oh, how interesting. I love hearing that because that, that, you know, because I always say that this was the first television show where landscape was a character, you know, and that's such an interesting way to hear that. That's. That's the way he thought of it. Think wide and think high, you said.

[C]

Didn't he say beautiful? Think wide.

[B]

Oh, think wide and think beautiful. Right.

[A]

Some of those are high, too.

[B]

Yeah. That's very fascinating. This show is. Is. There's. There's so much to talk about. Janine, as you were saying to. I mean, really, Eds. It's. It's a very whimsical, you know, having the great Bill Irwin as Enrico Bilotti again. And his, his courting of Marilyn is so. Is so charming. And this is the first time we hear Bellotti speak.

[A]

Oh.

[C]

Which was great.

[B]

And there's a great moment where we realize that he chooses not to talk, which I didn't realize. And, and, and he says. And Marilyn says, trying understanding, of course. She says, words are a heavy thing. They weigh you down. If birds talk, they couldn't fly.

[C]

What a great line. I love birds so much. I mean, if birds could talk, they wouldn't fly.

[B]

There's so much there. And Maggie, with you, you know, first of all, you're wearing that jean dress, looking really adorable. And, and it's like, you transform, you know, for you, for this love. You want to be what you want to. You want to make him love you. And it's. It's sweet to watch, you know?

[C]

And yet I don't think we ever kissed. I don't think there was ever a kiss.

[B]

Oh, no, there might. Well, you almost kissed in this one, right?

[C]

I guess, yeah. I would have liked to have seen that play out more. I would have liked to have seen us more almost into that moment before we broke away and talked about we had that moment. That's my one moment where I feel it really wasn't quite enough of a moment. But I don't think he and I, Monroe and Mike Monroe and o' Connell ever even kissed. But, yeah, it was fun to see that and to see Maggie in a dress. And all of a sudden, she's. She's cooking. And then all the joke with everyone saying, really? She cooked.

[A]

She wore a dress.

[C]

She wore a dress. She's talking about cow flatulence. And. And. And I think about how ahead of the time the show was, because that's become such a popular theme now in the. In what, 2026. But in 1990, they were. They were talking about all that already. The bubble man was really sort of a. Ahead of its time, I think.

[B]

Environmental concerns. Yeah.

[C]

It was fun to see Maggie. There was a scene where she comes in and she says, I really don't want a relationship. You know, I don't want to be in a relationship. But I think. I hope everyone could see that actually she really did want to be in a relationship. Right. And that was. That's the kind of duality I really enjoy playing Vicki.

[B]

What? When you watched it, I guess you watched it yesterday or today or in relation to this episode, was there anything that jumped out as memories?

[A]

Oh, so many memories. The line that you guys cited was my favorite. And then when Marilyn handed Dr. Joel the rocks at the end, and so funny.

[C]

What did that mean? I'm not sure I understood what that meant.

[A]

Words are heavy, like rocks.

[B]

Right? It was a kind of form of payment, but just a gesture, you know, a symbolic negative.

[C]

It was.

[B]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[C]

Who would give somebody rocks? I mean, when Charlie Brown got rocks in at Halloween, he was never very happy about it.

[B]

You're right. I think it was more symbolic of money, you know, of just something natural, you know, a token of. Of his appreciation.

[C]

I don't know. I think it was deeper than that. I think there was something. Something going on. I don't know. I Don't know what. But. But we'd have to ask the writers that question.

[A]

I guess some of the other things that stood out in that episode was

[C]

the

[A]

French Cabin Creek. I have a funny story about one of the town folk of Rosslyn taking the location manager I mentioned, Dan Dusek out to French Cabin Creek as a negotiation tactic and leaving him there.

[B]

Wait, wait.

[C]

What, what, what, What? Say that.

[A]

Now I'm the same way.

[C]

I'm like, what?

[A]

Okay, I'm going to paint the picture. Pickup truck in Roslyn, gun rack in the back. Empty beer cans in the very back. Town folk won't name. This person says to Dan, get in the truck. We're negotiating.

[B]

We gotta talk negotiating to let us use some of their property.

[A]

And drops him out, you know, 20 miles out of town, 10 miles out of town, whatever it was. Russ Powell comes up to me and he goes, did you know that Dan Dusick is stuck out at French Cabin Creek? I've sent a driver out to get him.

[B]

So the negotiation was, like, not going well. I take it from that person, because they. They were not happy.

[A]

I jumped into those negotiations because I wasn't going to let that happen to Dan. That's crazy.

[C]

So, wait, I'm a little bit confused. Somebody put him in the car and said, come with me, and took him to the location and then wouldn't take him home.

[B]

Yeah, because they were pissed off that they were probably not getting the right either. Either they weren't getting paid enough or they weren't getting their location used.

[C]

And I don't even know where this French place was. And for what scene was this?

[A]

Oh, this was clear out probably where Darren and Peg danced on Ruthanne's grave. It was clear out there.

[C]

And was it gonna be used for this episode or just a funny story?

[A]

So that was not for this episode, but it was for one that's coming up later this season.

[C]

Oh, okay. Okay. And so then we had to have a rescue.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Oh, gosh. It's so many. So many adventures on a set. Always, always, always, always, always. I mean, I've decided being a producer is a big thing.

[A]

Yeah. The other thing that stuck out to me about this episode is the we would. You know, Twin Peaks was filming around the same time that we were, and there was a friendly competition there. And that picnic scene was above the location that they used for the body to float down the river. I just had to every once in a while, throw a little of my creative spirit in there.

[B]

That's so funny.

[A]

And that same Road near there was the Fellini Road that had the rise that came up so the characters could be seen as they come over the hill.

[B]

Great sequence. I love that.

[C]

Yeah, it was.

[B]

I think that might have been David Schwartz original score in there, but so well done.

[A]

I think you're right.

[C]

So how did it work? You sat around a table and they said, these are our locations. And then you were the one with Dan that said, okay. And I know that directors usually went and looked. You would scout the locations and the cinematographer would go with you. Is that when Frank would take a day or a couple hours off, you know, the.

[B]

Vicky and Dan would come up with the locations based on the needs of the script. Show people pictures to the powers that be. You know, we go down to la, then the director would weigh in and then they would take the director to look. And then once the director was kind of high on it, they would bring Frank in to take a look and they'd have a tech scout where they'd bring in the crew to see how they're going to get the trucks in and how they're going to get the cables and the generators and all that in. So it's a, it's a, it's a multi pronged process.

[C]

I think that's interesting for everyone who's listening behind the scenes. Right. So there were three. Okay. You would go look at the locations. Correct. I mean, you would scout them first.

[A]

That's right.

[C]

And I'll come back to that. Then you would take the director and then the cinematographer and then the crew. You would go four times to that location.

[A]

Many times.

[C]

Interesting. So the, so the cinematographer would go on a different day than the, than the director.

[B]

Yeah, the director would have to see if they want it. Right?

[C]

Yeah. Okay, well, I think that's interesting for everybody to understand. I remember that Frank would have to go. But that's, that's so cool because, you know, you got to figure out the shots, what you want for the, for the shot list. How did you find those locations? I mean, did. Were you just familiar with the area? You grew up in the area? Did people, you worked on other films where you worked in that type of place. Did people email you and say, I have a great location. How did you find these locations?

[A]

Yes, to all of the above. Born and raised Washingtonian. And so I still discover places to this day that I had no idea were here. I love to be outdoors, so there's that. I love photography, but it is part of location scouting and managing is the researching part. And there were Many times, like Jeanine, when you went home to Grosse Pointe, I needed to contact the Michigan Film office to make sure that we were able to match that house here. So there's a lot that goes into it, and the locations were definitely a character. But I remember during the shooting, the script that was shooting, there always needed to be a substitute group for the key heads of department that needed to go on that tech scout to prepare for the next shooting script. It was a beautiful dance that we all did.

[C]

Who were those key people that had to go?

[A]

Usually director, production designer, Definitely the Michaels, the two producers on the tech scout. It would usually be gaffer, grip and definitely dp.

[C]

Well, because for everyone, you have massive trucks that have to be brought in, especially if you're in the woods and whatnot. And you have to figure out electricity and where you're gonna plug things in and. And I imagine, are they safe to walk? Are the snakes gone? I mean, I will live on a ranch, Right. Is there a path? How do we get out of here? Is it a safe place? I mean, it's a really big deal. Snow, ice weather, rain. Oh, and here's a big one, Rob. A couple of times we had locations where the sound was so bad. Not often, but with traffic and whatnot, that I couldn't act because I knew I was gonna have to loop everything. Do you remember those locations, Rob? Every now and then, yeah.

[B]

For sure. For sure. It happens. I mean, you're by a river or you're in a city with this. The, you know. You know, you're going to do the whole thing. It's. You know. But in the old days, you know, your. Your friend Fellini, they didn't record sound. They added it after.

[C]

I can't imagine.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Is that how he did eight and a half?

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

You mean they all looped it later?

[B]

Yep. Wow.

[C]

Well, gosh, thank goodness we don't have to do that anymore.

[B]

I mean, it's different. It gives it a different kind of quality. So, I mean, those films are magical films, so they work on their own level, for sure.

[C]

Do you want to talk about this episode a little bit, Rob, A little bit more about.

[B]

Sure. What are you thinking?

[C]

Okay. Well, we had all the stuff with Mike and Monroe talk about where the bubble was. I couldn't remember that we had a bubble on set. I have, like, kind of no recollection of that. But how did you find the bubble? And was that a real bubble that was out there and whatnot? Because then you got to feed everybody out there.

[B]

Everything we built that.

[A]

We did. We built that. So that's at Circle 8 Ranch, believe it or not. That was something that we again stumbled upon. Found it. It was a square dancing group that owned this property with a little pond and they had a square dancing undercover so the crew could eat in there. There was a field that was perfect for Mike Monroe's bubble house. And Woody and John Wayne and Ken Berg and Tom Williams and everyone went up there to build it. And I believe we did a lot of the interiors up there too.

[C]

That's what I keep saying. But everybody tells me there was one on the set.

[B]

The interiors were on a stage. Yeah. They could only go in. You can only go in part. It wasn't finished on the inside.

[A]

Okay, okay.

[C]

That's funny. I did all my scenes in there. I remember nothing about it.

[A]

I think the ads wanted the flexibility of if we could, if we were running ahead, get to the interior of the bubble, that would save something on the stage. But you're right, Rob. There was only part of it finished.

[B]

Yeah, but it was. Still was great. It worked great.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I'm trying this. This scene was. And I also think, what about the scenes with Marilyn and, you know, all the performance art that came through? Were there any special. You said there was one special location down by the creek.

[A]

Yeah, the place where they had the picnic.

[C]

That was a beautiful location. How far away was that from Redmond where we were? How long of a drive was that? Do you remember that location at all?

[A]

That was only 20 minutes from our Redmond studio. Oh, yeah. That was just up in Snoqualmie North Bend area. Just before you go over the pass,

[B]

we should talk about. I think this is the only time, and I'm not sure why I think this was Josh's dentist. But you see me practicing my golf swing and I have this device called the Soundstroke Golf club. And it was invented by an LA dentist who I think was Josh's. And I was so amazed because it was like a patent promotion for this device that is supposed to help your swing. And I remember asking Josh and he was just like, he's my dentist. It just seemed like Josh seemed like the last person in the world who would do something like that. But yet there it was. And I actually got that thing and it did help my swing a little bit. So, Vicki, so any other memories from this particular episode?

[A]

This particular one was the town folk and the. The Mamanshans when I. They were so cool to the mayor to read. He's like well, of course they're going to bring toilet paper. You know, it was so funny. But that. That was definitely the talk of the town. You know, that little town, many secrets and so many quirky, wonderful things about it that just kind of became part of the show.

[B]

What about in general? What. What. What stuff? Like when we called and asked you to do this, what started to creep into your consciousness?

[A]

Well, first of all, I'm honored, so thank you. I'm really proud of all the work the location department did on Northern Exposure.

[B]

We've tried to do a couple reboots, and there was one version that I stay. I was attached as a producer, but only to try to protect the integrity of the show because they wanted to do a version that had nothing to do with anyone from the show. They didn't want the actors, and. And they said they were going to do it in a different town. And I said, you were making such a mistake. You've got to at least put it in that town, because the characters. That town was a character, and the audience is going to want that. You've got to put it in the town. They were like, no, we're going to do it somewhere else. And I just thought, oh, man, this is a mistake. Unfortunately, it didn't work out, but, oh, I'm.

[A]

I'm really glad it didn't, because, you know, I'm. I'm really mixed. Like Barbara Brown, she absolutely. Script supervisor does not think it should be touched, remade. Others think it could be done very, very well. Right. So I just think about all of the great memories that we had, and, you know, Chief Mike in town always. Always watching out for us, you know.

[B]

Well, we'll talk about Chief Mike a little bit.

[A]

So Chief Mike and Mayor Denning, they were. They were kind of in control of Rosalind. They ran Rosalind. And a script needed to be presented. I'll tell you why a script needed to be presented. Because some actor, when they were running naked down the street, Double dog, dared people to actually go naked. So then we had to make Roslin a fire truck to make up for that.

[B]

It was a big. We've talked about it many times, how they wanted to arrest. First they wanted to arrest, I guess, Matt Nodella. Then they wanted to arrest me. And I was. The teamsters kind of guarded me in the little movie theater there so that they wouldn't arrest me.

[A]

I loved it. So anyway, we talked them down. But those two people were definitely intricate to being able to get the things done that we needed to in that town. And there were many times when they would want me to go and talk to the city council about scripts that were more unusual than they could approve themselves. And I always knew when Jim Charleston had made Chief Mike mad, he would come screaming around the corner looking for me, because in the last seasons I was supervising location manager. And luckily I had a really good relationship with him. Dan had a really good relationship with him. He just. Just wanted to keep things in his town in order.

[B]

And you weren't. You. Wait, what season did you come on?

[A]

Let's see. I came on. I did 45, 49 shows. So I came on second half. Yes, right.

[B]

Cause, like the beginning, they hated us in that town. They didn't want us there for anything. And it was a lot of, you know, Paola and negotiations, and they didn't. You know, they really. And the townspeople resented it. But once it became a hit, they liked us.

[A]

They did. And what was wonderful is that we were able to. Because we paid each of those shops when we would shut down the street for the entire day, a loss of business. And we were able to bump that, you know, when the show was picked up and nominated for awards. And luckily I came in on that, so I got to ride in and be the good guy.

[B]

Yeah, there was amazing. Such amazing scenery. That town is so cinematic. But I just keep thinking about what you said about Woody. God, he was another real hero of Northern Exposure, the production designer. We haven't been able to get anyone from the art department yet, but we hope to.

[A]

Well, I have some connections that I'm happy to share with you.

[B]

Oh, yeah, please, share us. Anyone else you think from the show that. I've got Babs, the script supervisor, I'm going to get her on the show and yeah, it'd be great to talk to people from the art department because they were such. I mean, these sets, you know, you talk about the bubble, Mike Monroe's bubble. You know, they would build and fast. You know, the scripts would come and they'd have 10, 12 days maybe to get these things up and running. I mean, I guess on occasional. Occasionally they would get a heads up with a longer lead if it was something they knew was going to be difficult. But. And Woody's aesthetic and sensibility and. And detail was just. Just really unparalleled.

[A]

I agree. Woody was just one of those special people that we all met at that time. And, you know, he had a great art director, Ken Berg. He had a great set decorator, Lori Malindy. Lori Malindy and I are best friends. We had so many friendships right from that show. And I think we all just tucked it in a special place in our heart.

[B]

And that's where it remains now, is filming in Washington. Is there a lot going on there?

[A]

I'm proud to say that one of the first things that I helped land, and my specialty at the film office is locations and talking about the incentive. But I was able to help land Train Dreams that was recently nominated for some Oscars.

[B]

Right. That had a lot of Northern Exposure element to it.

[A]

It truly did. And then we have one coming out this Friday called Passenger, which is a really. A Paramount studio film came, and it's too scary for me to watch, but I think it's going to be a good horror.

[B]

Yeah, my daughter's been talking about it, but. What? No TV shows? But is it still a right to work state?

[A]

Yeah, no.

[B]

Oh, it was a right to work state right back when we were there. So you could. That's why we went there, because you could film without Union Cruise. Yes, but I don't know if that's still the case or not. But, you know, there's something magical about the light up there and the people and everything about it. I just. If I could do one thing over, it'd be to stay up there, you know, to spend time. I just. Every time I get to go up there, which is not often, I'm just so happy. I can see why you're so happy there.

[A]

I'm so happy. Yeah. I am so happy. We're working on getting a series, you know, keep your fingers crossed for us.

[B]

Yeah, cool. I will.

[A]

Yeah. Maybe you as a director, you know, I can entice you and pull a good location package for you one time.

[B]

I would come there in a second. So. But, you know, the thing is, is that this, you know, the incentives are the tax incentives, you know, for you in the audience, you know, the rebates we get for filming are crucial because that's why so of our business goes to Canada or Europe. And so there's no federal tax incentive yet. There's talk of it. We're hoping that that might happen. But are the state intact? How are the Washington State incentives competitively?

[A]

They are competitive. Now that we have. In 2022, we went from 3.5 million to 15 million. So now that makes us a little more. We have a 10% uplift, so the base is 30. Then if you tell a story of a historically marginalized community, then you get a 10% uplift. Or if you film 50% of your film in a rural county, you get a 10% uplift on the whole film. So that has been something that people are very interested in. We don't compete where it comes with above the line and we are working on that.

[B]

Yeah, they got to do that. That's what California is just starting to do that finally. It's kind of crucial. What that means to the audience is the above the line is considered, the talent, the directors, the actors. And usually they don't get considered in the tax break, but in some of the more competitive states like Atlanta and Louisiana, they do. And so that's why so much production has gone there. And us in California are really, you know, there, there's this industry is really hurting here. So we're hoping to get industry here, but just keeping in the US alone is a big priority because, you know, I've got a couple projects that were, you know, that we're talking about and, and it's all, you know, it's, it's, it's fede complete that it's Canada, you know, and they take place in, in the U.S. so maybe that'll change. Hopefully. Everything's sickly, everything.

[A]

We've been in it long enough to know that everything is cyclical. You're so right.

[B]

Well, Vicki, thank you so much. It's. What a pleasure to have you. It was really, really nice talking to you and getting to remember your sweet face and how great it was to work with you and what a great job you did. And I love seeing your memorial wall back there. It's very cool.

[A]

Thank you. It was so good to see you and Janine too. You guys haven't, you haven't changed a bit.

[B]

Well, that's not what my chiropractor would say.

[C]

Northern Disclosure is a production with Evergreen podcasts and executive produced by Paul Anderson and Scott McCarthy for Workhouse Media.

[D]

In 2021, the wife and son of Alex Murdoch, an attorney for from a prominent South Carolina family, were found shot to death. The story captivated the nation. That's when we began the podcast Impact of Influence. In March of 2023, Alec Murdoch was convicted of murdering his wife Maggie and their 22 year old son Paul. The latest Alec Murdoch was granted a new trial by the South Carolina Supreme Court citing jury tampering. The case will be tried before the end of the year and we will be on top of it. Get Impact of Influence wherever you get your favorite podcast.