While we were still kind of stuck on the whole rewrite-Northern-Exposure idea, Scott had these character ideas:
Scott to Amy 8-14-06
After Rob Morrow left and they brought in the new doctor and his wife, I thought, "Why do they think there has to be a central doctor character to the story? Go a different direction!" So that's what I'd want to do. I'd love it if we still had a few of the old characters--Holling, Shelley, Maurice, and, of course, Marilyn. Peg Phillips, who played my favorite character, Ruth Ann, has died, alas... The new characters would be in totally different professions...no doctor, no pilot, no DJ. I think we'd want to see a newspaper editor. A teacher. Something totally out of left field like Ed, the aspiring filmmaker. Some sort of New Age guru who has settled in Cicely because its "Juxtaposition" on the globe makes it a good spot for communing with cosmic forces, or something silly like that. A good character for Maurice to be totally disgusted with, and someone who is right just often enough to cause Maurice added discomfort. That might be the perfect role for you. An "Earth Mother" type who runs a little shop full of crystals and talismans, something you'd never expect could possibly succeed in a small town like Cicely. Someone who claims to have some extra sensory powers or who has lived previous lives, and has settled in Cicely because she believes she lived there once before. There'd have to be some real dichotomies in your character. Like, in addition to being all New-Agey, you'd indulge in extreme sports, or something.
My contribution was to start thinking up a title.
Hey, can anyone rememeber what new show was on the air in the Fall of 06??? I'll give you a hint: it was set in a small quirky twon in Alaska. We kind of thought we were sunk before we even got started, but the show was "Men in Trees" and we were good to go!
As we continued to talk about the different characters, we pretty much came to realize that we were writing our own, new show and not a sequal.
Scott to Amy 8-18-06
I suppose, to be utterly realistic, what I have to accept is that we can't do a Northern Exposure update, though. Instead, I have to come up with our own quirky little small town show. Not too difficult. Everything else can remain in place.
Confident, right?
OK, more character chatter (from the same email):
Although the idea has been done before, I rather like the idea of having a character (perhaps Alan Tudyk's character) who has an identical twin, who behaves very differently from his brother. Or does he have a twin..? Nobody has ever actually seen both of them together at the same time, so maybe there really is only one of them. But for whatever reason, the entire town is willing to go along with him, for whatever reason. Their philosophy is, "Well, maybe he does have a twin. And, if he doesn't, well then, he must have a good reason for wanting us to BELIEVE that he does..." And if Alan's regular character is a skeptic who doesn't like to do outdoor activities, then his "counterpart" should be opposite in a lot of ways. Maybe it's also unclear whether or not your character knows for sure if there's a twin, or if she's in on the truth, whatever the truth is. And that she's perfectly happy with the masquerade, if indeed it is just as masquerade.
Amy to Scott 8-18-06
I agree that a NE sequel would not fly, unless, of course, the original creators did it. I think the established fan base would mutiny.
However, I really see no reason why a local show couldn’t happen. I know money is an issue, but look at if from a “build it and it will come” point of view. Seriously, let’s get together, brain storm, write up a polished spec script (is that a contradiction in terms?) and THEN worry about where the money will come from. There are people in this town who have cash to spare – we just have to find them. Also, I have no shame and am willing to pick the brains of the few contacts I have left in LA. I think this is a REALLY good idea. People (us included) love shows about crazy people – maybe it makes them feel better about themselves?!?!
The “twin” idea is great fun and there is a whole lot of potential in it. Especially when considering how much “my” character knows. The only thing I would say is don’t set it in a small mountain town with a name that remotely resembles Evergreen – it’s been done! I do have one request, however, once the show is a big hit and there is network support & a strong fan following – let’s do a musical episode!
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