North of 60 | |
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North of 60
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Created by | Barbara Samuels Wayne Grigsby |
Starring |
Tina Keeper Tom Jackson Gordon Tootoosis Dakota House Jimmy Herman Nathaniel Arcand |
Country of origin | Canada |
No. of seasons | 6 |
No. of episodes | 90 plus 5 made for TV movies between 1999 and 2005 |
Production | |
Running time | 45 minutes per episode |
Release | |
Original network | CBC Television |
Original release | 3 December 1992 – 18 December 1997 |
North of 60 is a 1990s Canadian television series depicting life in the sub-Arctic northern boreal forest (north of 60° north latitude, hence the title). It first aired on CBC Television in 1992 and was syndicated around the world. It is set in the fictional community of Lynx River, a primarily Native-run town depicted as being in the Dehcho Region, Northwest Territories.
Most of the characters were Dene. Some non-native characters had important roles: the restaurant/motel owner, the band manager, the nurse and (during the show's first season) the town's main RCMP officer. The show explored themes of Native poverty, alcoholism, cultural preservation and conflict over land settlements and natural resource exploitation.
Originally somewhat light-hearted (a CBC response to the very successful Northern Exposure on CBS), it quickly became a more dramatic series.
Starring in the series were Tina Keeper as RCMP Constable, later Corporal, Michelle Kenidi, Tracey Cook as Sarah Birkett (nurse during first year), Tom Jackson as Peter Kenidi (band chief in first year, Michelle's brother), Gordon Tootoosis as Albert Golo (bootlegger, then band chief), Dakota House as Trevor 'Teevee' Tenia (teen trouble-maker, then band chief), Lubomir Mykytiuk as Gerry Kisilenko (restaurant/motel owner/justice of the peace), Jimmy Herman as Joe Gomba (elder) and Simon Baker as Charlie Muskrat. Adam Beach and Tantoo Cardinal also starred. Elsie Tsa Che (Wilma Pelly) was a fan favorite, playing Teevee's grandmother, a community elder. John Oliver led the cast as Corporal Eric Olsen during the show's first two seasons and entered into an off-screen relationship with co-star Keeper; he left the show when his relationship with Keeper soured. Keeper subsequently became the show's lead actor for the remainder of its run. Oliver was replaced by Robert Bockstael as Corporal Brian Fletcher, who was replaced later by Peter Kelly Gaudreault as Constable James Harper.