I loved the show Northern Exposure when it was originally on the air. I was in high school at the time, and I had a television in my bedroom. I would get all ready for bed, go into my room, shut the light off, shut the door, get all snuggled under the covers and start watching. During the show, I would mute the commercials and look away, peeking only to be sure I un-muted before the show came back on - I didn't want to see anything that wasn't the show. When it was over, I would quick click the television off and go right to sleep. It seemed there was some kind of magic in the show; something that made me feel still and peaceful and happy.

With no small amount of trepidation, I recently checked out the entire first season from the library. I didn’t know if there would still be magic in the show, or if I would have grown out of it somehow. As it turns out, the magic remains, and I still love it. I went to put the second season on hold today, and noticed the library’s subject listing for the DVD: "Eccentrics and eccentricities -- Alaska – Drama." Northern Exposure is in fact the only item listed under this subject heading – I checked.