| Northwood | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Nick Orchard |
| Starring | Lochlyn Munro Maggie Blue O'Hara Sarah Sawatsky Byron Lucas Brigitta Dau Tygh Runyan Deanna Milligan Gabe Kouth Sasha McLean Doris Chillcott Halona Donaghy Mig Macario as Mike Andaluz Lina Englund Trevor Marc Hughes Tamsin Jones Farmer |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 56[1] |
| Production | |
| Producer | Nick Orchard |
| Production locations | North Vancouver,British Columbia West Vancouver,British Columbia |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBC Television |
| Release | March 4, 1991 (1991-03-04) – January 15, 1994 (1994-01-15) |
Northwood is aCanadian teen drama television series created by Nick Orchard. It centres on the lives of teenagers living in the eponymous fictionalNorth Vancouver suburb. It aired onCBC from March 4, 1991 to January 15, 1994.
Most initial reviews of the series were mixed, with criticism given to its excessive melodrama, lack of comic relief, and production values, though praise was given to the acting performances. Having replacedDegrassi High in its time slot,Northwood also drew multiple comparisons to the outgoing show. As it progressed, reviews became more positive.
A soundtrack album,Let It Be Me, was released in 1992. It is composed of adult contemporary covers by cast members of the show.[2]
Those involved with the show, including creator Nick Orchard[3] and actor Lochlyn Munro, stated it to be "grittier"[3] and "meatier" than the outgoingDegrassi High, of whichNorthwood replaced in the 8:30pm Monday timeslot. Despite this, most early reviews of Northwood were mixed, with negative reviews drawing comparisons toDegrassi. Bob Remington of theEdmonton Journal rated it two stars and criticized what he felt to be the excessively melodramatic and humourless behavior of its characters, although he acknowledged the actors' competence. He also referred toDegrassi characterJoey Jeremiah multiple times as an example of comic relief that he feltNorthwood lacked.[4] Janice Kennedy, writing for theCalgary Herald, was more lenient in her criticism, saying that while the show cut corners and fell into soap opera cliches unlikeDegrassi, it boasted "solid acting" and "credible portrayal" from its actors, and stated that it had potential if it evolved beyond its trappings.[5] Tony Atherton of theOttawa Citizen, while also giving it a mixed review, rejected theDegrassi comparisons.[6]
Mike Boone, writing for theMontreal Gazette, gave a more positive review, stating the show set itself apart from others because of its characters' "quintessential Canadian stoicism and unhipness", and praised the "strong cast of gifted young actors".[7] Similarly,The StarPhoenix's Erica Smishek opined: "Strong performances by a well-rounded cast, effective location shooting and a grainy visual quality enhance the gritty appeal of Northwood. Now all its creators need is an audience for the six-episode test run.".[8]
In 2019, the series was made available for free on Canada Media Fund's Encore+ YouTube channel. The channel shut down on November 30, 2022.
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