Newsgroups: alt.tv.northern-exp
Subject: Chris's trial:"NX's Legal Aid"
From: oop001@marshall.wvnet.edu
Date: 7 Jan 93 09:54:03 -0500
Organization: Marshall University

from: THE HERALD DISPATCH (Huntington, WV) 1/7/93

"Northern Exposure's Legal Aid" by John Gillispie

Attorney Jim Turner has offered advice to a lot of real characters over the
years.  But last summer, the Huntington man gave legal counsel for his first
fictitious character.

"Northern Exposure" writer Jeff Melvoin telephoned Turner during the summer
concerning a Dec. 14 episode involving the character Chris, the show's disc
jockey, played by actor John Corbett of Wheeling (WV).

Turner, a lawyer with Huddleston, Bolen, Beatty, Porter and Copen, was
skeptical at first.  "We play a lot of pranks around here," Turner said.  "I
thought someone was joking me about that.  When I got on the phone, I didn't
think I was talking to a writer."  But it didn't take long to realize that the
call wasn't a hoax, said Turner.  Turner's wife, Michelle, works in the
governor's office in Charleston and when contacted by Melvoin, had referred him
to her husband.

"He have me the rough outline of what they were trying to do with the actor
(Corbett) on the show,"  he said.  "West Virginia gets quite a few references
on that show.  I think it's ultimately a good thing."  Turner said the show's
writers were working on a story line in which Chris has jumped parole in West
Virginia and has been tracked to Alaska, where a hearing takes place to
determine whether to send the DJ back to the Mountain State.

"The first thing he wanted to know was the exact code provision on extradition
and how a police officer would refer to that section,"  Turner said.  "They
were insistent on getting it right.  On that show, their idea is that God is in
the details.  They try very hard to make things accurate.  Except for lawyers
and judges in West Virginia, no one would know the difference.  I liked that
show before he talked to me, but that really impressed me."

The story line that developed had Chris coming from a criminal background in
Wheeling.  The defense, which the writers wanted to be comical, argued that
since Chris's character had gone through a spiritual transformation, he was no
longer the man named in the warrent.  "He asked me, 'What do you think of our
theme here?' I told him it was really pushing it, but you could do a lot with
that.  I suggested he transpose his fanciful theory with the defense that has
sometimes been tried incases of multiple personalities."

Turner, 29, said the character of Maggie (Janine Turner) traveled to Anchorage
to research the multiple personality defense and did mention it.  "I noticed
they didn't go too far into that," he said.

One thing I said to him about the state that peole have been getting on me
about is that people think we're the banjo-playing, redneck guys from
'Deliverance.'  In the show the character played by Rob Morrow didn't want
Chris to come back to our prisons.  He said, 'You've seen "Deliverance,"  If
that's how they treat tourists, can you imagine what happens in prison?'

"It would be kind of inaccurate to say that I played some enormous role in
shaping that show,"  Turner said.  "They used me to make things more accurate,
more realistic.  I was just thankful that they took the time and had the
interest in portraying West Virginia more accurately.  I'm tired of seeing the
same stereotypes brought out every time they have a West Virginia character on
a show."

Another West Virginian who played a role in the recent "Northern Exposure"
episode was Wheeling Central Catholic High School Principal Joseph Viglietta,
47.  The writers used Viglietta's name for the West Virginia warden who wanted
Chris to be extradited.  The real Viglietta, who has been the school's
principal for 21 years, said he's received some ribbing about it.  "So many
people have been teasing me," he said.  "People called from California to make
sure I know about it.  They got a kick out of it."

Viglietta thinks highly of Corbett, who last visited the school in February and
did announcements over the school intercom as his character Chris would on
"Northern Exposure."  "John Corbett is a fine fellow,"  Viglietta said.  "I'm
glad things are going so well for him now.  Believe me, fame has not affected
him in any way, shape or form...He's very good for West Virginia and for
Wheeling and Wheeling Central Catholic."

In fact, Wheeling Central may just have been the launching pad for Corbett's
career.  "The very first time he set foot on stage was in our school," 
Viglietta said.  Corbet, who graduated in 1979, talked Viglietta into letting
the school conduct a "Gong Show" prom fund-raiser by promising to perform in
it.

"His mom sewed 2,000 sequins on a white Elvis costume,"  Viglietta recalled. 
"He brought the house down.  He was a big hit even then.  He always had it in
him.  He is as humble and unassuming now as he was 15 years ago.  There's no
change in him.  So many people get spoiled by that type of thing."
-- 
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Lynne S. Mayer
Assistant Vice President
Office of Institutional Advancement
Marshall University
Huntington, WV  25755-6300

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