South of Nowhere

***South of Nowhere*** is an original series created by Noggin for its nighttime programming block, The N, which was aimed at teens. It follows an Ohio-bred family, the Carlins, as they move to Los Angeles and adjust to high-energy city life.

The show premiered on November 4, 2005, on Noggin during The N block. The first 32 episodes aired on Noggin. On January 1, 2008, The N briefly spun off into its own short-lived channel, where the last eight episodes aired.

Rare for a teen series, but fitting with Noggin's goals as a "thinking channel," the show had loose educational goals in mind. Parent discussion guides (linked here) were available for each episode on The N's website. The guides offered tips and questions about topics raised in *South of Nowhere* to use as discussion starters with teens.

## History

Noggin LLC first greenlit the show on May 31, 2005, and the show started filming in Los Angeles in July 2005. Tom Ascheim, the general manager of Noggin, said to *The Futon Critic* when the show was first announced: "The series takes viewers on an authentic and multi-faceted journey of self discovery that is sure to resonate with The N's teen audience."

The show's creator, Tom Lynch, said in the same interview: "I believe The N is the only network bold and daring enough to air this series, and I'm thrilled to be collaborating with them."

## Summary

The series chronicles the Carlin family after their cross-country move to Los Angeles. The Carlins find they are unprepared for the fast-paced, metropolitan environment and the overcrowded, "anything goes" LA public school that their three teen children attend.

## Cast

The show has an ensemble cast of eleven main characters.

* **Spencer Carlin** is the youngest of the Carlin kids. She is bright-eyed and hopeful, and a good influence on those around her, even if she sticks out like a sore Ohio thumb among the Los Angeles crowd. She met the jaded Ashley Davies, practically her opposite, but somehow their friendship turned into romance. As Spencer figured out that she was gay, her mom struggled to understand it but finally began to support her.
* **Glen Carlin** is the oldest Carlin kid. He was once a star basketball player and the biggest flirt in school, even dating the head cheerleader, Madison. After a knee injury derailed his basketball dreams, Glen didn't know where to turn and started relying on drugs to get through the day. Getting busted finally allowed Glen to see the darkness of where he was heading, and he cleaned himself up.
* **Clay Carlin** was the adopted son of the Carlin family. He was a straight-A student who worked hard and acted as a moral compass. He stood by his family and girlfriend Chelsea throughout all of their troubles. He seemed to have a grip on his life when he was murdered in a drive-by shooting at the prom at the end of season two. His death deeply affects his family throughout season three.
* **Arthur Carlin** is the dad of the Carlin family, who works as a therapist. Back in Ohio, he was considered a hero social worker at his small counseling center. After moving to LA, he found himself mired in the crush of big city hostility. In his family's struggle over Spencer's sexuality, Arthur was forced to defend both his daughter and his wife and to be the peacemaker.
* **Paula Carlin** is the mom of the Carlin family. She initiated her family's move to LA to take a lucrative job as a surgeon in the ER. She splits her time between the hospital and her kids. She wants the world for them, but it's a world that she envisioned, which is why Spencer's relationship with Ashley caused her so much grief. She learned many lessons from Spencer, and now she has to make them stick.
* **Ashley Davies** is Spencer's girlfriend. She is the rich but detached daughter of a late musician, Raife Davies. When Ashley met Spencer, she broadened Spencer's horizon, opening her up to a grittier world, her sexuality, and her first love. As their relationship grew, Ashley went from deflecting emotion with sarcasm to being a mature, softer person.
* **Aiden Dennison** is a good friend of Spencer and Ashley. He is a basketball player and works out at the King High gym. He and Ashley were once in a romantic relationship, and for most of the series, Aiden guiltily holds on to his feelings for her. He wants the best for Spencer and Ashley's relationship but can't help but feel jealous at times.
* **Madison Duarte** is the former head cheerleader of King High. She dated Aiden, then pushed him aside for the new basketball star, Glen. When that ended and she couldn't win Aiden back, she found she suddenly didn't have guys at her beck and call. Her family went broke and she was kicked off the cheerleading squad, forcing her to take action to rebuild her life.
* **Sean Miller** is a film lover who was Clay's best friend. When Clay moved to LA, Sean showed him how to be true to his race while being equally honest to his mind and heart. In season three, Sean interns as a film editor for Spike Lee in New Orleans. Unbeknownst to Clay, Sean and Chelsea were childhood friends, and Sean had a crush on her for many years.
* **Chelsea Lewis** is a free-spirited painter who was Clay's girlfriend. Life threw a curve ball at Chelsea when she became pregnant and put aside art school to figure out her future. Clay was determined to raise the baby, but his death complicated things, forcing Chelsea to face her choices on her own.
* **Kyla Woods** is Ashley's estranged half-sister who is a new character in season two. She has a passion for acting. At first, Ashley wants nothing to do with Kyla, but she later warms up to her.

## Episodes

The show has three seasons and 40 episodes in total.

## Online

The show had its own page on Noggin's website for The N. The website released a series of exclusive webisodes, including a two-minute clip called "Five Years Later," set after the events of the show.

## Merchandise

All three seasons of *South of Nowhere* were released to DVD. They were sold on Amazon as manufacture-on-demand exclusives. Along with *Miracle's Boys*, it is one of only two original shows from The N to be fully released to DVD.

## Links

* Press release from 2005
* The N's "parent discussion guides" for the show