South of Nowhere
Encyclopedia
South of Nowhere is an American
teen drama
television series
created by Thomas W. Lynch
. Aimed primarily at teenagers, it first aired on November 4, 2005 and was one of six original series on The N. The second half of the third and final season aired October 10, 2008 and the final episode aired on December 12, 2008. Live webisodes were also created to accompany each episode in the season 2 storyline, and they can be seen exclusively through The N's website on the Click.
) as they adjust to moving from Ohio
to Los Angeles, California
. One of the main focuses include the relationship between Spencer Carlin
(Gabrielle Christian
) and her bisexual friend, Ashley Davies
(Mandy Musgrave
). The close friendship between Ashley and Spencer led Spencer to question her own sexuality
, a subject which created controversy before the show first aired. It was the first series on The N to deal with such a subject relating to the main characters, and the first television show ever to have gay teenagers as the top-billed characters. South of Nowhere has received outstanding reviews from TV Guide
, The Boston Tribute, New York Post
, New York Daily News
, Entertainment Weekly
, and Variety
.
, this show tackled edgy and realistic subject matters for a teen drama like homosexuality
, racism
, abortion
, adoption
, homophobia
, drugs
, teen drinking, drug dealing, teen pregnancy, death
, hate crimes, arrest
, infidelity
, contraception
, college
, domestic violence
, stress
, stepfamilies, peer pressure
, sex
, military
and religion
.
Each episode of South of Nowhere is half an hour in length with commercials (23–25 minutes of actual program); the pilot episode was one hour (approximately 46 minutes of actual program). The N initially ordered 11 episodes of the series. Many people thought that The N cut the season in half, but all they did was give South of Nowhere a four week break. The show returned to The N's lineup in January 2006 with the remaining episodes from the original order to air. During the break between episodes, interviews were shown with two of the stars, Gabrielle Christian
and Matt Cohen
, during commercial breaks.
The second season was originally set to begin on October 6, 2006, but was pushed up to September 29, 2006. Its season premiere followed the sixth season premiere of Degrassi: The Next Generation. Ratings for the second season were up by 35% from season 1 and on November 17, the series reached a high among teens with a 2.16 rating.
The network officially renewed South of Nowhere for a third season, and 16 episodes had been ordered. Eight episodes aired from August 10, 2007 to September 21, 2007.
On February 27, 2008, it was officially announced on the N'sider podcast that South of Nowhere was to be canceled after the end of season 3. On February 28, an official announcement was made at the show's website that this will be the last season.
"Things change. It doesn't always seem good, but change they do. South of Nowhere has been a great journey. A show like this could not have existed ten years ago on youth oriented television or any television for that matter. But exist it does, because things change. I have loved my experience with The N for having the courage and vision to air South. I love the fans for allowing me to tell real stories about their lives. I love all of the producers, writers, directors, and crew who took the series into their hearts and participated in SON as more than a 'job'. I love the cast and how they dimensionalized the characters and created real people that you as fans could relate to and feel for as they reflected your own lives. I especially love Spashley, The name you gave to the two lead characters. To be able to create a show called 'Excellent,' 'groundbreaking' and 'impossible to resist' is rare. To create a show that touches the hearts and lives of a generation is a gift. Thank you for allowing me and Spashley into your hearts. And remember, things change, so there's no telling where the stories of Spashley will show up next.
Love and Respect-Tom Lynch Creator / Executive Producer
Promos began airing in March 2008 stating the show would be returning April 11. However, on March 21, it was announced that the final half of the third season had been pushed back to the fall. South of Nowhere returned for the remainder of its third season on October 10, 2008 and ended its run on December 12, 2008.
. The show is also available for download on Amazon
Unbox service and viewable on a compatible PC, TV, or portable video player. On all of these copies, the first season episodes have had the opening and closing theme music replaced with different music (noted above).
All episodes, as well as the webisodes, can be streamed on The N's video service "The Click". However, this service is only available in selected countries. It is not available in Canada. Episodes can also be veiwed on Logo's official website.
and Amazon.com
struck a deal to produce DVD
s of new and old Nickelodeon shows. Amazon will be making the discs, cover art, and disc art themselves.
Season 2 was released on September 16, 2008, through Amazon.com
. Season 1 was released on October 21, 2008. These contain the same edits as used on Amazon Unbox.
Season 3 was released on June 16, 2009 through Amazon.com
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
teen drama
Teen drama
A teen drama is a dramatic television series with a major focus on teenage characters. The genre was relatively non-existent for the first 45 years of television; it came into prominence in the early 1990s...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
created by Thomas W. Lynch
Thomas W. Lynch
Thomas W. Lynch is an American television series creator and executive producer who is the head of his own production company, Tom Lynch Company based in Los Angeles, CA.-Career:The New York Times referred to him as "the David E...
. Aimed primarily at teenagers, it first aired on November 4, 2005 and was one of six original series on The N. The second half of the third and final season aired October 10, 2008 and the final episode aired on December 12, 2008. Live webisodes were also created to accompany each episode in the season 2 storyline, and they can be seen exclusively through The N's website on the Click.
Overview
The show followed the lives of the members of the Carlin family (Paula, Arthur, Glen, Clay and SpencerSpencer Carlin
Spencer Carlin is a fictional character from the television series South of Nowhere. Spencer attends King High, the central setting for the show...
) as they adjust to moving from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. One of the main focuses include the relationship between Spencer Carlin
Spencer Carlin
Spencer Carlin is a fictional character from the television series South of Nowhere. Spencer attends King High, the central setting for the show...
(Gabrielle Christian
Gabrielle Christian
Gabrielle Christian is an American actress and singer best known for her portrayal of Spencer Carlin in The N original series South of Nowhere and her portrayal of Colby Robson in the web series Girltrash! and its musical prequel film Girltrash!: All Night Long...
) and her bisexual friend, Ashley Davies
Ashley Davies
Ashley Davies is a fictional character from the television series South of Nowhere. She attended King High School before she got a 12.5 million dollar inheritance, and is portrayed by actress Mandy Musgrave....
(Mandy Musgrave
Mandy Musgrave
Mandy Musgrave is an American actress and singer. Best known for her portrayal of Ashley Davies on the television series South of Nowhere, as well as portraying Misty Monroe in the web series Girltrash! and its musical prequel film Girltrash!: All Night Long...
). The close friendship between Ashley and Spencer led Spencer to question her own sexuality
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
, a subject which created controversy before the show first aired. It was the first series on The N to deal with such a subject relating to the main characters, and the first television show ever to have gay teenagers as the top-billed characters. South of Nowhere has received outstanding reviews from TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
, The Boston Tribute, New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, and Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
.
Background
Like many of the other shows on The N, such as Degrassi: The Next GenerationDegrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
, this show tackled edgy and realistic subject matters for a teen drama like homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, adoption
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
, homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
, drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
, teen drinking, drug dealing, teen pregnancy, death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, hate crimes, arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
, infidelity
Infidelity
In many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
, contraception
Contraception
Contraception is the prevention of the fusion of gametes during or after sexual activity. The term contraception is a contraction of contra, which means against, and the word conception, meaning fertilization...
, college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
, stress
Stress (medicine)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
, stepfamilies, peer pressure
Peer pressure
Peer pressure refers to the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values, or behavior in order to conform to group norms. Social groups affected include membership groups, when the individual is "formally" a member , or a social clique...
, sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
, military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
and religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
.
Each episode of South of Nowhere is half an hour in length with commercials (23–25 minutes of actual program); the pilot episode was one hour (approximately 46 minutes of actual program). The N initially ordered 11 episodes of the series. Many people thought that The N cut the season in half, but all they did was give South of Nowhere a four week break. The show returned to The N's lineup in January 2006 with the remaining episodes from the original order to air. During the break between episodes, interviews were shown with two of the stars, Gabrielle Christian
Gabrielle Christian
Gabrielle Christian is an American actress and singer best known for her portrayal of Spencer Carlin in The N original series South of Nowhere and her portrayal of Colby Robson in the web series Girltrash! and its musical prequel film Girltrash!: All Night Long...
and Matt Cohen
Matt Cohen (actor)
Matthew Joseph "Matt" Cohen is an American film and television actor best known for playing Aiden Dennison on the teen drama South of Nowhere.-Life and career:...
, during commercial breaks.
The second season was originally set to begin on October 6, 2006, but was pushed up to September 29, 2006. Its season premiere followed the sixth season premiere of Degrassi: The Next Generation. Ratings for the second season were up by 35% from season 1 and on November 17, the series reached a high among teens with a 2.16 rating.
The network officially renewed South of Nowhere for a third season, and 16 episodes had been ordered. Eight episodes aired from August 10, 2007 to September 21, 2007.
On February 27, 2008, it was officially announced on the N'sider podcast that South of Nowhere was to be canceled after the end of season 3. On February 28, an official announcement was made at the show's website that this will be the last season.
"Things change. It doesn't always seem good, but change they do. South of Nowhere has been a great journey. A show like this could not have existed ten years ago on youth oriented television or any television for that matter. But exist it does, because things change. I have loved my experience with The N for having the courage and vision to air South. I love the fans for allowing me to tell real stories about their lives. I love all of the producers, writers, directors, and crew who took the series into their hearts and participated in SON as more than a 'job'. I love the cast and how they dimensionalized the characters and created real people that you as fans could relate to and feel for as they reflected your own lives. I especially love Spashley, The name you gave to the two lead characters. To be able to create a show called 'Excellent,' 'groundbreaking' and 'impossible to resist' is rare. To create a show that touches the hearts and lives of a generation is a gift. Thank you for allowing me and Spashley into your hearts. And remember, things change, so there's no telling where the stories of Spashley will show up next.
Love and Respect-Tom Lynch Creator / Executive Producer
Promos began airing in March 2008 stating the show would be returning April 11. However, on March 21, it was announced that the final half of the third season had been pushed back to the fall. South of Nowhere returned for the remainder of its third season on October 10, 2008 and ended its run on December 12, 2008.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Premiere Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 11 | November 4, 2005 | February 3, 2006 |
| Season 2 | 13 | September 29, 2006 | December 22, 2006 |
| Season 3 | 16 | August 10, 2007 | December 12, 2008 |
Cast
- Gabrielle ChristianGabrielle ChristianGabrielle Christian is an American actress and singer best known for her portrayal of Spencer Carlin in The N original series South of Nowhere and her portrayal of Colby Robson in the web series Girltrash! and its musical prequel film Girltrash!: All Night Long...
- Spencer CarlinSpencer CarlinSpencer Carlin is a fictional character from the television series South of Nowhere. Spencer attends King High, the central setting for the show... - Mandy MusgraveMandy MusgraveMandy Musgrave is an American actress and singer. Best known for her portrayal of Ashley Davies on the television series South of Nowhere, as well as portraying Misty Monroe in the web series Girltrash! and its musical prequel film Girltrash!: All Night Long...
- Ashley DaviesAshley DaviesAshley Davies is a fictional character from the television series South of Nowhere. She attended King High School before she got a 12.5 million dollar inheritance, and is portrayed by actress Mandy Musgrave.... - Matt CohenMatt Cohen (actor)Matthew Joseph "Matt" Cohen is an American film and television actor best known for playing Aiden Dennison on the teen drama South of Nowhere.-Life and career:...
- Aiden Dennison - Chris HunterChris Hunter (actor)Chris B. Hunter is an American actor who's most known for co-starring in The N original series South of Nowhere as Glen Carlin. He has also made guest appearances in other shows including 7th Heaven, Boston Public, That's So Raven, Phil of the Future, Just for Kicks and The Amanda Show...
- Glen Carlin - Danso GordonDanso GordonDanso Gordon is a Canadian actor.Gordon was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and lived in Halifax, Nova Scotia before moving on to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles. His very first acting gig was as a guest star in CBC's Street Cents and moved on to filming footwear commercials with the...
- Clay Carlin (Seasons 1-2) - Rob MoranRob MoranRob Moran is an American film and television actor. He played the role of a bartender in Dumb and Dumber and a trans hostess in Shallow Hal. He starred in the American teen drama South Of Nowhere where he portrayed the head of Carlin Family...
- Arthur Carlin - Maeve QuinlanMaeve QuinlanMaeve Anne Quinlan is an American actress and former professional tennis player. She is best known for starring in the critically acclaimed hit series South of Nowhere, which received two nominations in a row for Best Drama at the GLAAD Media Awards, and she has a recurring role on...
- Paula Carlin - Austen Parros - Sean Miller (Seasons 1-2, guest star in Season 3)
- Valery OrtizValery OrtizValery Milagros Ortiz is a Puerto Rican actress who is known for her role as Madison Duarte on the television series South of Nowhere.-Early life:...
- Madison Duarte - Aasha DavisAasha DavisAasha Davis, is an American actress best known for her roles as Waverly Grady on Friday Night Lights and Chelsea Lewis on South of Nowhere. She has also appeared on Gilmore Girls, Grey's Anatomy, House, ER, Castle and The Shield.-Personal life:...
- Chelsea Lewis (Season 2-3, recurring Season 1) - Eileen April Boylan - Kyla Woods (Season 2-3)
Music
- The show's first season theme song was "I Don't Wanna Know (If You Don't Want Me)" by The DonnasThe DonnasThe Donnas are an American all-female rock band from Palo Alto, California. They draw inspiration from The Ramones, The Runaways, AC/DC, Bachman–Turner Overdrive and Kiss. Rolling Stone has stated that "the Donnas offer a guileless take on adolescent alienation; they traffic in kicks, not...
. - The show's second and third season theme song is "Wasted" by L.P.
- For iTunes and Amazon, the first season theme music was replaced with "Lift Me Up" by Gena Olivier.
- The song used in the trailers leading up to the show's airdate was "No Money Fun" by Oly.
- The song used repeatedly, including in the episode "The Morning After", is "Reasons to Fall" by Lauren Hoffman. (Another song by Lauren Hoffman "Ghost You Know" was used).
- The song used in early promos for season 1 is "Perfect Vision" by MontagAntoine BédardAntoine Bédard is a Canadian electronic musician, best known for his recordings under the stage name Montag.Originally from Montreal, he sings in both French and English, and is currently residing in Montreal again, after a stint in Vancouver, British Columbia...
. - The song used in the first promo for season 3 is "Deep" by Ben Broussard.
- The song used in the promo for the last half of the series is "Goodbye" by Secondhand Serenade.
- The song used in the episode "Girls Guide To Dating" (also titled "Girls Guide To Dating Girls") is "Something In Me" by Katelyn Tarver.
- The song used in "Behind The Music" is "What I Wouldn't Give" by Holly Brook.
- The song used twice ("Saturday Night Is For Fighting" and "The It Girls") is "Hollywood" by Conex.
Media
South of Nowhere is available to download online on the "TV Shows" section of Apple's iTunes Music Store (not available in Canada) and the episodes are formatted for use with the Apple iPodIPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
. The show is also available for download on Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
Unbox service and viewable on a compatible PC, TV, or portable video player. On all of these copies, the first season episodes have had the opening and closing theme music replaced with different music (noted above).
All episodes, as well as the webisodes, can be streamed on The N's video service "The Click". However, this service is only available in selected countries. It is not available in Canada. Episodes can also be veiwed on Logo's official website.
DVD release
NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
and Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
struck a deal to produce DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s of new and old Nickelodeon shows. Amazon will be making the discs, cover art, and disc art themselves.
Season 2 was released on September 16, 2008, through Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
. Season 1 was released on October 21, 2008. These contain the same edits as used on Amazon Unbox.
Season 3 was released on June 16, 2009 through Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
.