DEEP SIX: QUIRKYVILLE, USA

I'm a big fan of quirky small towns only to be found in Toobworld. And even though I've only seen the first episode, I can already tell that the creators of 'Happy Town' have put a lot of thought into making Haplin, Minnesota, a "real" place. They seem to have worked out the town's political structure, history, and economic base. They've even got a fictional movie and its own history to play a role in the story. It looks like we'll be delving deeper into its dark corners, and in all sorts of weather as the season progresses. It may be focused on the mystery of the Magic Man for now, but I'm sure we'll be seeing more aspects of 'Happy Town' in time..

So to celebrate this latest addition to the landscape of Toobworld, here's my Deep Six list of six other fictional small towns that are near and dear to whatever passes for a heart in this ol' caretaker.

1] Hooterville, state unknown
Three bodacious sisters swimming naked in the water tower? Come on!
('Petticoat Junction', 'Green Acres')

2] Fernwood, Ohio
I don't think we'll ever see the full series out on DVD, but I was so invested in this small town that I still hope to finally see the final weeks of 'Forever Fernwood' (which was cruelly terminated by Channel 5 in NYC and replaced with repeats of - 'Hogan's Heroes'!)
('Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman', 'Fernwood 2Nite', 'Forever Fernwood')

3] Cicely, Alaska
If it turned out that people moved to Alaska because of this show, I wouldn't be surprised. They had the quirk down!
('Northern Exposure')

4] Dunn's River, Connecticut
The action didn't stray far from the homes of the Campbells and the Tates, and when it did, they'd end up usually in NYC, but still there is that feeling of "home-town pride" for this former Nutmegger.
('Soap')

5] Twin Peaks, Idaho
Sure, they went overboard with not only the supernatural elements but also the just plain freaky, but even now - twenty years later - the images of the town still come easily to mind.
('Twin Peaks')

6] Rome, Wisconsin
Located in Hogan County, the quirkiness of Rome begins with the fact that there are actually two real towns named Rome in Wisconsin. A lot of strange things happened in Rome, usually concerned with death - intentional nicotine poisoning, pulverized by steamroller, frozen to death in a deep freezer, and a serial bather eloctrocuted in a bathtub. But at its core it was the love story in the family dynamic of the Brock family.
('Picket Fences')

Similar to 'Picket Fences', 'Happy Town' looks like it will have the family of the sheriff at its core, which will also bring the show into the central business of "Our Daily Bread", the bakery corporation. (The deputy sheriff's wife works in the company's public relations.)

Check out the show when it airs this week on the 28th. It may be just the thing to that serialized mystery jones once 'Lost' is over.... BCnU!