Ron and Erick
Ron Bantz and Erick Hillman, portrayed by Doug Ballard and Don McManus, are a homosexual couple who run a bed-andbreakfast, The Sourdough Inn, just outside of Cicely. Much to his chagrin, Maurice (Barry Corbin), who disdains their "dysfunctional lifestyle," discovers that he has a lot more in common with them than he would care to admit, including a love of show tunes and gourmet cooking. Not conforming to all the stereotypes, however, Erick is a former Marine who was also a guard at the Tokyo embassy. Both thirtyish and former proprietors of a dog grooming business, they bought the inn from Maurice and turned it into a booming business geared towards Japanese vacationers. The marriage of Ronald Arthur and Erick Reese took place May 2, 1994 (5.21 I Feel the Earth Move). It was one of the first gay weddings on TV. It caused a great deal of controversy in some viewing markets. Several CBS affiliates refused to air the episode. More on Doug Ballard and Don McManus on the TV Tome site.
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References:
1.
now defunct A&E Northern Exposure site
2. Internet Movie Database
3. TV Weddings: An Illustrated Guide to Prime-Time Nuptials by Marisa Keller
and Mike Mashon
Created
1/13/02 Updated 3/19/02
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