View source for In The Middle Of Nowhere (Part 1)

{{Infobox
|bodystyle = width:30em;
|headerstyle = background:var(--infobox-header-color);
|labelstyle = background:var(--infobox-header-color); width:35%;
|header1 = Series
|header3 = Original Broadcast Date
|header5 = Cast
|header7 = Format
|label10  = Preceded by: 
|label11 = Followed by: 
|data8 = [[:Category:Scripted Actors|Scripted Actors]], 60 minutes
|data4  = [[:Category:1987|1987]]
|below = [https://www.joefrank.com/?s=nowhere Purchase]&nbsp;/&nbsp; [https://www.joefrank.com/streaming/shows/?jfsearch=nowhere Stream]
|belowstyle= border-top: 1px solid #333;padding-top:5px;
|data6  = [[Tim Jerome]], [[Larry Block]], [[Arthur Miller]], [[Nick Ullett]], [[Ryan Cutrona]]
|data10 = [[Rent A Family (Part 3)]]
|data11 = [[In The Middle Of Nowhere (Part 2)]]
|data2  = [[Work In Progress]]
|
}}
''"Oh oh God, oh my arm!"''

'''In The Middle Of Nowhere (Part 1)''' is a program Joe Frank produced as part of the series [[Work In Progress]]. It was originally broadcast in [[:Category:1987|1987]].

== Cast of characters ==
* An unnamed prospector ([[Nick Ullett]])
* Bud ([[Larry Block]]), a traveling salesman 
* Ray ([[Ryan Cutrona]]), who owns the local road house
* Ryder ([[Tim Jerome]]), an ambulance driver
* A 'gay angel' ([[Arthur Miller]])

== Synopsis ==
An eccentric French ambulance driver, Ryder ([[Tim Jerome]]),
side-swipes a prospector ([[Nick Ullett]]) in a rural area, injuring his
arm.  On the way to a hospital the prospector calls his colleague,
Tom, to tout the riches he has found, on the pay-phone in the
ambulance.

8:20: At Ray's roadhouse Bud ([[Larry Block]]), a traveling Bible and
religious goods salesman on his way to a big tent show in Paradise,
talks to Ray ([[Ryan Cutrona]]) about the stuff he sells, including
large crucifixes and confessionals.  Ryder had side-swiped Bud's car,
so it was at Mac's, the mechanic in Itmon.<ref>the name I give the
unnamed town to make writing this synopsis easier</ref>

16:30: Ryder describes the convoluted route to the hospital, says that
the prospector is equally to blame for their collision, which angers
the prospector.  At Ryder's insistence they stop to watch the sunset
at the edge of a cliff.

28:00: At the roadhouse Bud talks about people watching a tornado.
Bud was scared of the tornado; Ray tells him 'it's an opening into a
new life'.  When Bud refers to the town as being in the middle of
nowhere, Ray objects, tells him about the area's significance.

33:30: The prospector tries to push Ryder off the cliff<ref>with an
injured arm?</ref> but Ryder pushes the prospector off instead.

36:20: Ray expatiates on metaphysical matters to Bud, including tarot
cards, fortune-tellers, and unseen forces.  When Bud professes to
believe what Ray has told him, Ray tells him it's nonsense.

42:30: Ryder and an angel ([[Arthur Miller]])<ref>I take that from
[https://www.joefrank.com/shop/in-the-middle-of-nowhere-1 the synopsis at joefrank.com];
nothing explicit in the text of the show identifies the speaker as an
angel.</ref> converse about Ryder's life.  First Ryder says that he's
adrift, has no past, no identity, then refutes that by describing
himself and his history in detail.  The angel makes advances on Ryder,
which Ryder rebuffs.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:95%; overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Legacy Synopsis</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

*A prospector is hit by an ambulance, taken on a long circuitous route toward a hospital, and is eventually thrown off a cliff by the driver.  

*Bud, a traveling religious item salesman on his way to Paradise talks with a local in a road house: portable confessionals, the middle of nowhere, mysteries of the universe, seers, comparing a map with a hand.  

*Ray, the ambulance driver talks to a therapist or religious-leader about having lost his way: "I don't have a name, I don't have a place of birth. . ." 
</div></div>
== Music == 
{{The Stone (Andreas Vollenweider)}} [1:05] <!-- drone+piano at 0:50 is probably a Sonic Images bed... -->
{{Make The World Go Away (Hank Cochran and Jeannie Seely)}} [8:45]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotta_Serve_Somebody "Gotta Serve Somebody"] - unknown version [11:43] <!-- more Sonic Images music @44:29 ? -->

== Additional credits ==
The original broadcast credits state: "With [[Tim Jerome]], [[Nick Ullett]], [[Arthur Miller]], [[Larry Block]], and [[Ryan Cutrona]]. It was recorded by Jess Plumley at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Link#Westrax_Recording_Studios Westrax Studios] in New York City, and mixed by Tom Strother. The music was by Sonic Images."

== Miscellanea ==
* Samples of In The Middle Of Nowhere (Part 1) appear on the [[Wikipedia:Still_Life_(US_band)|Still Life]] EP [https://www.discogs.com/master/1079297-Still-Life-Limitations-Boundaries-And-Failures ''Limitations Boundaries And Failures''] track [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRCDY25tXqI&t=254s "Into Fruition"]

== Footnotes ==

[[Category:Scripted_Actors]]
[[Category:Tim Jerome]]
[[Category:Larry Block]]
[[Category:Arthur Miller]]
[[Category:Ryan Cutrona]]
[[Category:Nick Ullett]]
[[Category:1987]]
[[Category:Work In Progress]]
[[Category:Unknown_air_date]][[Category:Show]]
[[Category:Show_by_date|19870004]]	{{Airdate|airdate=1987}}{{Series|series=Work In Progress}}{{Cast|cast=[[Tim Jerome]], [[Larry Block]], [[Arthur Miller]], [[Nick Ullett]], [[Ryan Cutrona]]}}