The Slice: Apparently, we were left at the altar

There are a number of theories about why Seattle eclipsed Spokane as a regional center of commerce and culture.

The explanations range from the presence of Seattle’s port to the gold rush. Then there’s Boeing and forward-looking civic leadership.

But there’s another possibility.

Maybe Seattle’s ascendancy is partly attributable to a TV show that debuted 40 years ago this fall, “Here Come the Brides.”

OK, Seattle was reasonably well established as a big city before that show went on the air. But perhaps it was this popular program that truly fixed Washington’s largest metro in the nation’s imagination.

Go ahead and scoff. But consider this.

Three main characters in that show were named Jason, Jeremy and Joshua.

How many little girls watching “Here Come the Brides” in 1968 grew up and named their sons after those guys?

A bazillion.

That’s hardly the full extent of the show’s influence. Unlike other Westerns, “Brides” featured virtually no gunplay. And there were lots of good-looking, hatless, outdoorsy guys in rugged casual wear.

Baby boomer girls ate that stuff up. And, years later, when the prospect of moving to Seattle would come up in real life, the part of their brains once dedicated to mooning about Bobby Sherman would switch on and they’d say, “Yes, let’s do it!”

Memories of Nixon opening Expo ’74 didn’t have quite the same magic.

But maybe it’s not too late to reverse this trend. Here are a few ideas for set-in-Spokane TV shows that, if produced, might someday make life easier for businesses trying to recruit talent to the Inland Northwest.

“Spokane 99201” – Sensitive teens in tight tops learn about life and love while navigating the angst-drenched hallways of Ryne D. Sandberg High School.

“Desperate Soccer Moms” – Overscheduled Spokane mothers talk on cell phones while driving and plead with everyone in their lives, “I need you to do this for me today.”

“Here Come the Baristas” – A hyper-diverse group of earnest young coffee-makers solve crimes and juggle romances.

“Here Come the Marmots” – Animated series featuring a band of environmentally progressive rodents who change the way Americans think about human impact on the planet.

“Creek Coldwater, M.D.” – Goateed Spokane surgeon wears hiking boots and saves lives when he’s not skiing in the backcountry or climbing rocks.

“Lilac Town” – Primetime soap featuring a mischievous ghost and the randy staff of a downtown hotel, The Waldorf Spokane.

•Today’s Slice question: What word or expression do you say to your computer?