Buzz
For a long time, viewers had no idea where The Simpsons called home. Sure, we knew the fictional town was Springfield. But which state was it in?
The elusive location of Springfield has been a running gag for years, with the show's writers dropping conflicting hints, presenting blurry map details, and offering cryptic dialogue. By 2012, the puzzle was largely solved when the show's creator confirmed that Springfield was inspired by a town in Oregon.
Other TV series have crafted similarly ambiguous settings. From the creator's viewpoint, there are notable benefits to leaving a show's location undisclosed. For instance, an unspecified setting helps convey that the story could unfold anywhere. Additionally, this tactic allows producers to avoid singling out or putting a spotlight on a particular city or suburb.
10. The Brady Bunch
Constructed in the late 1950s by architect Luther Carson, the residence at 11222 Dilling Street quickly became recognized as the home of the Brady family. After exploring various properties for exterior shots, creator Sherwood Schwartz selected this house for its suitability, noting it appeared as though an architect might reside there. To make the space appear large enough for the Brady parents, their six children, and Alice, the crew added faux windows to create the illusion of a second floor.
In the show, however, the house was assigned the address of 4222 Clinton Way, with no mention of a specific city or state. Considering references to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Rams, Hollywood movie studios, and the family's vacations to Hawaii and the Grand Canyon, it can be assumed that the Bradys lived in Southern California, particularly in Los Angeles.
In the 1990s, the show's location was clarified when both The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel explicitly stated that the family resided in Los Angeles.
9. Malcolm In The Middle
Although many TV shows, including Malcolm in the Middle, are filmed in the Los Angeles area, the setting of the show wasn't based there. The home exterior shots for the Malcolm family were filmed at 12334 Cantura Street in Studio City. Other key locations, such as the school and Lucky Aide, were actually situated in North Hollywood.
Despite never explicitly revealing its location during its seven-season run, Malcolm in the Middle hinted at a southern Texas setting, likely around San Antonio, based on various clues.
Clues such as Francis attending military school in Alabama, Malcolm heading to Harvard, which is located 3,200 kilometers (2,000 miles) away from home, and occasional appearances of Oklahoma license plates all suggest this setting. Furthermore, the lack of snow reinforces the idea that the show takes place in southern Texas, likely near San Antonio.
8. The Adventures Of Pete And Pete
To cut costs, some TV shows opt to film outside of major hubs like Los Angeles and New York City. One notable example is The Adventures of Pete and Pete, a popular 1990s series from Nickelodeon, which was mostly filmed in South Orange, New Jersey, with a few scenes also shot in Wayne and Bayonne, New Jersey.
The show takes place in the fictional town of Wellsville. While several towns by that name exist in Kansas, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, the show never pinpoints the specific location.
Much like Springfield in The Simpsons, the creators likely intended to keep the town’s exact location ambiguous by including conflicting details throughout the show.
Details revealed about Wellsville in The Adventures of Pete and Pete include: a lawnmower ride to the Canadian border takes under four hours, the town is 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the Hoover Dam, bears are common in the area, summers are sweltering while winters bring snow, and the state is known as 'The Sideburn State.'
7. The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years was originally envisioned to take place in the creator’s hometown of Long Island. However, the producers opted for a more generic setting. While the specific city name was never mentioned during the show, the house where the Arnolds resided is situated in real life on a peaceful residential street in Burbank, California. At the time, a tree disease had recently destroyed much of the local vegetation, giving the neighborhood a freshly developed look.
While most of the locations featured in the show (including some notable places) are situated in Southern California, other aspects of The Wonder Years, such as the family’s road trip to Ocean City, suggest the show is also set in the East Coast. This creates a unique and contradictory setting where the world of the show blends elements from both the East and West Coasts of the United States.
6. Sesame Street
The filming locations for Sesame Street have always been complex. Between 1969 and 1992, the show was filmed at Reeves Teletape Studio, located at 81st Street and Broadway. After that, various locations in New York City were used. Since 1993, production has been based at Kaufman Astoria Studios in the Queens area of New York.
It has long been assumed that Sesame Street takes place in New York City, though the exact location of 123 Sesame Street remains a topic of discussion. Victor DiNapoli, the show's art director, has clarified that the series is meant to be set on the Upper West Side.
Initially, the creator of Sesame Street intended for the show to be called 123 Avenue B, named after a real street in the Alphabet City area of New York. If someone visits the official Sesame Street website and follows the directions to Sesame Street, they would find themselves in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens.
5. Green Acres
Following the success of The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction, CBS launched Green Acres. The farm scenes seen in the show's opening credits were filmed in Thousand Oaks, California. Interestingly, this area, once rural, is now filled with condominiums and shopping centers.
Green Acres takes place in Hooterville, a town located in the mythical “Kangaroo State.” The writers of the show often took creative liberties, adding contradictions and altering details about the town. For instance, in some episodes, Hooterville is so isolated that the only means of reaching it is by parachuting, while in other episodes, it's accessible by both a railway and an airport.
4. My Name Is Earl
The world of My Name Is Earl may give off a Southern vibe, but the trailer parks featured in the show were actually set pieces created in Los Angeles. Additional parts of the show were filmed in various locations including San Fernando Valley, North Hills, Van Nuys, and Santa Clarita.
My Name Is Earl takes place in the fictional Camden County, yet its exact location remains a mystery. Although Camden Counties exist in New Jersey, Missouri, Georgia, and North Carolina, the show never confirms whether it's set in any of these areas.
Greg Garcia, the show's creator, has even said that My Name Is Earl “doesn’t technically take place anywhere.” He has also shared that Camden County is inspired by his own hometown of Pimmit Hills, Virginia.
However, there are some inconsistencies regarding the depiction of Virginia in the show. For example, in the pilot episode, Earl and Joy are shown driving from Camden County to Las Vegas overnight. Yet in the “Inside Probe (Part 1)” episode, it is mentioned that Camden County is in the Central Time Zone.
3. Corner Gas
The debut episode of Corner Gas Animated attracted 360,300 viewers, making it the most-watched Canadian television show in history. The live-action version of Corner Gas also achieved an all-time record for Canadian viewership. The iconic gas station set was built in Rouleau, Saskatchewan, before being dismantled in 2016.
The show's universe is set in the fictional town of Dog River, which has a population of 500. It's just a short drive away from 'The City,' with the rival town of Wullerton nearby. While many of the locations in the show are based on real buildings in Rouleau, the titular gas station was a purpose-built set. This places the fictional world in a somewhat mysterious area, possibly near Saskatoon or Regina in Saskatchewan.
2. Raising Hope
Raising Hope is often remembered for its premature cancellation after just four seasons. The show was filmed around the San Fernando Valley, with the Chance family's house located on a real street in Van Nuys, California.
Although the series was set in the fictional town of Natesville, the state it was supposed to be in was never disclosed. Key details from the pilot episode revealed that Natesville was within driving distance of Las Vegas, and that execution by electric chair was permitted there.
Given that only Oklahoma and Arkansas would fit this description, it's likely that Natesville was located in one of these states. Interestingly, the show was created by Greg Garcia, also known for creating My Name Is Earl.
1. The Dukes Of Hazzard
Some TV shows may do a bit of location shooting to make it seem like the series is filmed on-site, but most of the filming actually takes place on soundstages in cities like Los Angeles or New York. For The Dukes of Hazzard, the first five episodes were filmed in Covington, Georgia, where a museum dedicated to the show stood for many years. The rest of the series was shot around the Los Angeles area.
The Dukes of Hazzard is set in the fictional Hazzard County. While the show initially filmed in Covington, Georgia, it quickly created a universe that wasn’t entirely realistic. It showcased an abundance of mountains, which are not typical in the Covington area.
By the time of the fifth and sixth episodes, the plant life in Hazzard County no longer resembled Georgia’s flora but instead resembled the more familiar vegetation of the West Coast. Despite this unconventional setting, the show’s creators crafted a backstory for Hazzard County dating back to the 1800s, when it was known as 'Sleepy City' and was controlled by the Hogg dynasty.
