Please recommend TV shows that "feel" like they're set in a certain spot
July 27, 2023 9:41 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for TV shows that really feel like they are set in a given area - city, town, etc. Can be integral to the plot or not, implicit or explicit, but watching it should have you feeling like its definitely truly set in the given locale.
A couple recent examples, but open to all types of shows, not just ones like these, and all types of places, cities or not.
Family Law, which is set and filmed in Vancouver, and to me feels like Vancouver not just from all the establishing shots but also the background ocean in some scenes, and to a lesser extent the places the characters go and what they do there (SUP at the beach, downtown cafes, etc.)
PUSH which is set and filmed in Edmonton, and to me feels like Edmonton not just from the establishing shots but also the shots chosen, little things like the buses and the inside of one house.
If there is a term for this type of place-feeling I'm happy to learn that too! Not having a more exact description of what I'm looking for has made searching more difficult.
A couple recent examples, but open to all types of shows, not just ones like these, and all types of places, cities or not.
Family Law, which is set and filmed in Vancouver, and to me feels like Vancouver not just from all the establishing shots but also the background ocean in some scenes, and to a lesser extent the places the characters go and what they do there (SUP at the beach, downtown cafes, etc.)
PUSH which is set and filmed in Edmonton, and to me feels like Edmonton not just from the establishing shots but also the shots chosen, little things like the buses and the inside of one house.
If there is a term for this type of place-feeling I'm happy to learn that too! Not having a more exact description of what I'm looking for has made searching more difficult.
Somebody Somewhere is very much set in Kansas. It's a great show.
posted by alex1965 at 9:55 AM on July 27, 2023 [15 favorites]
posted by alex1965 at 9:55 AM on July 27, 2023 [15 favorites]
obvious: Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Albuquerque
posted by pjenks at 9:56 AM on July 27, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by pjenks at 9:56 AM on July 27, 2023 [6 favorites]
I remember several seasons of Prime Suspect felt like this.
posted by brainwane at 9:59 AM on July 27, 2023
posted by brainwane at 9:59 AM on July 27, 2023
Portlandia was annoying but very much of its place.
posted by Just the one swan, actually at 10:00 AM on July 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Just the one swan, actually at 10:00 AM on July 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
Derry Girls
posted by redyaky at 10:02 AM on July 27, 2023 [24 favorites]
posted by redyaky at 10:02 AM on July 27, 2023 [24 favorites]
The Wire lives and breathes Baltimore.
posted by General Malaise at 10:12 AM on July 27, 2023 [16 favorites]
posted by General Malaise at 10:12 AM on July 27, 2023 [16 favorites]
In the theme of The Wire, Treme, also by David Simon but New Orleans.
posted by rpn at 10:15 AM on July 27, 2023 [10 favorites]
posted by rpn at 10:15 AM on July 27, 2023 [10 favorites]
Given the shows you've mentioned, I presume you're familiar the The Republic of Doyle.
Forever Knight (yes, it's cheesy, but in the good way--at least for the first two seasons) was a very in-Toronto show.
Private Eyes dances in this territory. It's Toronto and Ontario, but not quite (for example, made-up small Ontario towns, made-up Ontario race tracks, etc. but all shot in real locations).
ISTR that Wild Roses feels pretty authentic.
If you want to go back even further into the annals of ConCon, Beachercombers is very much of its place and so is King of Kensington. Street Legal should also give you that feel. Actually, if you pick any Canadian show that's set in Canada (and not a stand-in for Chicago/New York/Washington/Boston/Paris/etc.) you'll likely have a pretty good feel for the place, with a few minor exceptions (the Megan Follows Anne of Green Gables series shot mostly in Ontario, for example).
posted by sardonyx at 10:16 AM on July 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
Forever Knight (yes, it's cheesy, but in the good way--at least for the first two seasons) was a very in-Toronto show.
Private Eyes dances in this territory. It's Toronto and Ontario, but not quite (for example, made-up small Ontario towns, made-up Ontario race tracks, etc. but all shot in real locations).
ISTR that Wild Roses feels pretty authentic.
If you want to go back even further into the annals of ConCon, Beachercombers is very much of its place and so is King of Kensington. Street Legal should also give you that feel. Actually, if you pick any Canadian show that's set in Canada (and not a stand-in for Chicago/New York/Washington/Boston/Paris/etc.) you'll likely have a pretty good feel for the place, with a few minor exceptions (the Megan Follows Anne of Green Gables series shot mostly in Ontario, for example).
posted by sardonyx at 10:16 AM on July 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
Anything David Simon makes that set in Baltimore (The Wire, We Own This City, etc)
Danny McBride is very good at capturing a very particular mid-south, Carolinas feel (including on "The Righteous Gemstones"), that feels to me, as a North Carolinian, delightfully and often hilariously accurate.
"Friday Night Lights"
And though it was filmed in California, a place that looks literally nothing at all like Eastern Kentucky, there was a vibe to the first series of "Justified" that got a lot right about small town Appalachia.
posted by thivaia at 10:19 AM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Danny McBride is very good at capturing a very particular mid-south, Carolinas feel (including on "The Righteous Gemstones"), that feels to me, as a North Carolinian, delightfully and often hilariously accurate.
"Friday Night Lights"
And though it was filmed in California, a place that looks literally nothing at all like Eastern Kentucky, there was a vibe to the first series of "Justified" that got a lot right about small town Appalachia.
posted by thivaia at 10:19 AM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Happy Valley
posted by quacks like a duck at 10:20 AM on July 27, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by quacks like a duck at 10:20 AM on July 27, 2023 [8 favorites]
it is a not a singular place, but the characters of Succession definitely embody places that are alien to most viewers to but very true to life of the ultra-ultra-wealthy.
posted by mmascolino at 10:28 AM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by mmascolino at 10:28 AM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Law & Order, NY
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:30 AM on July 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:30 AM on July 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
To complete the David Simon circuit—The Deuce (pre-cleanup Times Square)
posted by staggernation at 10:43 AM on July 27, 2023
posted by staggernation at 10:43 AM on July 27, 2023
HBO's Chernobyl really got 1980s Iron Curtain. So did Operation Hyacinth on Netflix - that one's a movie, but so, so good.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 10:43 AM on July 27, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by I claim sanctuary at 10:43 AM on July 27, 2023 [7 favorites]
Big Little Lies feels very much small town northern California to me.
posted by hydra77 at 10:49 AM on July 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by hydra77 at 10:49 AM on July 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
Brotherhood was very rooted in Rhode Island and Providence in particular. I remember it having a very strong sense of place and physical sense of the city’s geography, although, if I was carrying on an affair, I wouldn’t do it at the Biltmore.
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:50 AM on July 27, 2023
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:50 AM on July 27, 2023
Seconding Derry Girls.
posted by damsel with a dulcimer at 10:51 AM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by damsel with a dulcimer at 10:51 AM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Lucifer* is probably the most Los Angeles show of LA shows. Granted, it usually focuses on the nicer parts of the city, but to me it feels like LA for the people, not just the setting. (*The former Lord of Hell buys a piano bar in West LA, because of course he does.)
posted by SPrintF at 10:56 AM on July 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by SPrintF at 10:56 AM on July 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
Bosch is so deeply LA.
posted by Ardnamurchan at 10:59 AM on July 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Ardnamurchan at 10:59 AM on July 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
The Bear -- Chicago
Broad City -- NYC
Insecure -- Los Angeles
Friday Night Lights -- Texas
True Detective Season 1 -- Louisiana (didn't watch later seasons so can't comment)
According to my mom: Yellowstone (Montana)
posted by virve at 11:00 AM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Broad City -- NYC
Insecure -- Los Angeles
Friday Night Lights -- Texas
True Detective Season 1 -- Louisiana (didn't watch later seasons so can't comment)
According to my mom: Yellowstone (Montana)
posted by virve at 11:00 AM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Moon Boy
Yellowstone
The White Lotus
Tin Star (captures Alberta fairly well)
Many other CBC shows (Run The Burbs = GTA, Kim's Convenience, Son of a Crich)
posted by rozcakj at 11:09 AM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Yellowstone
The White Lotus
Tin Star (captures Alberta fairly well)
Many other CBC shows (Run The Burbs = GTA, Kim's Convenience, Son of a Crich)
posted by rozcakj at 11:09 AM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
If Chernobyl works for you, The Same Sky (Der Gleiche Himmel) on Netflix. Takes place on both sides of the Berlin Wall in 1974.
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:21 AM on July 27, 2023
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:21 AM on July 27, 2023
You’re The Worst, LA
posted by itesser at 11:31 AM on July 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by itesser at 11:31 AM on July 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
High Desert seems to really capture the Palm Springs area vibe well.
posted by pantarei70 at 11:41 AM on July 27, 2023
posted by pantarei70 at 11:41 AM on July 27, 2023
Only Murders In The Building, particularly the first season.
posted by mochapickle at 11:51 AM on July 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by mochapickle at 11:51 AM on July 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
Dark Winds on AMC feels very much like rural New Mexico and the Rez.
posted by answergrape at 11:52 AM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by answergrape at 11:52 AM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Atlanta, at least the early seasons that were set and filmed here.
posted by Violet Hour at 12:04 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Violet Hour at 12:04 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Broadchurch
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:06 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:06 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Teenage Bounty Hunters felt very Atlanta-area to me.
posted by zoetrope at 12:13 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by zoetrope at 12:13 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Just to clarify - are you looking for places that are set in a certain place and also filmed in that place? If so, I actually would say no to Northern Exposure, since it bills itself as being set in a small Alaskan town (which, depending on which season you're talking, was either to the southern part of the state or up close to the Arctic Circle) but was filmed in rural Washington State.
I would also say yes definitely to Law and Order. Even today it's a safe bet that when you see a film crew setting up somewhere on location here in New York, it's probably a Law and Order thing they're filming.
The Sopranos also for New Jersey.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:18 PM on July 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
I would also say yes definitely to Law and Order. Even today it's a safe bet that when you see a film crew setting up somewhere on location here in New York, it's probably a Law and Order thing they're filming.
The Sopranos also for New Jersey.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:18 PM on July 27, 2023 [4 favorites]
More Can Con: M’entends-tu / Can You Hear Me feels very much like one specific neighbourhood in Montreal.
posted by third word on a random page at 12:24 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by third word on a random page at 12:24 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
ER is definitely very Chicago.
posted by obfuscation at 12:33 PM on July 27, 2023
posted by obfuscation at 12:33 PM on July 27, 2023
The Brokenwood Mysteries - rural North Island, New Zealand
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:42 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:42 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Seconding Broad City for New York, and adding Insecure (LA).
posted by rachaelfaith at 12:59 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by rachaelfaith at 12:59 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Reservation Dogs
posted by wearyaswater at 1:16 PM on July 27, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by wearyaswater at 1:16 PM on July 27, 2023 [8 favorites]
Twin Peaks is the ultimate example that comes to mind. Obviously not set in a real place, but it has many characteristics of real Northwestern small towns.
Person of Interest was a very NYC show.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 1:45 PM on July 27, 2023
Person of Interest was a very NYC show.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 1:45 PM on July 27, 2023
I was impressed by the fact that Duluth scenes in Lady Dynamite were filmed in Duluth and so the houses and the sky and vegetation actually look like Duluth. And of course they got the people right. The LA parts seem very real in this way, too, but that's a lot less remarkable.
Watching Lady Dynamite made me think of how Parks and Recreation looks painfully, constantly unlike Indiana.
Seems to me that Arrested Development got Orange County pretty well.
posted by polecat at 1:47 PM on July 27, 2023
Watching Lady Dynamite made me think of how Parks and Recreation looks painfully, constantly unlike Indiana.
Seems to me that Arrested Development got Orange County pretty well.
posted by polecat at 1:47 PM on July 27, 2023
"Bosch" and "The Lincoln Lawyer" are both extremely LA.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 1:51 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 1:51 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
The original All Creatures Great and Small was set in the Yorkshire Dales. I rewatched the whole series several years ago and enjoyed it immensely (in my opinion, the original is much better than the recent remake). I also read all of Herriot's books and would love to visit that area someday.
posted by alex1965 at 1:55 PM on July 27, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by alex1965 at 1:55 PM on July 27, 2023 [7 favorites]
England is good at this, right?
* Downton Abbey
* All Creatures Great and Small (jinx)
* The Detectorists
Also, since you don't specify *real* places. I was impressed how they made Schitt's Creek feel like a distinct place (while AFAICT keeping it very obscure where Schitt's Creek is supposed to be).
posted by polecat at 1:57 PM on July 27, 2023 [5 favorites]
* Downton Abbey
* All Creatures Great and Small (jinx)
* The Detectorists
Also, since you don't specify *real* places. I was impressed how they made Schitt's Creek feel like a distinct place (while AFAICT keeping it very obscure where Schitt's Creek is supposed to be).
posted by polecat at 1:57 PM on July 27, 2023 [5 favorites]
It's been a long time since I lived in Wales, but Hinterland seemed pretty true to what I remember, except with more murders.
posted by pangolin party at 2:04 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by pangolin party at 2:04 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Wikipedia says that Hawaii Five-O was filmed in Hawaii. I've never really watched it so I can't comment on what kind of feeling it conveys.
Although I would say NYC is mostly an unremarkable setting for a TV show, 30-Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt are kind of impressive in how intensely they use NYC as a setting for the show. And then there's Sex and the City.
posted by polecat at 2:18 PM on July 27, 2023
Although I would say NYC is mostly an unremarkable setting for a TV show, 30-Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt are kind of impressive in how intensely they use NYC as a setting for the show. And then there's Sex and the City.
posted by polecat at 2:18 PM on July 27, 2023
Death in Paradise - Saint Marie, a fictional Caribbean island but really Guadeloupe.
The Durrells in Corfu
posted by JoeZydeco at 2:19 PM on July 27, 2023 [5 favorites]
The Durrells in Corfu
posted by JoeZydeco at 2:19 PM on July 27, 2023 [5 favorites]
Ted Lasso was pretty good for this - fancy areas of south-west outer London really do look and feel like that.
posted by altolinguistic at 2:21 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by altolinguistic at 2:21 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Love (a netflix show with Paul Rust and Gillian Jacobs) is set in LA and LA itself is kind of a character.
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:22 PM on July 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:22 PM on July 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
Hasn't anyone on this site ever seen "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"?
posted by evilDoug at 2:40 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by evilDoug at 2:40 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Saint X on Hulu got mixed reviews but I appreciated that they gave time not only to the island resort the family was staying in (Dominican Republic) but also to the surrounding locales and the people who live there. The storylines of the locals were really pretty interesting.
posted by BibiRose at 3:10 PM on July 27, 2023
posted by BibiRose at 3:10 PM on July 27, 2023
The Book Group is one of those shows that nails Edinburgh.
posted by rongorongo at 3:32 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by rongorongo at 3:32 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
completely nth'ing BROAD CITY, the most NYCish show I've ever seen.
posted by DMelanogaster at 3:48 PM on July 27, 2023
posted by DMelanogaster at 3:48 PM on July 27, 2023
Everybody Hates Kevin -- Worcester, Massachusetts
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:58 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:58 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Doc Martin is set (and filmed) in a coastal Cornwall village. Haven't seen it in years and I can still picture several of the streets and the walk down from Martin's office to the sea,
posted by mark k at 4:34 PM on July 27, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by mark k at 4:34 PM on July 27, 2023 [5 favorites]
There was a show in the 90's called Early Edition that was set in Chicago and always had lots of location and outdoor scenes.
posted by Carlo at 6:23 PM on July 27, 2023
posted by Carlo at 6:23 PM on July 27, 2023
How did I forget Jane the Virgin? Very explicitly a love letter to Miami.
posted by polecat at 7:32 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by polecat at 7:32 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Davinci’s Inquest (Vancouver)
Trapped (small-town Iceland)
posted by baseballpajamas at 8:27 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Trapped (small-town Iceland)
posted by baseballpajamas at 8:27 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
As someone who grew up and lives in the Pacific Northwest, I can tell so clearly that the X-Files was filmed here. It works especially well when the episode is meant to take place here.
posted by brookeb at 10:32 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by brookeb at 10:32 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
We just started watching Justified: City Primeval, and while a lot of it is shot in Chicago, they get a lot of Detroit very right, down to good skyline shots in backgrounds and good neighborhood vibes.
posted by skookumsaurus rex at 10:35 PM on July 27, 2023
posted by skookumsaurus rex at 10:35 PM on July 27, 2023
I mean, it is a bizarrely white version of Detroit, and the show isn’t great, but still, nice establishing shots.
posted by skookumsaurus rex at 10:41 PM on July 27, 2023
posted by skookumsaurus rex at 10:41 PM on July 27, 2023
It's a set of mini-series rather than a full-on series, but Tales of the City is very San Francisco.
(Also, seconding Treme.)
Also, I haven't seen Saving Grace, but I was just reading about it, and apparently it's very tied to Oklahoma City.
posted by kristi at 10:45 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
(Also, seconding Treme.)
Also, I haven't seen Saving Grace, but I was just reading about it, and apparently it's very tied to Oklahoma City.
posted by kristi at 10:45 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
In both versions of Tales of The City San Francisco is almost another character.
posted by chbrooks at 10:46 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by chbrooks at 10:46 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Wow! So many of these seem like possible best answers; I'll be making my way through most of these (the ones I haven't seen!).
posted by narcissus_and_ambrosia at 8:41 AM on July 28, 2023
posted by narcissus_and_ambrosia at 8:41 AM on July 28, 2023
Devs really captures the environment of Silicon Valley and the landscapes around it, in my opinion more than Silicon Valley the show.
posted by A Blue Moon at 12:27 PM on July 28, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by A Blue Moon at 12:27 PM on July 28, 2023 [1 favorite]
Mr. Robot is very New York, and very downtown specifically.
posted by omgwtfpmr at 6:11 PM on July 28, 2023
posted by omgwtfpmr at 6:11 PM on July 28, 2023
Arrested Development captures Newport Beach pretty perfectly.
posted by bjrubble at 7:53 PM on July 28, 2023
posted by bjrubble at 7:53 PM on July 28, 2023
Outlander is a sort of special case, for me. Lots of action set in and filmed in Scotland. But also lots of action set in France, England the Caribbean, the USA and also filmed in Scotland.
posted by rongorongo at 3:40 AM on July 29, 2023
posted by rongorongo at 3:40 AM on July 29, 2023
The Circuit - the Kimberley region of Australia, and might be my most-recommended Australian tv.
Deadloch for small-town Tasmania.
posted by harriet vane at 6:21 AM on July 29, 2023
Deadloch for small-town Tasmania.
posted by harriet vane at 6:21 AM on July 29, 2023
Agree with everyone that Broad City is *extremely* NYC, but the most NYC show I've ever seen is definitely BETTY on HBO.
Distinctly remember watching it during the pandemic shutdown 2020 and it literally made me homesick for new york while I was at home in my apt in new york.
posted by windbox at 8:40 AM on July 30, 2023
Distinctly remember watching it during the pandemic shutdown 2020 and it literally made me homesick for new york while I was at home in my apt in new york.
posted by windbox at 8:40 AM on July 30, 2023
I wrote: "Book Group is one of those shows that nails Edinburgh." - and on re-checking I note the show takes place in Glasgow 😳. Both cities have a tenement living culture that is distinctive but can be hard to tell apart. Alternate Edinburgh suggestion therefore: Case Histories.
posted by rongorongo at 4:15 AM on July 31, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by rongorongo at 4:15 AM on July 31, 2023 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:44 AM on July 27, 2023 [9 favorites]