Shows were the location was never revealed

[mleach]

Not to mention Family Guy's location of Quahog, Rhode Island is fictional, although in this case Rhode Island's size narrows the location down pretty far.

True while the name of Quahog is fictional its a safe to say that Quahog is really Providence. High rises, sports arena, local TV, international airport...sounds like Providence to me. Of course had Seth McFarlane had the Griffins live in Providence and use local tidbits on the Family Guy such as having Lois & Peter watching WPRI or have Brian smoking a cigarette while listening to WBRU while driving to Dunkin Donuts Arena or even have Meg & Chris visiting Brown University...you can bet money that Seth & Comapny would have to write that check to all of those places just by having their names even mentioned on Family Guy and even if they are fans of the show how would say WPRI or WBRU would handle those who don't like the show? Backlash perhaps?

Safer ( and cheaper ) just to "rename" Providence to Quahog.

 

[dhett]

I'm kinda surprised that no one has mentioned The Dukes of Haz(z)ard. I believe that there are references to both Kentucky and Georgia in Dukes, but it was never made clear, only that they lived in an area in which there were few paved roads. And they often made references to "Capitol City," but not to which state capitol that was!

IIRC, a street scene in town in one episode showed a state highway marker from Alabama.

 

[ixnay]

I've always had the sense that Springfield on "The Simpsons" is
actually in Kentucky, due to its proximity to Shelbyville. In real
life Springfield and Shelbyville, KY, are not too far apart.

If you consider 43 miles via KY route 55 (per my 2011 Rand-McNally) "not too far apart". If that's so, it's plausible that the Simpsons' Springfield was settled by folks from my adopted state of Maryland per the ep in which Lisa researches Jeb Springfield aka Hans Sprungfeld for Springfield's bicen in 1996.

ixnay

 

[nomadcowatbk]

King of the Hill (no exact location in Texas, except 3 hours from Houston)

and 6 hours from Wichita Falls

 

[STF]

I always thought Dukes was set in the fictional Hazzard County in Georgia. The movie definitely was and I thought the show was as well.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

"Guiding Light" left some confusion about whether its town,
Springfield, was in Illinois or somewhere else. On the one hand,
the town was once identified as being about 90 miles from Oakdale,
the town on "As The World Turns" (which was identified as being
in Illinois), and I recall that on the last episode a car with Illinois
license plates was shown leaving the town's park. On the other
hand, Springfield was never identified as a capital city, which, of
course, it is in Illinois.

I've always had the sense that Springfield on "The Simpsons" is
actually in Kentucky, due to its proximity to Shelbyville. In real
life Springfield and Shelbyville, KY, are not too far apart.

There is an actual Illinois town named Oakdale--a small village in southwestern Washington County, IL (about 50 miles southeast of St. Louis). However, even "as the crow flies" Oakdale would be longer than 90 miles away from Springfield.

Also, IIRC during the early TV run of "Guiding Light" wasn't the setting revealed as somewhere in California (IIRC "Selby Flats")? It wasn't "mysteriously" changed to Springfield (presumably in the Midwest, likely in Illinois) until about the '60s.

 

[LKellerIII]

Hill Street Blues was set in an anonymous north-eastern rust-belt city. If I remember correctly, the patrol cars said (generically) "Metro Police." I've been told by friends from Buffalo NY that many of the stock shots were filmed there.

Another was The Rookies in the 70s - the cars and uniform patches said SCPD - which I always concluded meant generic Southern California.

Somewhat differently - Michael Chiklis's series The Shield - about corrupt murdering cops - was originally to be titled Rampart - and it was going to take place at the infamous Rampart Division of the LAPD, which had been wracked by corruption scandals in the 90s. But the LAPD refused any cooperation with the show (wonder why? :) so the title was changed, the name of the division became "Farmington" and the LAPD was never mentioned in the show - though they made it reasonably clear that the setting of the show was Los Angeles.

 

[mleach]

I've always had the sense that Springfield on "The Simpsons" is
actually in Kentucky, due to its proximity to Shelbyville. In real
life Springfield and Shelbyville, KY, are not too far apart.

If you consider 43 miles via KY route 55 (per my 2011 Rand-McNally) "not too far apart". If that's so, it's plausible that the Simpsons' Springfield was settled by folks from my adopted state of Maryland per the ep in which Lisa researches Jeb Springfield aka Hans Sprungfeld for Springfield's bicen in 1996.

ixnay

Then you have Springfield, Virginia. Both cities have a dead mall called..whatelse.."Springfield Mall" and both towns have/had a local TV kiddie clown who had done a lot more than running cartoons. In Springfield/Simpsons..Krusty the Clown sold everything from burgers to vodka. Meanwhile Springfield, VA had WDCA's Dick Dyszel who was involved with everything from restaurants to doing a moble dj service to even having a small line of products availabe from cereal to root beer at the local Giant Food Supermarket chain...all while doing Captain 20.

The funny thing about the Simpsons is that no matter what Matt Groening, Julie Kavner or Dan Castellaneta says about what really was the inspiration of the various things on the shows...most of the viewers chances are won't believe it anyway as they will come up with their own ideas.

 

[dhett]

I always thought Dukes was set in the fictional Hazzard County in Georgia. The movie definitely was and I thought the show was as well.

I had thought it was too. If my memory of the highway marker was correct, then the marker being shown was possibly a mistake. The series began during the Carter administration, so Georgia was a logical setting.

 

[SfanGoch]

Granny often stated she was from Nepolean, TN and that here family ran the Botkins out of that town. There is no Davie County in TN. She often made references to being from different parts of Tennessee, And the Clampetts were lifelong friends of Lester Flatt (from Smithville, TN) and Earl Scruggs (from North Carolina) and many other Country Music stars (Nashville).

Yes,. Mr. Brewster lives in Tulsa but none of the Clampetts (including Aunt Pearl) seem to have even heard of Tulsa, which would be hard to believe that ANYONE from SW Missouri or NW Arkansas WOULD HAVE NEVER HEARD OF TULSA, as close as Tulsa is to the Ozarks.

You're correct about Davie, that was my error, but Granny states she was born in the same of Daniel Boone. This would put her around Johnson City, TN. She states that when Mike Minor moved from Petticoat Junction to the Beverly Hillbilles playing an out of work actor who lives in Miss Jane's building and pretends to be a few people to impress Miss Jane, and Ellie Mae and of course Granny

Both Jed and Cousin Pearl are aware of Tulsa. I just saw the episode and when Pearl suggests Beverly Hills, Jed wonders about Tulsa because Mr Brewster lives there. Pearl and Jed are aware of it.

Pearl seems to go in and out of what she knows. Sometimes she seems to know a lot about the outside world and at other times she is cluessless, according to the plot needs
[/quote]

It was mentioned quite often and in many episodes, by the Clampetts (especially by Granny), that they were from Bugtussle, Tn.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

I always thought Dukes was set in the fictional Hazzard County in Georgia. The movie definitely was and I thought the show was as well.

I had thought it was too. If my memory of the highway marker was correct, then the marker being shown was possibly a mistake. The series began during the Carter administration, so Georgia was a logical setting.

Along those lines, there was ABC's "Carter Country" (1977-79)--set in the fictional Clinton Corners, GA, and premiering the first autumn of the Carter administration.

 

[ixnay]

As for The Simpsons part of why Springfield was chosen was because there's 26 of them around the United States.

The Pennsylvania side of the Philadelphia DMA includes the counties of Delaware, Montgomery, and Bucks, each of which contains a township called Springfield. Are they three of the 26?

ixnay

 

[Bob1370]

Concerning Family Guy, "True while the name of Quahog is fictional its a safe to say that Quahog is really Providence. High rises, sports arena, local TV, international airport...sounds like Providence to me."

It's often mentioned on the show that Quahog is a suburb very close to Providence since you see the Providence skyline in the background in exterior shots of the Griffin house (although they're always watching Channel 5, which is WCVB, an ABC affiliate 45 miles away in Boston). Seth MacFarlane says the town itself is a thinly disguised version of Cranston, RI, just a few miles outside of Providence. But the skyline view you see is the view you'd get from either the northwest side of the city of Providence itself, or the suburb of North Providence.

 

[LKellerIII]

I always thought Dukes was set in the fictional Hazzard County in Georgia. The movie definitely was and I thought the show was as well.

I had thought it was too. If my memory of the highway marker was correct, then the marker being shown was possibly a mistake. The series began during the Carter administration, so Georgia was a logical setting.

Along those lines, there was ABC's "Carter Country" (1977-79)--set in the fictional Clinton Corners, GA, and premiering the first autumn of the Carter administration.

Since the show was named Carter Country as a homage to a President's rather brief popularity, maybe "Clinton Corners" was some kind of psychic presidential foreshadowing.

If any current shows are set in Palin Falls, we're all in deep trouble. ;D

 

[Tom Wells]

Granny often stated she was from Nepolean, TN and that here family ran the Botkins out of that town. There is no Davie County in TN. She often made references to being from different parts of Tennessee, And the Clampetts were lifelong friends of Lester Flatt (from Smithville, TN) and Earl Scruggs (from North Carolina) and many other Country Music stars (Nashville).

Yes,. Mr. Brewster lives in Tulsa but none of the Clampetts (including Aunt Pearl) seem to have even heard of Tulsa, which would be hard to believe that ANYONE from SW Missouri or NW Arkansas WOULD HAVE NEVER HEARD OF TULSA, as close as Tulsa is to the Ozarks.

You're correct about Davie, that was my error, but Granny states she was born in the same of Daniel Boone. This would put her around Johnson City, TN. She states that when Mike Minor moved from Petticoat Junction to the Beverly Hillbilles playing an out of work actor who lives in Miss Jane's building and pretends to be a few people to impress Miss Jane, and Ellie Mae and of course Granny

Both Jed and Cousin Pearl are aware of Tulsa. I just saw the episode and when Pearl suggests Beverly Hills, Jed wonders about Tulsa because Mr Brewster lives there. Pearl and Jed are aware of it.

Pearl seems to go in and out of what she knows. Sometimes she seems to know a lot about the outside world and at other times she is cluessless, according to the plot needs

It was mentioned quite often and in many episodes, by the Clampetts (especially by Granny), that they were from Bugtussle, Tn.
[/quote]

I've traveled a bit, and the only places that seem correct to me are in Eastern Kentucky bordering Tennesee, so
Johnson City/Kingsport area seems likely.
Hills that turn into real mountains, Jeff Davis is revered, moonshine is just regular, and there's sorta flatlands just west.

Mr Haney in Green acres and Petticoat Junction is a pure distillation of the spirit of Kentucky/Tennesee.
I knew a Mr Haney from Tennesee who actually looked like the brother of the character Mr Haney.
Hank Ziffel could only be in Kentucky....some things are just too real to deny.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

I always thought Dukes was set in the fictional Hazzard County in Georgia. The movie definitely was and I thought the show was as well.

I had thought it was too. If my memory of the highway marker was correct, then the marker being shown was possibly a mistake. The series began during the Carter administration, so Georgia was a logical setting.

Along those lines, there was ABC's "Carter Country" (1977-79)--set in the fictional Clinton Corners, GA, and premiering the first autumn of the Carter administration.

What if that show had lasted into the Reagan administration?

 

[mleach]

Concerning Family Guy, "True while the name of Quahog is fictional its a safe to say that Quahog is really Providence. High rises, sports arena, local TV, international airport...sounds like Providence to me."

It's often mentioned on the show that Quahog is a suburb very close to Providence since you see the Providence skyline in the background in exterior shots of the Griffin house (although they're always watching Channel 5, which is WCVB, an ABC affiliate 45 miles away in Boston). Seth MacFarlane says the town itself is a thinly disguised version of Cranston, RI, just a few miles outside of Providence. But the skyline view you see is the view you'd get from either the northwest side of the city of Providence itself, or the suburb of North Providence.

Quahog's channel 5..the anchor "Tom Tucker", until a few years ago there was a West Virginia dj named Tom Tucker who had went as far as promoted himself as being "..on Family Guy", making claims both on the air and in his station promos that the news anchor on the show was actually inspired by "him". I guess he had got that so-called idea from the fact that one of the local high schools was named James Wood ( though James Woods on FG ) and that Adam West was known to visit the area from time to time though West hasn't been seen locally for quite awhile.

To make this short..out of the blue Tucker stopped bringing up The Family Guy. Maybe he had received a certain kind of letter from McFarlane and/or FOX about it. Tucker never did say..not even when he had retired just last year.

 

[dhett]

I always thought Dukes was set in the fictional Hazzard County in Georgia. The movie definitely was and I thought the show was as well.

I had thought it was too. If my memory of the highway marker was correct, then the marker being shown was possibly a mistake. The series began during the Carter administration, so Georgia was a logical setting.

Along those lines, there was ABC's "Carter Country" (1977-79)--set in the fictional Clinton Corners, GA, and premiering the first autumn of the Carter administration.

What if that show had lasted into the Reagan administration?

It would have spun off into a Southern California-based police department a la Enos?

 

[bpatrick]

Granny often stated she was from Nepolean, TN and that here family ran the Botkins out of that town. There is no Davie County in TN. She often made references to being from different parts of Tennessee, And the Clampetts were lifelong friends of Lester Flatt (from Smithville, TN) and Earl Scruggs (from North Carolina) and many other Country Music stars (Nashville).

Yes,. Mr. Brewster lives in Tulsa but none of the Clampetts (including Aunt Pearl) seem to have even heard of Tulsa, which would be hard to believe that ANYONE from SW Missouri or NW Arkansas WOULD HAVE NEVER HEARD OF TULSA, as close as Tulsa is to the Ozarks.

You're correct about Davie, that was my error, but Granny states she was born in the same of Daniel Boone. This would put her around Johnson City, TN. She states that when Mike Minor moved from Petticoat Junction to the Beverly Hillbilles playing an out of work actor who lives in Miss Jane's building and pretends to be a few people to impress Miss Jane, and Ellie Mae and of course Granny

Both Jed and Cousin Pearl are aware of Tulsa. I just saw the episode and when Pearl suggests Beverly Hills, Jed wonders about Tulsa because Mr Brewster lives there. Pearl and Jed are aware of it.

Pearl seems to go in and out of what she knows. Sometimes she seems to know a lot about the outside world and at other times she is cluessless, according to the plot needs

It was mentioned quite often and in many episodes, by the Clampetts (especially by Granny), that they were from Bugtussle, Tn.

I've traveled a bit, and the only places that seem correct to me are in Eastern Kentucky bordering Tennesee, so
Johnson City/Kingsport area seems likely.
Hills that turn into real mountains, Jeff Davis is revered, moonshine is just regular, and there's sorta flatlands just west.

Mr Haney in Green acres and Petticoat Junction is a pure distillation of the spirit of Kentucky/Tennesee.
I knew a Mr Haney from Tennesee who actually looked like the brother of the character Mr Haney.
Hank Ziffel could only be in Kentucky....some things are just too real to deny.

[/quote]

Pat Buttram was from Alabama...still close enough to Tennessee, though...

 

[BRNout]

"110° longitude and 10° latitude"

Wouldn't that have put Gilligan's Island somewhere about an hour's drive north of Quito, Ecuador?

As for latitude -- is it north or south?

A few very random comments from a late-comer to this very interesting thread:

10 degrees latitude (north or south) would be a lot more than an hour's drive north of Quito - which is essentially ON the equator (hence the name Ecuador). No, if it were 10 deg N, 110 deg W, that would put Gilligan about 1000 miles south of Los Cabos, BCS, Mexico and about 1500 miles west of Nicaragua. Basically in the middle of nowhere and likely well out of KGU's groundwave range!

About the Wonder Years: my guess is that it was a suburb of LA (likely the San Fernando Valley). Don't let the Jets stuff fool you - the Jets were a national sensation during the period of 1969/70 because of their shocking Super Bowl III victory and superstar QB Joe Namath. A lot of Jets stuff was sold well beyond the NY/NJ/CT tri-state area back then.

Arlen, Texas is somewhere in the middle of the state so as to be as "Texan" as you can get. Likely near Waco or Temple. Remember that Dallas was the closest big city (not Houston) and the scenery is representative of that region. Typical setup of a 'fictional' city that is supposed to be the quintessential small Texas city.

To me it always seemed that Leave it to Beaver's "Mayfield" was a smaller city somewhere in northern California or Oregon (potentially a place like Redding, CA or Medford, OR). Of course the exterior scenes were all filmed on studio sets in Hollywood.

Lastly, The Brady Bunch was clearly based (even to a 5 year old) in southern CA. The real house that they used for exterior scenes is in Studio City, CA at the southern end of the San Fernando Valley. They found the "perfect" house, but had to add a front window to the second floor when filming the exterior scenes. Funny how the interior scenes NEVER matched up with the outside ones - the floorplan of the fictional house would have been quite a disaster! Not to mention the astroturf back/side yard!

Anyhow, that show featured very typical suburban LA outdoor scenes to the point that I could just imagine the kids listening to Charlie Tuna on KHJ with those little transistor radios they had.....