# Largest City without a TV Show? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 13, 2001, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011 "2001-08-13T09:42:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JS\_Princeton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@JS\_Princeton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JS_Princeton)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/1 "2001-08-13T09:42:09Z")
A previous thread in GQ got me thinking… and I thought I have no idea how you’d figure it out, but what’s the largest American city that hasn’t had a TV show based in it? Houston was mentioned as a possibility… but we have some evidence. Philadelphia? I can’t remember one taking place there, but I may be mistaken. According to the US Census, these are the top cities for 2000. Which ones haven’t had TV shows based in them? New York, NY Los Angeles, CA Chicago, IL Houston, TX Philadelphia, PA San Diego, CA Detroit, MI Dallas, TX Phoenix, AZ San Antonio, TX ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/2 "2001-08-13T11:41:34Z")
Does American Bandstand count for Philidelphia? If not, then Angie (Roberty Hays, Doris Roberts, Donna Pescow) will have to do. ---
**Author:** ![SolomonGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SolomonGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolomonGrundy)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/3 "2001-08-13T11:51:28Z")
Was “Matt Houston” actually set in Houston? I remember its being in Texas, and it’s an Aaron Spelling show, so I wouldn’t put it past them to do something that cheesy. Although, after looking around the internet for more info, I’m starting to suspect I didn’t give the show enough credit when it was on. Here’s from an episode guide: “A restaurant critic’s (James Coco) dinner is disrupted when a gelatin mold brought to his table contains his partner’s severed head.” And I can’t think of a show set in Philly yet, but I did see this announcement for this fall: \>\>PHILLY From producer/writer Steven Bochco, this series stars NYPD BLUE alumnus Kim Delaney as a tough Philadelphia defense attorney.\<\< ---
**Author:** ![dwtno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@dwtno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwtno)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/4 "2001-08-13T12:16:48Z")
thirtysomething was set in Philly (though not shot there). ---
**Author:** ![mongrel\_8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@mongrel\_8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mongrel_8)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/5 "2001-08-13T12:53:29Z")
I will start eliminating cities: New York- Friends L.A.- Starsky & Hutch Chicago- Due South I know that these cities have other but, that at least is the first three cities. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/6 "2001-08-13T12:57:43Z")
San Diego: Riptide Detroit: RoboCop (yes, there was a series) Dallas: Dallas Phoenix, San Antonio: These may be it. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/7 "2001-08-13T13:02:09Z")
Cleveland, OH - Drew Carey Show ---
**Author:** ![dwtno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@dwtno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwtno)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/8 "2001-08-13T13:14:16Z")
All right, I’ll pick up that torch… Houston, TX - “Houston Knights” Philadelphia, PA - “thirtysomething” (as noted above) San Diego, CA - “Simon and Simon” Detroit, MI - “Home Improvement” Dallas, TX - “Dallas” Phoenix, AZ - “Alice” Sorry, but nothing for San Antonio comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/9 "2001-08-13T13:20:28Z")
The only major city left is San Antonio. If we’re counting cable series, a sitcom called “The Brothers Garcia” was set in that location. I guess we’ll have to move further down the census list. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/10 "2001-08-13T13:20:52Z")
Alice was set in Phoenix though you would hardly know it. ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/11 "2001-08-13T13:23:49Z")
Houston had the awful “Houston Knights” (1987), a cookie-cutter cop show starring the pathetic Michael Pare. Despite the name, I don’t believe “Matt Houston” was set in Houston (it was just his last name). Philadelphia had “The Tony Randall Show”; Randall played a Philadelphia judge. Also, “thirtysomething” was set in Philly, and was ocassionally filmed there. Lifetime’s “Strong Medicine” is set in Philly. Phoenix–“Alice” was set in and around there. I think “The New Dick van Dyke Show” (1971) was set there, too. Chicago–“Chicago Sons” and “Due South” (though the later was mostly filmed in Canada). New York and LA–too many to list. Dallas–the obvious one is “Dallas”, but there’s also “Walker, Texas Ranger.” Detroit–the short-lived “God, the Devil and Bob”, along with “Robocop–the Series”. San Diego–“Harry O”, “Manhunt”, “Simon and Simon.” I can’t find anything that was set in San Antonio, so I think that’s your answer. ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/12 "2001-08-13T13:31:50Z")
[Here](http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0763098.html) is a list of the top 50 in the US according to 2000 census figures. Here are cities 10-20: San Jose, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Jacksonville Columbus, Austin, Baltimore, Memphis, Milwaukee, Boston ---
**Author:** ![Falafel\_Waffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@Falafel\_Waffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falafel_Waffle)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/13 "2001-08-13T13:37:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guy Propski \* > \*\*Dallas–the obvious one is “Dallas”, but there’s also “Walker, Texas Ranger.” \*\* Walker, Texas Ranger was set in Fort Worth, which I would like to point out as NOT Dallas! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/14 "2001-08-13T13:49:26Z")
Boston - Cheers Milwaukee - Laverne & Shirley, Happy Days Memphis - ? Baltimore - Homicide: Life on the Streets Austin - ? Columbus - ? Jacksonville - ? San Francisco - The Streets of San Francisco Indianapolis - One Day at a Time San Jose - ? The next contender is … drum roll please … **San Jose** ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/15 "2001-08-13T14:28:13Z")
San Jose - That 70s Show Columbus - Family Ties Now we just need Jacksonville, Memphis and Austin. ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/16 "2001-08-13T14:31:19Z")
**Arken** - Bzzzt … try again. That 70’s show is set in Wisconsin. From [IMDB](http://us.imdb.com/Plot?0165598): > [@](#): > > Eric Forman is a typical high school student growing up in Wisconsin in 1976 with his family and his friends. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/17 "2001-08-13T14:39:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arken \* > \*\*San Jose - That 70s Show > \*\* “That 70s Show” is set in the (fictional) Wisconsin city of Point Place. Although I can see how you might get the impression that they’re really from sunny CA, since the characters are always running around outside in the dead of winter with nothing but jeans and long-sleeved tee-shirts on. ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/18 "2001-08-13T14:48:29Z")
Huh. Weird. I admit I got that from a website. I hate the show and never watch it. The list is getting smaller anyway… These are from this city’s film commission: Jacksonville - Safe Harbor, The Pointman ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/19 "2001-08-13T15:09:00Z")
Just got one more: (Again, I haven’t seen these, just going from info I’ve gained on websites) Austin - Austin Stories; Lonesome Dove ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011/20 "2001-08-13T15:22:23Z")
Doesn’t appear that any TV shows set in Memphis or San Jose. I tried both a plot and a location search at IMDB, came up empty. Are you sure about “Walker, TR”, Fallafel? I checked IMDB and not only does the summary say he solves crimes in and around Dallas, but the locations for filming list Dallas (as well as Fort Worth). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-city-without-a-tv-show/76011.md?page=2)