# Misrepresented cities in TV/movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 19, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047 "2010-03-19T18:58:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/21 "2010-03-20T15:58:00Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > Port Washington, WI is very misrepresented on the show Step-by-Step. The part in the opening sequence where they drive by a “Port Washington, WI” sign is actually a street in Pasadena. The amusement park is a joke. It’s shot at Six Flags Magic Mountain, but they “disguise” it to make it look like it’s on Lake Michigan by superimposing a very fake-looking lake over where the parking lot would be. Oh, I’d mercifully forgotten about that show. My mother is from Port Washington, and those opening credits were just horrible. > [@zamboniracer](#): > > In the movie “Major League” Milwaukee’s County Stadium was a reasonably close facsimile of Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Though, they forgot to cover up the logo of Milwaukee’s NBC station on the scoreboard. 🙂 Rodney Dangerfield’s “Back to School” took place at the ficticious “Grand Lakes University”, and most of the outdoor scenes were filmed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (my dorm was used for some of the outdoor dorm scenes). However, the scenes at the diving pool were clearly shot someplace entirely different, in the middle of a pine forest. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/22 "2010-03-20T15:59:31Z")
The old “Father Dowling Mysteries” with Tom Bosley were supposedly set in Chicago, but there were plenty of palm trees in view. There were also mentions of intersections between streets that, in real-life Chicago, are parallel! ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/23 "2010-03-20T16:16:23Z")
The cheerleading nationals in _Bring It On_ take place in Daytona Beach. However they show nice California mountains in the background. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/24 "2010-03-20T16:21:35Z")
> [@Hodge](#): > > The fact is that Vancouver and Toronto have stood in for so many American cities in Hollywood flicks that it’s more of a challenge to find those cities playing themselves in an American movie. I know I’ve seen a few but I honestly can’t think of any examples. How about the Michael Moore film “Canadian Bacon”, in particular the scenes set at the CN Tower? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/25 "2010-03-20T16:32:34Z")
> [@carlb](#): > > Chicago in _The Dresden Files_, both the books and the TV series. Sort of tangential, but see: [http://chicago.straightdope.com/sdc20090319.php](http://chicago.straightdope.com/sdc20090319.php) I was privileged to be in on the conversation with Jim Butcher, who did say that in the earlier books, he was pretty lax… but he’s now got Chicago fans who help proofread and set him straight. He also said that some errors were deliberate (mm-hmm) so that no one would confuse “real” Chicago with his fictional Chicago and (say) go knocking on the door of some apartment building asking to see the magicians lair or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/26 "2010-03-20T17:08:14Z")
Most of Seinfeld was filmed in Southern California, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/27 "2010-03-20T18:12:44Z")
I this has been covered before, but NY has an amazing ammount of T intersections. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/28 "2010-03-20T19:13:39Z")
I could never take _Monk_ seriously because, aside from a few establishing shots, it was clearly filmed somewhere in suburban Southern California, and _not_ in San Francisco. I remember watching the opening scene of one episode. Monk is walking down what is supposed to be a San Francisco street. It’s sunny, and the quiet street curves gently around a hill. There are wide, clean sidewalks. The houses are large and a green lawn sits in front of each. I wondered for a moment if the people who made this show have ever even _been_ to San Francisco, and changed the channel. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/29 "2010-03-20T20:19:44Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > After the first season, the Dukes of Hazzard was filmed in Southern California. Although, I guess we don’t really know where Hazzard county was. Haz **z** ard County was given as in GA, but the town of [Hazard KY](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazard,_Kentucky) is the nominal inspiration and setting. Very proud of the “Dukes” connection to this day. Hard to find a more backwards and remote area in the eastern US. I have a semi-relative who has family from there and actually owns a piece of a mountain near it. The tales about that place… ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/30 "2010-03-21T00:11:22Z")
The Six Million Dollar Man went to Balinderry, to oversee some sort of outrage committed by Irish Republicans. Far from the desert countryside with dam located somewhere nearby, the only Bal **l** inderry in Ireland is north of the border, on the damp shores of Lough Neagh. Also of note, the IRA preferred balaclavas over red scarves around their neck. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/31 "2010-03-21T00:16:11Z")
> [@Hodge](#): > > The fact is that Vancouver and Toronto have stood in for so many American cities in Hollywood flicks that it’s more of a challenge to find those cities playing themselves in an American movie. I know I’ve seen a few but I honestly can’t think of any examples. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > How about the Michael Moore film “Canadian Bacon”, in particular the scenes set at the CN Tower? Good call! The only other one I can think of is that mediocre Bruce Willis/Matthew Perry flick, “The Whole Nine Yards”, which takes place in Montreal. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/32 "2010-03-21T00:16:21Z")
I think Home Improvement was supposed to take place in Detroit, not a suburb around Detroit. Detroit looks nothing like Home Improvement. The suburbs might, though. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/33 "2010-03-21T00:22:43Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > The Six Million Dollar Man went to Balinderry, to oversee some sort of outrage committed by Irish Republicans. Far from the desert countryside with dam located somewhere nearby, the only Bal **l** inderry in Ireland is north of the border, on the damp shores of Lough Neagh. > > Also of note, the IRA preferred balaclavas over red scarves around their neck. But that was set in the Dominion of Ballinderry, not Northern Ireland 🙂 . ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/34 "2010-03-21T00:40:34Z")
Deathwish 3, although a horrible movie outright, was supposed to be set in NYC. It was shot in London UK, and looked it… ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/35 "2010-03-21T01:51:25Z")
The Dennis Quaid 1988 remake of [D.O.A.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094933/) was shot on the campuses of (Southwest) Texas State University, St. Edwards University, and other locations in and around Austin. I remember one scene where a character is being chased around a building in San Marcos (at SWT). Escaping, he bursts through a door and is magically transported to Congress Avenue in Austin. I found that and other jumps very jarring, since I know the geography of the area very well. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/36 "2010-03-21T02:11:39Z")
Men of Honor has a part that was set in Bayonne, NJ but you can see hills nearby and there are none in that part of NJ. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/37 "2010-03-21T02:18:47Z")
My Step by Step example has already been mentioned so the other two I can think off off the top of my head are The Blues Brothers and Dahmer, both of which are pretty minor. The Blues Brothers took place in Chicago, but one part of the chase scene was filmed in Milwaukee. As for Dahmer, in the opening scene the use some stock footage of the Downtown Milwaukee skyline. In this skyline we see the US Bank Building with it’s giant red and white USBANK sign glowing from the top floor, the tallest building in Wisconsin and certainly the predominant building in the [Milwaukee skyline](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2382/2365862234_d964ca0c40.jpg), always has been and will be for a while I’m sure. The problem is that when Dahmer was active it was the FIRSTSTAR building…whit it’s giant green and white FirstStar sign. On the one hand it bugged me because it was clearly just stock footage that they used so why didn’t they get something from the right time period. On the other hand, more then likely the only people that will notice that are people that live in Milwaukee, the people that bought the footage more then likely have no idea that the sign had changed. (Before anyone from Milwaukee mentions it, I always forget if the movie showed the USBank sign and it should have been the First Star sign or if they showed the First Star sign and there shouldn’t have been any sign there). ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/38 "2010-03-21T02:37:45Z")
Laverne & Shirley hopscotch past brownstone apartments in the “Schlemiel! Schlimazel!” opening of their show. No such buildings in Milwaukee. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/39 "2010-03-21T04:31:08Z")
The first Matrix movie was apparently supposed to be set in Chicago (not explicitly, but through numerous references to Chicago streets and landmarks), but was obviously filmed in Sydney. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/40 "2010-03-21T07:25:46Z")
> [@Hodge](#): > > Good call! The only other one I can think of is that mediocre Bruce Willis/Matthew Perry flick, “The Whole Nine Yards”, which takes place in Montreal. Bruce Willis also ends up in Canada at the end of Die Hard with a Vengeance. There was some amazing Canadian accuracy on The Shield. The Strike Team rips off some locals who just had a delivery of prime BC bud (which is even specified to be from Vancouver). The SoCal stoners can’t handle our good keef and are too baked to do anything about it when Vic and crew walk in and take it! Somebody did their homework on that one! Canada was name-checked on Weeds too. “You’ll like Canada. Good Chinese food… GREAT weed!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047.md?page=3)