# Shows that mask their setting. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 6, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146 "2009-01-06T22:41:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/21 "2009-01-07T05:26:42Z")
I thought it was Philadelphia. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/22 "2009-01-07T06:12:52Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I thought it was Philadelphia. I thought it was Capital City. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/23 "2009-01-07T06:30:25Z")
King of the Hill is set in Arlen, Texas, which is based loosely off of life in the Dallas suburb of Garland, but is pretty much Anytown, Texas, barring a few details that pin it into being around DFW. But I believe it’s eliminated every point in the state at some time or other as being a possible location due to drive times and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/24 "2009-01-07T06:50:59Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > _My Name Is Earl_ is set in “Camden County” but exactly where that is isn’t specifically mentioned. > The short-lived _Working_ with a grown-up Fred Savage didn’t even name the company they were working at; I’m pretty sure no location was given, either. I can’t believe I know this, but Fred Savage’s character worked at Upton/Webber. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/25 "2009-01-07T06:56:26Z")
If The _Simpsons_ is the poster child, surely _The Prisoner_ is the red headed step child of hiding its location ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/26 "2009-01-07T07:00:52Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > The short-lived _Working_ with a grown-up Fred Savage didn’t even name the company they were working at; I’m pretty sure no location was given, either. He worked at Upton Webber. Every episode had several fake commercials for the company inserted into it. Man, why isn’t Working on DVD? It was awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/27 "2009-01-07T07:14:24Z")
In the recently ended legal dramedy _Boston Legal_, the writers obscure the name of the town, though it seems to be a large eastern city, possibly New York or Philadelphia. Similarly, the cop drama _CSI: Miami_ never lets you know where the action is, though many shots show ocean views, suggesting L.A… The popular '80s drama _Dallas_ kept its setting a mystery, but many fans of the show speculate that it might have taken place in either Seattle or Copenhagen. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/28 "2009-01-07T07:15:00Z")
Frisky Dingo masks its location, even using phrases along the lines of “life on the mean streets of… town.”. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/29 "2009-01-07T07:42:17Z")
_The West Wing._ I mean, we can sort of figure out where it takes place, but we never quite know \*when \*it takes place - they never directly state the year or which number President Jed Bartlett is. Seeing as the elections on the show took place in 2002 and 2006, that was probably a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/30 "2009-01-07T07:42:21Z")
A lot of the older shows were not specific. Mayfield of _Leave it to Beaver_, Springfield of _Father Knows Best_, Bryant Park of _My Three Sons_, Hilldale of _Donna Reed_, Glen Lawn of \*Gimme A Break \* the \* Partridge Family \*of San Pueblo and the _Munsters_ of Mockingbird Heights. Then you have ones like the _Brady Bunch_, which was assumed to be Los Angeles but we don’t know for sure. I’ve read _Bewitched_ was suppose to take place in Westport Connecticut but I can’t ever remember them saying that in an episode. Cite anyone? _Family Ties_ also conflict as if it is in Dayton or Columbus or in the suburbs or probably more likely the fact the writers thought Dayton and Columbus were close enough to be suburbs of each other. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/31 "2009-01-07T07:55:14Z")
The Beverly Hillbillies come from the Ozarks, most likely Northwest Arkansas. Granny is from Tennessee. It was mentioned that unlike the Clampetts, Granny is a Moses from across the river and she said she was born in Limestone Tennessee (Proudly says it’s the same area as Daniel Boone). In early episodes we see the owner of the OK Oil Company, Mr Brewster has his offices 50 miles away from the Clampett shack. When Brewster asks why Jed wants to move to Beverly Hills, Jed says he’d settle for a place near where Mr Brewster works. He says that’s in Tulsa. Pearl says her pa took Jed and her all the time to Eureka Spings (In NW Arkansas) to see the moving picture show. Jethro says he wants to be a streetcar conductor like he’s seen up in Springfield and Joplin. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/32 "2009-01-07T10:28:56Z")
> [@Randy\_Seltzer](#): > > The popular '80s drama _Dallas_ kept its setting a mystery, but many fans of the show speculate that it might have taken place in either Seattle or Copenhagen. Copenhagen for sure. I can tell by the accents. > [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > The Wonder Years? Don’t know if it was ever IDed by name, but it was filmed almost entirely in Burbank CA. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/33 "2009-01-07T13:57:15Z")
I think a lot of people went crazy trying to figure out where Hooterville was. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/34 "2009-01-07T14:13:19Z")
Malcom in the Middle. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/35 "2009-01-07T14:33:20Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > I think a lot of people went crazy trying to figure out where Hooterville was. Just up the road a piece from Bugtussle. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/36 "2009-01-07T15:15:05Z")
Mayberry, NC and Hooterville are both home to \*two \*TV shows. Clinton Corners, GA, home of _Carter Country_\*, presumably based on Plains, GA. ---
**Author:** ![Thalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f475e1/32.png) [@Thalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thalion)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/37 "2009-01-07T15:18:24Z")
_Northern Exposure_ was another good one. They gave a lot of clues to the location of Cicely that were contradictory. A friend of mine worked in a resort in Alaska when _Northern Exposure_ was on the air. She said that tourists constantly asked how to get to Cicely. She finally made up a map, listing all the clues given on the show, to prove that no such place existed. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/38 "2009-01-07T15:38:34Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Just up the road a piece from Bugtussle. But not too far from Pixley. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/39 "2009-01-07T17:20:03Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > My candidate is the soon-to-be-late, lamented _Pushing Daisies_, which is set in “Papen County”, no state. I was coming in to say this. (though it’s probably safe at this point to assume that Papen County is located somewhere in New England, based on the weather, the nearby rocky coastline complete with lighthouse, various accents, and other assorted details) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146/40 "2009-01-07T17:20:56Z")
The Dukes of Hazzard lived in what seemed like Georgia, although they never said so. They sometimes had to beat Boss Hogg to “Capital City” rather than Atlanta. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-mask-their-setting/480146.md?page=3)