I was discussing old movies with someone and we were noticing that many American movies of the 30’s and 40’s were based in other countries, often without the American starring role required today.
But back to TV, I don’t recall any TV shows set in other countries, except American GIs in Stalag 17, MASH, and McHale’s Navy. And a couple like I Spy that traveled a lot.
I must be forgetting some that were simply non-military series outside the US, Other than imported British series originally aired there. What others were there?
You occasionally get a show that’s set in a medieval or other historical setting, or otherwise non-modern, such as Xena or The Tudors. And of course many science fiction shows aren’t set on Earth at all, much less America.
But if you don’t have any particular reason to make a show not be set in America, then why not go with what’s easiest? Your filming locations are in America, most of your stars have American accents, most of your audience identifies most closely with America, etc.
American movies in the 30s and 40s were shot on sound stages (Humphrey Bogart made his first 39 films – out of 77 – without going on location for High Sierra). So it was easy to set something in another country. If you wanted Paris, you did an establishing shot of stock footage of the Eiffel Tower and the rest in the studio.
Early TV was studio-based, too, but there were fewer films and less reason to set them outside the US. You could fake Paris for a two-hour movie, but an ongoing series wouldn’t look much different than one set in the US – and US audiences could relate to US actors in US locations.
Another show set outside the US was Daktari, set in Africa. There was also Cowboy in Africa and Born Free. The exoticism of Africa made it a good location (even though the shows were shot in the US).
I Love Lucy had a series of shows where they traveled in (soundstage) Europe.
Mission: Impossible took place in a variety of foreign (often fictional) countries. I’m guessing The Man from UNCLE (which I’ve never seen) was probably the same.
Tarzan and Bring 'em Back Alive were also African adventures.
Looking at the description of Flashpoint on IMDB, is it a US-Canadian joint production? If so, that would explain the Canadian setting.
Another foreign-set series is the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, which aired recently on HBO and was set in Botswana. (I watched it partly for the exotic setting.)
Yes, now that you mention Canada I recall one set in Vancouver about a forensics team, although undoubtedly an import but I watch it on the Chicago’s WGN America channel.
The short-lived ABC show Covington Cross was set in England. It was actually a U.S./U.K. co-production filmed in the Britain with British actors, but an American company was pulling the strings (and pulled the plug after airing about a dozen episodes).
ETA: The Red Green Show is set in Canada and has aired in the U.S. - but it seems kind of silly to count Canadian imports and not British ones.
It’s syndicated down here; I know that the WGN superstation carries it – or, at least, did a few months ago. I watched it then when I was visiting my parents up in Wisconsin (I live in Chicago, where we get the non-superstation WGN, which doesn’t carry it).
I suspect that it’s got its fans down here, but, generally speaking, I don’t think it’s well-known.
“I do not know what is wrong with me. I’m looking at this busboy and I am in love. And now it is gone. And now I am in love again. And now it is gone. Oh, is my pager.”