# The American setting requirement for TV shows

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-setting-requirement-for-tv-shows/498310>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 1, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-setting-requirement-for-tv-shows/498310 "2009-06-01T02:17:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-setting-requirement-for-tv-shows/498310/21 "2009-06-01T15:37:46Z")

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> [@alphaboi867](#):
>
> **Flashpoint** is a Canadian series _set in Canada_ currently airing on American network TV.

If you count imports, I’m pretty sure every version of “Degrassi” Canada’s ever pumped out has ended up on American TV.

But that’s very distinct from an American network setting a show about high school life in Canada. Imports of shows are common because it’s cheaper than producing your own; apparently they’re selling another Canadian show, “Little Mosque on the Prairie,” to a US network. It’s easier for a US carrier to just buy that show than to produce their own version set in Kansas which would be only 2 percent different anyway. Why spend time and money producing a copy when in a week you can buy a few dozen ready-to-air episodes?

What would never happen is a US network coming up with an idea and saying “Let’s base this in Canada/Australia/England” or whatever. Why would they, anyway? It just adds expense and possibility of error.

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