# What shows take place in Anystate, USA? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 13, 2006, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243 "2006-11-13T15:21:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/21 "2006-11-14T03:06:43Z")
Almost all of the classic “suburban” sitcoms of the 1950s – _The Life of Riley, Donna Reed, Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, Ozzie and Harriet_ – took place in no particular place. I’m always impressed by daytime soaps that take place in some nameless small city that manages to have designer boutiques, a world-class medical center, one 5-star restaurant, a university, one large employer, a thriving club scene and an international spy ring. Oh, and about 4 African-Americans in the entire city. ---
**Author:** ![JacksonRoykirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e79b87/32.png) [@JacksonRoykirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacksonRoykirk)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/22 "2006-11-14T09:28:32Z")
“Lois and Clark - The New adventures of Superman” was set in the fictional city and state of Metropolis, New Troy (like in the comics). On a more realistic level, it was never said which state the town of Mayfield, from “Leave It To Beaver” was in. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/23 "2006-11-14T13:45:22Z")
[QUOTE=YWalker] They mentioned Tennessee a few times on the Beverly Hillbillies. One time was when Jethro was wearing an old uniform from his great granddad (or some old relative) and it was a Tenn. Volunteer uniform. [/QUOTE] I found an [online discussion of the Clampetts’ home state](http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=12648). Granny seems to have been conclusively from Tennessee. The rest of the Clampett clan, though, maybe, maybe not. One poster says the pilot episode makes mention of Eureka Springs, a town in Arkansas. And the [Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beverly_Hillbillies) says they are from the Ozarks. [About.com](http://experts.about.com/e/t/th/the_beverly_hillbillies.htm) also places them in the Ozarks. I always thought they were from Tennessee, but there is room for doubt at least. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/24 "2006-11-14T14:19:31Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] I found an [online discussion of the Clampetts’ home state](http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=12648). Granny seems to have been conclusively from Tennessee. The rest of the Clampett clan, though, maybe, maybe not. One poster says the pilot episode makes mention of Eureka Springs, a town in Arkansas. [/QUOTE] Eureka Springs is a Victorian resort town. It is called “Little Switzerland” and I know it well. There is no way they are from there. It always seemed obvious that they were from Tennessee to me as well. The only other state I will buy is neighboring Kentucky. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/25 "2006-11-14T16:02:41Z")
_Benson_ must have taken place in the same state as _The Simpsons_, as it was also unnamed and its capital was Capital City. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/26 "2006-11-14T16:10:39Z")
[QUOTE=kunilou] I’m always impressed by daytime soaps that take place in some nameless small city that manages to have designer boutiques, a world-class medical center, one 5-star restaurant, a university, one large employer, a thriving club scene and an international spy ring. Oh, and about 4 African-Americans in the entire city. [/QUOTE] You forgot the major international airport and the several smaller ones, the major crime syndicate, and the nearby island with the very old, rich family’s mansion with its underground tunnels and many, many secrets. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/27 "2006-11-14T17:53:01Z")
[QUOTE=Cisco] Many have speculated that the show takes place in Connecticut but this doesn’t make any sense at all to me. First of all, characters make references to “back east”, which to me rules out anything east of the rockies - and secondly, the most recent episode took place sometime between xmas and Thanksgiving yet there was no snow and Susan was out jogging in a tank top. [/QUOTE] My parents are from New York, and they refer to “back East” all the time. “Back East” would exclude the Eastern Seaboard, but anything from roughly the Appalachians west would be fair game. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/28 "2006-11-14T21:52:01Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] Eureka Springs is a Victorian resort town. It is called “Little Switzerland” and I know it well. There is no way they are from there. [/QUOTE] I think that in the pilot Cousin Pearl said something about going to _visit_ Eureka Springs (not that they were _from_ Eureka Springs). Granny is definitely from Tennessee. That was established in a couple of episodes. But Granny is an in-law, named Moses. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/29 "2006-11-15T03:15:06Z")
From a _Green Acres_ [authority](http://www.maggiore.net/greenacres/gaFAQ.asp): > [@](#): > > **Where IS Hooterville?** > > The actual location of Hooterville was one of the many running gags of the show. It was never disclosed as to what state Hooterville was supposedly in. Frequently, the writers would put conflicting “hints” into the episodes to further confuse viewers. > > (Side note: In the Green Acres special edition three tape set, the host states that Hooterville is in Virginia. However, I believe this is an error.) > > (Bonus side note: Superfan Geoff Capp noticed that in the Return to Green Acres movie, Mr. Drucker said the zip code of Hooterville was 40516 and 1/2. He did some research and found that Lexington, KY, has a ZIP code of 40516. A possible answer? Or more misinformation?) ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/30 "2006-11-15T03:18:06Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] From a _Green Acres_ [authority](http://www.maggiore.net/greenacres/gaFAQ.asp): [/QUOTE] I wonder if this is where the multiple hints that the Simpsons’ town of Springfield is in Kentucky came from. Would be a very fitting homage. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/31 "2006-11-15T03:21:28Z")
Wasn’t the state Hooterville was in named after it’s first governor, _N_ Skruger? ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/32 "2006-11-15T06:42:44Z")
[QUOTE=JacksonRoykirk] “Lois and Clark - The New adventures of Superman” was set in the fictional city and state of Metropolis, New Troy (like in the comics). [/QUOTE] Actually, in the comics, Metropolis has been revealed to be in Delaware, and on the Smallville TV show, it is in Kansas. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/33 "2006-11-15T07:02:35Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] Actually, in the comics, Metropolis has been revealed to be in Delaware, and on the Smallville TV show, it is in Kansas. [/QUOTE] And in the movies, it’s somewhere on the east coast, most likely northern (it seems to pretty much be NYC in the movies, it seems…but I might be wrong, it’s been years since I’ve seen I or II, so I only have Returns fresh enough in my memory to go off of.) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/34 "2006-11-15T07:17:09Z")
I specifically remember an episode of _The Beverly Hillbillies_ where they were talking about evolution and mankind being descended from fish and Granny said “The only sea I came from is Tennessee.” ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/35 "2006-11-15T11:57:30Z")
I don’t think the Aussie Teen Soap _Home & Away_ has ever said where Summer Bay is actually located- I think it’s generally accepted to be somewhere on NSW’s Northern Coast, but I don’t watch the show so I’m not really speaking with any authority. I don’t think Oswald State Penitentiary (from _Oz_ is ever given a specific location, although again, I think it’s generally accepted to be in New York (and I do watch _Oz_!) ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243/36 "2006-11-15T12:45:39Z")
I seem to remember a character on “Hill Street Blues” saying that she’d driven to the ocean one afternoon. Confusing. Has there ever been a show set in East Jesus? If not, why not? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-take-place-in-anystate-usa/380243.md?page=1)