# Why are some American shows filmed in England or Europe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-american-shows-filmed-in-england-or-europe/718199 "2015-04-21T16:11:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [April 21, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-american-shows-filmed-in-england-or-europe/718199/21 "2015-04-21T21:20:36Z")
Showtime’s Homeland was filmed in Charlotte but they moved to South Africa. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-american-shows-filmed-in-england-or-europe/718199/22 "2015-04-21T21:25:47Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > But I agree we don’t have really old stuff , except for Larry King. His time on the Iron Throne has passed, in favour of the pierced Gorgon. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-american-shows-filmed-in-england-or-europe/718199/23 "2015-04-21T21:54:58Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > The most recent season of 24 was. Can’t think of another off-hand. And that’s because it was set there. It’s really Vancouver where a lot of American shows are filmed these days, not England or the rest of Europe. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-american-shows-filmed-in-england-or-europe/718199/24 "2015-04-21T22:18:33Z")
Of course the other thing with a show like GoT, aside from old looking locations, is that just about the entire cast is British. Now granted a lot of them likely live in the US, but I’m sure plenty of them still reside in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-american-shows-filmed-in-england-or-europe/718199/25 "2015-04-21T22:31:31Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > And that’s because it was set there. Chicken or egg, really. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-american-shows-filmed-in-england-or-europe/718199/26 "2015-04-21T22:41:16Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Of course the other thing with a show like GoT, aside from old looking locations, is that just about the entire cast is British. Now granted a lot of them likely live in the US, but I’m sure plenty of them still reside in the UK. Or Irish. Or continental European. The only Americans I can think of are Tyrion, Drogo, Oberyn\*, and now Tyene, although I’m probably missing some. \*He was born in Chile, but moved to the US while young and normally has an rather American accent. ---
**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:** [April 21, 2015, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-american-shows-filmed-in-england-or-europe/718199/27 "2015-04-21T23:14:13Z")
Noticing a trend. In terms of TV shows, they’re usually ‘epic-y’ type shows (_Game of Thrones, Band of Brothers_ etc.), or in other words less TV show and more mini-movie. They’re also all shows whose shoots are primarily outdoors, and rural (European cities don’t look like NYC, Chicago or LA). I can’t think of any conventional, shoot-on-set type American TV shows that are made in foreign countries. The \*X-Files \*was shot in Canada I think (again, I believe for tax purposes). ---
**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:** [April 22, 2015, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-american-shows-filmed-in-england-or-europe/718199/28 "2015-04-22T11:59:02Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > As for recent series that are now finished, I can think of _Rome_ which actually was done in Italy and _The Tudors_ was done in Ireland. A number of scenes from The Tudors were shot at the crenelated castle in my home town. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-american-shows-filmed-in-england-or-europe/718199/29 "2015-04-22T12:54:46Z")
**Outlander** was shot in Scotland… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-some-american-shows-filmed-in-england-or-europe/718199.md?page=1)