Some of the most iconic sitcoms and other great TV shows have been set in New York City or Los Angeles. But for every Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm that has the Big Apple or the City of Angels as a backdrop, there are dozens of others set in other parts of the country or even around the world.
From classics of the mid to late 20th century to more modern examples, here are 32 famous TV comedies set outside New York and Los Angeles. Oh and, for clarity’s sake, this means no shows set anywhere in those two aforementioned greater metropolitan areas will be included here…
Cheers (Boston)
One of the biggest sitcoms of the ‘80s and early ‘90s was Cheers, a show that primarily took place in the bar where everybody knows your name and filled with characters you'd want to drink with. And that establishment, was famously set in Boston. Sam Malone (Ted Danson) was a relief pitcher for the local Red Sox before opening his famous watering hole, a handful of other references to the city and its culture were made throughout this beloved series.
Ted Lasso (London)
The production that's arguably the most popular Apple TV+ original series, Ted Lasso, doesn’t take place in NYC or LA, or even America for that matter. Instead, this Emmy-winning show about an American football coach who becomes the manager of an English football club takes place in London. Though there is a classic episode set in Amsterdam that many believe to be one of the best small-screen achievements in years.
The Office (Scranton)
Though Michael Scott (Steve Carell) did give one of the best tours of NYC in an episode, The Office primarily took place with the offices and warehouse of Dunder Mifflin Scranton in Pennsylvania. The Dunder Mifflin employees would leave the office park and venture into Scranton proper as well as various other locations.
Family Matters (Chicago)
Over the course of its long run on TV, Family Matters depicted Chicago, where Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) tormented the Winslow family for nine seasons, saying things like “Did I do that?” and “Look what you did.” And while the show didn’t use many Windy City locations, it's hard to forget that incredible title sequence.
Full House (San Francisco)
Full House was a staple of ‘90s primetime TV and also a show with one of the most iconic opening title sequences in the history of the medium. The shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, Painted Ladies and the rolling hills of San Francisco made the intro seem like more of a tourism video than an opening for beloved sitcom, as did countless episodes of the series. You can’t have this series without the City by the Bay.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (Minneapolis)
It’s easy to forget that The Mary Tyler Moore Show was set in Minneapolis and not New York City, but that’s the truth. The long-running show, which spawned three spinoffs, was set at the fictional WJM TV station, where Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore) broke boundaries and found herself in all kinds of hilarious and impactful situations.
Roseanne (Illinois)
During its original run and even its brief revival ahead of its cancellation, Roseanne was primarily set in the fictional town of Lanford, which could be anywhere from the greater Chicago area to central or western Illinois. It’s hard to find an episode where at least one character isn’t wearing Bears or the University of Illinois attire. Also, this remains the setting for the spinoff series, The Conners.
The Golden Girls (Miami)
When you have a show about four older women living in a house together, it’s hard to imagine having it take place anywhere besides Florida, specifically Miami. Just about every episode of The Golden Girls took place solely in the Sunshine State, where the core quartet of characters found themselves in all matter of shenanigans.
M*A*S*H (Korea)
There's a common misconception that M*A*S*H was set in Vietnam, because it came out during the height of the military conflict. However, the long-running sitcom based on a movie actually took place at the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in South Korea during the Korean War.
Veep (Washington, D.C.)
It’s hard to have a political comedy about the Vice President of the United States without Washington, D.C. being the backdrop for most of the absurd situations that go down. Luckily, Veep didn’t have that problem to deal with. Sure, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Selina Meyer did leave the nation’s capital quite often, but homebase was good old DC.
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (Philadelphia)
FX’s long-running comedy series, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, takes place in, you guessed it, Philadelphia. For years, viewers have watched, as the group of rowdy, vulgar, and misanthropic misfits who run Paddy’s Pub get into all kinds of trouble in and around the City of Brotherly Love.
Frasier (Seattle)
After he left the bar in Boston where everybody knew his name, Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) made his way to another metropolis on the other side of the country: Seattle. Over the course of Frasier's run, the city's iconography was well utilized, with the titular character even having a prime view of the Space Needle. Interestingly enough, the setting switched back to Bean Town in Paramount+'s revival.
Home Improvement (Detroit)
Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor (Tim Allen), his family, friends, and crew of Tool Time called the greater Detroit metropolitan area home throughout the course of Home Improvement’s impressive run. The Motor City, with its car industry and sports franchises, was a major part of many episodes. With so much to be proud of, it’s still odd why Wilson hid his face all those years.
3rd Rock From The Sun (Rutherford, Ohio)
A staple of NBC’s primetime schedule in the mid to late ‘90s and early 2000s, 3rd Rock from the Sun was set on Earth, specifically, Rutherford, Ohio, over the course of its six-season run. That's certainly an interesting setting for a sitcom about a group of extraterrestrials.
Glee (Lima, Ohio)
Though you could argue that Glee was a great show that really lost its way by the end, one thing that never changed was the fact that the musical comedy-drama series maintained its Lima, Ohio setting. The students, teachers, and staff at William McKinley High School gave audiences some incredible moments and top-notch musical performances throughout the show’s six seasons.
Ally McBeal (Boston)
Over the years, we’ve seen legal shows set in NYC and LA, but the popular comedy-drama Ally McBeal counted Boston as its backdrop. Though the series ended before the city’s sports dominance in the early 2000s, Calista Flockhart’s titular character and crew could have watched Pedro Martinez’s dominant run with the Red Sox in the late ‘90s.
Parks And Recreation (Pawnee, Indiana)
Besides the time Chris Pratt’s Andy Dwyer went to England in Parks and Recreation Season 6, the vast majority of the NBC comedy series took place in the sleepy Midwestern town of Pawnee, Indiana. In fact, several of Parks and Rec’s best episodes were those that involved the city’s residents one way or another.
The Bob Newhart Show (Chicago)
Not to be confused with Newhart, which premiered years later, The Bob Newhart Show was set in Chicago and followed psychologist Robert “Bob” Hartley (Bob Newhart) as he tried to get through his day-to-day life with patients, family, friends, and random people. Oh, and the show might have the best title sequence involving the “Second City.”
The Drew Carey Show (Cleveland)
Years before he became the host of The Price is Right, Drew Carey had a hilarious and successful sitcom consisting of 200+ episodes over nine seasons. And where did The Drew Carey Show take place? None other than Cleveland, hence its title track, “Cleveland Rocks.”
Happy Days (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
A sitcom that spawned all kinds of spinoffs during and after its run, Happy Days is another show set in the Midwest. But instead of Chicago, Minneapolis, or other Great Lake cities, the show that introduced us to Henry Winkler’s Arthur Herbert "The Fonz" Fonzarelli took place in Milwaukee.
WKRP In Cincinnati (Cincinnati)
Despite being a sitcom that didn't make it to 100 episodes, WKRP in Cincinnati remains one of the most iconic CBS comedies of the ‘70s, one the network embarrassingly cancelled way too soon. And as the name suggests, this classic show, probably best remembered for dropping turkeys from a helicopter, was set in the home of Skyline Chili, Cincinnati, Ohio.
A Different World (Virginia)
A branch-off series from The Cosby Show, the NBC sitcom A Different World primarily took place at the fictional Hillman College in Virginia. Needless to say, it was a long way from the brownstones of New York City.
Mom (Napa)
Set in Napa, California, the popular CBS sitcom Mom ran for eight seasons and 170 episodes, with its story centered on the mother-daughter relationship shared by Bonnie (Allison Janney) and Christy Punkett (Anna Faris) as well as the various folks in their orbit. Drama, comedy, and everything in between went down in this Northern California-set series.
Monk (San Francisco)
Over the course of eight seasons, the USA Network crime comedy series Monk followed Tony Shalhoub’s titular and quirky detective as he tried to solve all manners of crime. But unlike its contemporaries set in places like Los Angeles and New York, this long-running series was firmly planted in San Francisco.
The Middle (Orson, Indiana)
With a title like The Middle, it’s not all that surprising that the ABC sitcom was set in the Midwest, specifically, Orson, Indiana. The show’s 215 episodes primarily took place in the fictional town, though the main characters did travel from time to time.
The Andy Griffith Show (Mayberry, North Carolina)
One of the most beloved TV comedies of all time, The Andy Griffith Show was set in the small town of Mayberry, North Carolina, where Sheriff Andy Taylor (Griffith), Opie (Ron Howard), aunt Bee Taylor (Frances Bavier), deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts), and others took in all that life threw at them. Small-town shenanigans were abound in this classic series.
The Simpsons (Springfield)
Is The Simpsons set in Springfield, Illinois, or the Missouri city of the same name, or maybe the Massachusetts town? We may never know, but we do know that the landmark and long-running animated series doesn’t take place in NYC or LA. While Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie have traveled over the years, basecamp is always within smelling distance of the Springfield Tire Fire.
I Dream Of Jeannie (Cocoa Beach, Florida)
Captain Anthony “Tony” Nelson (Larry Hagman) is an astronaut when he discovers and falls in love with Jeannie (Barbara Eden), a 2,000-year-old magical genie, in I Dream of Jeannie. Their magical and somewhat romantic adventures set in Cocoa Beach, Florida, just miles from Cape Canaveral.
South Park (South Park, Colorado)
Set in the fictional mountain town of South Park, Colorado, this groundbreaking, controversial, and long-running animated series couldn’t take place in Los Angeles (too hot) or New York City (too flat). Its decades-long run has allowed fans to meet residents, be introduced to “Humble folks without temptation” and witness just about every situation imaginable in the best South Park episodes.
Eastbound & Down (North Carolina / Mexico)
During its four seasons, Eastbound & Down followed Kenny Powers (Danny McBride), as the former MLB pitcher attempted to make it back to the big leagues, with only himself getting in the way of achieving that goal. Be it working as a teacher in North Carolina or as a member of a Mexican baseball team, Kenny went all over the place in this HBO classic.
Young Sheldon (Medford, Texas)
While The Big Bang Theory took place in and around the greater Los Angeles area, the prequel series, Young Sheldon, turned its attention to the town of Medford, Texas. That's where Iain Armitage’s eponymous character learned the ins and outs of life, both at school and at home.
Family Ties (Columbus, Ohio)
The show that turned Michael J. Fox into a household name and almost prevented the actor from landing his iconic role in Back to the Future, Family Ties was set in Columbus, Ohio. Over the course of seven seasons, the show explored the generational divide and the evolving landscape of the American populace in the 1980s.
These are just a couple dozen (and change) examples of great TV shows set outside New York City and Los Angeles. Like the seasons of some of these shows, this list could have kept going and going before hitting syndication.
