The Shows That Put Cities On The Map

Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map
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There are many things that make a TV show memorable – the characters, the plot twists, the famous quotes… but also the locations in which they are set. Towns and cities featured in popular TV shows can even become a character in their own right, and may sometimes see their fortunes change thanks to this sudden popularity. Not everyone enjoys the connotations of that link, but for many places that found overnight fame, it’s been a way of gaining visibility on the world stage. Here, we look at 18 locations that were indelibly transformed by the shows that used them as a setting.

By Victoria Luxford

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Birmingham, UK (Peaky Blinders) – Known as the UK’s “second city”, Birmingham got a makeover in the 2010s thanks to the hit British gangster show Peaky Blinders. Murals dedicated to the characters adorn the area, which saw a record 131 million tourists in 2018, partly attributed to the exploits of the Shelby Brothers who gave the traditionally industrial city a cool edge. The final season may air this year, but the legacy of the crime saga will live on, if only in the amount of flat caps and 1920s-style haircuts you see around the city centre!

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA (Breaking Bad) – Its unusual name might have been celebrated in songs in the past, but few works have delved into New Mexico’s largest city than this American drama. Whereas shows typically use studios or alternate cities as stand-ins for real-life locations, many of the key areas depicted in the series are actually places you can visit – which has proved so beneficial to the local economy that the state government passed a “Breaking Bad Bill” designed to attract more productions. One resident who didn’t love the association, however, was the owner of a house that was used in the show; he has reported fans throwing pizzas on his roof in order to recreate a famous scene from the show!

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Dubrovnik, Croatia (Game of Thrones) – How do you measure the impact of a show on a city? You’ll know when your mayor has to limit tourist numbers due to overcrowding! Dubrovnik became synonymous with the wildly popular fantasy show when the city and its historic walls doubled as King’s Landing, a pivotal location in the fictional land of Westeros. The unmistakable architecture has drawn millions to the city in southern Croatia, to the point where mayor Mato Franković launched a plan to limit visitor numbers in certain areas in order to ease congestion, as well as create a more quality experience for tourists and residents alike. Even three years after the show’s dramatic end, Dubrovnik remains a travel hotspot thanks to its small-screen fame.

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Bogotá, Colombia (Narcos) – In Colombia, the late drug kingpin Pablo Escobar is a divisive figure. Depending on the area you visit, he was either a hero or a murderer. Nevertheless, he is inextricably linked to the mythos of the country, even more so thanks to the success of Netflix show Narcos. While history buffs will be drawn to his home town of Medellín, Bogotá has seen a surge in interest due to the filming locations used for the show, including the eye-catching Plaza de Bolívar and Hotel Tequendama, which viewers will recognise immediately. As true crime shows gain popularity, this mix of history and fiction can make an area infamous.

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The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Baltimore, Maryland, USA (The Wire) – It’s difficult to know whether the city of Baltimore appreciates its role in what’s arguably one of the best shows of the past 20 years, given the amount of crime and corruption portrayed within its streets. Some, including US TV host Mike Rowe, have slammed the show for depicting Baltimore as a broken city full of drug use and violence. Others have acknowledged that the storylines have at least some root in reality when it comes to the uglier side of the area’s history, even if some artistic licence was taken. Previously portrayed as a straight-laced, hard-working, blue-collar city in films like Hairspray and Diner, the number of location tours available in recent years suggests that the HBO hit may have redefined its reputation.

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The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Washington, Connecticut, USA (Gilmore Girls) – Some shows fade into obscurity, while others only grow more beloved with time. Having debuted over 20 years ago, feel-good dramedy Gilmore Girls has become iconic television thanks to its memorable tales of a mother and daughter living in idyllic Stars Hollow, Connecticut. The fictional town was a set on a Warner Bros lot, a stark contrast from the neighbouring set for E.R., but it was inspired by the show’s creators visiting Washington, Connecticut. The sleepy, autumnal town has since welcomed a number of fans looking for the Gilmore Girls experience, most notably when over 1,000 people made the pilgrimage for a Gilmore Girls fan festival in 2016.

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Fairplay, Colorado, USA (South Park) – One of the most successful animated shows in history is actually based on a real place… sort of. Fairplay is considered the inspiration for the show, given that its streets bear a resemblance to the town in the cartoon, and that it exists within a mountain range with an area called “historic South Park”. There are also real places immortalised in the show, such as Mexican restaurant Casa Bonita, which embraced its new-found fame after being the subject of an episode. If you needed more convincing of its influence, the show’s creators actually bought the business in August 2021!

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Lima, Ohio, USA (Glee) – If any one series put a town on the map, it’s Glee. Based in the town of Lima, Ohio, the upbeat high school musical didn’t always accurately capture the real town – it may shock you to learn there aren’t many palm trees in the Midwestern US! That said, the multi-Emmy award-winning phenomenon is often commended for highlighting local landmarks such as gallery ArtSpace/Lima and local paper The Lima News. With a population of just over 35,000, town locals have welcomed the attention, often reporting fans stopping in to buy a “Lima, Ohio” branded souvenir to embrace their fandom.

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The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Bristol, UK (Skins) – This city in the southwest of England was famous for its maritime history, but in the 2000s, it got an edgy new reputation thanks to the wild and crazy students in TV show Skins. Along with launching the careers of stars Nicholas Hoult, Dev Patel and Daniel Kaluuya, the show highlights many recognisable Bristol landmarks, with Bristol University reporting an increase in applications thanks to young students arriving with dreams of living a life less ordinary. Or at least attending some lively parties!

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA (Boardwalk Empire) – Like the Birmingham of Peaky Blinders, Atlantic City has been given an edge by the crime drama that people within the tourist-driven area are keen to encourage. Based on the real-life exploits of Nucky Johnson (renamed Thompson for the show), Atlantic CIty’s higher-ups fully embraced the arrival of HBO’s cameras, which turned the pier into a wondrous retro marvel. There was even a giant sign for the show erected to celebrate the show’s premiere. Given the amount of publicity soaked up by rival gambling hub Las Vegas, it’s clear a little bit of danger was a welcome draw.

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Fargo, North Dakota, USA (Fargo) – It’s hard to escape a link with a show when your name is in the title! Fargo of course started out as a hit ‘90s movie, but was rebooted into an intriguing anthology show in 2014. Both have made the town, and the North Dakota accent, infamous among fans. Interestingly, however, neither the film nor the show featured much of the real town. In the ‘90s, the real Fargo was experiencing a mild winter and so filming moved to Minnesota, whereas the show focuses on other parts of North Dakota as well as Fargo itself. Still, many from the area have described how accurately the productions capture the cheery demeanour of the locals.

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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West Covina, California, USA (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) – Musical comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend follows New York lawyer Rebecca (Rachel Bloom) as she makes a big change, moving from the East Coast to sunny California in pursuit of love. However, her destination wasn’t Los Angeles or San Francisco, but the relatively unknown West Covina, a suburban city about 30 kilometres outside of LA. The show wasn’t ashamed of its roots, celebrating West Covina in an opening number that makes some ironic jokes at the place’s expense, but over the show’s four-year run in the 2010s, fans bestowed the city an almost mythical status normally enjoyed by its more famous neighbours.

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Lillehammer, Norway (Lilyhammer) – Netflix’s first exclusive show avoided the bright lights of American cities, opting instead for icy Norway in comedy Lilyhammer. The show, which purposely misspells the name of the place, sees a New York gangster (Stevie Van Zandt) hiding out in the snow and solitude of the Scandinavian region. Far from presenting an American impression of the country, it was a Norwegian co-production that was so popular, it was broadcast on local network NRK1 to a record audience. The show may have finished after three seasons, but the tourism board still promotes the locations and activities featured in the episodes.

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Vermont South, Melbourne, Australia (Neighbours) – One of the most famous streets in television history is actually a place you can visit! The Australian soap opera’s central cul-de-sac, Ramsey Street, is a real street called Pin Oak Court that is popular with tourists, having served as the location for over 35 years. The locals clearly don’t mind, as the real families living in the houses have always let the production film there, while Australians generally acknowledge its help in discovering stars like Russell Crowe and Kylie Minogue.

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Snoqualmie, Washington, USA (Twin Peaks) – Some shows develop such a devoted fan base that their fame never really dies, and David Lynch’s Twin Peaks is a prime example. Even before its 2017 revival, lovers of the delightfully quirky mystery show were drawn to everything about it, and that includes the area where it was filmed. Many exterior shots come from Snoqualmie, a town about a half hour drive from Seattle, and are unmistakable to this day from the early ‘90s show. The connection has launched a brisk cottage industry in Twin Peaks tours, with people coming for the show and staying for the area’s natural beauty.

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Seoul, South Korea (Squid Game) – South Korean stories have grown in worldwide popularity in the last few years, through K-pop and the success of films like Parasite. There’s no greater example of that boom than the dystopian breakout hit Squid Game. The show was filmed all over the country, but one particularly affecting episode is the sixth chapter, “Gganbu”, which featured a game where players walked through a neighbourhood similar to Seoul’s Ssangmun-dong neighbourhood. Despite the somewhat intimidating nature of the show, South Korean tourism authorities have reported a massive rise in travel inquiries since the Netflix series debuted.

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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Malmö, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark (The Bridge) – Two cities benefited greatly from the Scandinavian noir classic The Bridge, which has borders at its very heart. The bridge in question is Øresund Bridge, linking Denmark’s Copenhagen with Sweden’s Malmö, where lead detective Saga Norén (Sofia Helin) discovers a body placed exactly on the border between the two countries. Despite the grizzly connotations, the bridge and the cities were showcased throughout the series’ four seasons, which were broadcast in over 100 countries. As such, the cities have gained a lot of admirers, all looking to embrace the iconic architecture that made the show so alluring.

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Culture
The Shows That Put Cities On The Map.
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New York City, New York, USA (Sex and the City) – It’s not like New York was unknown before Sex and the City arrived – it’s one of the most photographed and most celebrated cities in history. However, the adventures of Carrie Bradshaw and her besties has redefined what it is to be a New Yorker, creating a fantasy that has drawn droves of tourists (and transplants) with dreams of love and Cosmopolitan cocktails. Native New Yorkers are less fond of the link, with Time Out New York even offering a “Carrie-free” guide to the Big Apple at the height of the series’ popularity.

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The Shows That Put Cities On The Map

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