The Most Popular TV Shows Set In Every State
ALABAMA: "Any Day Now" (1998-2002)
ALASKA: "Northern Exposure" (1990-1995)
Network: CBS
Seasons: 6
What started out as an eight-episode summer series, gradually turned into a popular staple on the network.
The two-time Golden Globe winner followed Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow) as he's forced to move his practice from New York to Cicely, Alaska to complete scholarship requirements from college.
ARIZONA: "Medium" (2005-2011)
Networks: NBC / CBS
Seasons: 7
Patricia Arquette plays a medium who uses her powers to speak with the dead and see future and past events to help solve police investigations.
The show aired its first five seasons on NBC before airing two final seasons on CBS. Arquette won a Primetime Emmy for her role in 2005.
ARKANSAS: "Evening Shade" (1990-1994)
Network: CBS
Seasons: 4
Burt Reynolds plays a retired pro football player, Wood Newton, who returns to his hometown of Evening Shade to coach a losing high school football team.
CALIFORNIA: "The Brady Bunch" (1969-1974)
Network: ABC
Seasons: 5
"Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!"
One of Sherwood Schwartz's most popular shows following Mike Brady, the man with three sons who married Carol, a woman with three daughters, continued to resonate with younger generations for decades after its time on air.
Worth noting: "Beverly Hillbillies" and "Three's Company"
COLORADO: "South Park" (1997-)
Network: Comedy Central
Seasons: 18 and counting
Love them or hate them, the often foul-mouthed little boys of South Park Elementary from creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have been satirizing everything from censorship to global warming, religion, and homosexuality for nearly two decades.
Worth noting: "Dynasty"
CONNECTICUT: "Soap" (1977-1981)
Network: ABC
Seasons: 4
For those who are wondering why "Gilmore Girls" isn't in this slot, if you've never heard of "Soap" do yourself a favor and watch a few episodes of this show. Don't believe us? Time listed the daytime soap opera parody as one of the best TV shows of all time.
Before there was "Jersey Shore" and "The Real World," "Soap" defined controversial. There were alien abductions and interracial marriage. Billy Crystal played a cross-dressing gay man who wanted a sex change. It was quite the scandal back in the day causing many protests.
DELAWARE: "The Pretender" (1996-2000)
Network: NBC
Seasons: 4
The show follows Jarod (Michael T. Weiss), who has the ability to impersonate anyone in the world and is constantly on the run from an organization which has been using him for his powers.
After the show was cancelled, TNT picked the series up for two TV movies. Since there was never an ending to the show, over the years creators Steven Mitchell and Craig van Sickle have been tirelessly working to bring one to life. This past July, the two announced the series will return as books and graphic novels before appearing as mini-series and movies at San Diego Comic Con.
FLORIDA: "The Golden Girls" (1985-1992)
Network: ABC
Seasons: 7
Bea Arthur. Betty White. Rue McClanahan. Estelle Getty.
Over the series' six-year run, all four golden ladies won Emmy Awards for their roles as four older, single women living together. When the series finale aired, it was one of the most-watched ever on TV.
GEORGIA: "The Walking Dead" (2010-)
Network: AMC
Seasons: 4 and counting
The show that helped make zombies a cultural phenomenon again.
Based on the comic series by Robert Kirkman, the survival story follows the adventures of Sheriff Rick Grimes and the people he meets in the zombie apocalypse.
HAWAII: "Hawaii Five-O" (1968-1980)
Network: CBS
Seasons: 12
"Book 'em Danno!"
Before the 2010 revival, Jack Lord ruled the airwaves as Detective Lieutenant Steve McGarret on the CBS police series.
IDAHO: "The Manhunter" (1974-1975)
Network: CBS
Seasons: 1
The single-season show followed a private eye who traveled around solving crimes after his best friend died during a bank robbery.
Fun fact: Mark Hamill made an appearance on the show before he was on "Star Wars."
ILLINOIS: "Married ... with Children" (1987-1997)
Network: FOX
Seasons: 11
Katey Sagal and Ed O'Neill have come a long way.
Before "Sons of Anarchy" and "Modern Family," the Bundys were TV's white trash family who put the diss in dysfunctional. Fox's first prime-time show, the controversial series helped put the network on the map.
INDIANA: "Parks & Recreation" (2009-)
Network: NBC
Seasons: 6 and counting
The quirky adventures of Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, and Nick Offerman running a parks' department overcame mixed first-season reviews to become a much-needed comedy hit for the peacock network.
IOWA: "American Pickers" (2010-)
Network: History
Seasons: 6 and counting
Since there was no long-lasting TV series set in Iowa, we resorted to picking a reality show for this one.
History's "American Pickers" is as good as any with Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz traveling the country trying to find hidden treasures.
KANSAS: "Smallville" (2001-2011)
Networks: The WB / CW
Seasons: 10
After ABC's "Lois and Clark" adaptation, the early adventures of a young Superman in high school took center stage on TV.
Later seasons followed Tom Welling's adventures as the Man of Steel while working at newspaper The Daily Planet.
KENTUCKY: "Justified" (2010)
Network: FX
Seasons: 5
Considered by some one of the best shows on TV right now, the Western follows U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) who serves his own brand of justice once assigned to his hometown in Kentucky.
LOUISIANA: "True Blood" (2008-2014)
Network: HBO
Seasons: 7
While "Twilight" made teens swoon for vampires, "True Blood" turned middle-aged women into crazed "fangers" rooting for #TeamBill (Stephen Moyer) or #TeamEric (Alexander Skarsgard).
HBO's adaptation of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse vampire series was popular for a few seasons before it started on a track for the more bizarre. The show will take its final bow next year during its seventh season.
MAINE: "Murder, She Wrote" (1984-1996)
Network: NBC
Seasons: 12
Not only was Angela Lansbury's detective series about a mystery writer on the air for 12 years, but afterward it led to four TV movies and a spin-off show.
Supposedly, NBC is considering to reboot the show with Octavia Spencer.
MARYLAND: "The Wire" (2002-2008)
Network: HBO
Seasons: 5
Renowned as possibly the best TV show ever made, the crime drama chronicled a different case every season ranging from drug dealers to Baltimore's school system.
MASSACHUSETTS: "Cheers" (1982-1993)
Network: NBC
Seasons: 11
Ted Danson, John Ratzenberger, Rhea Perlman, Kelsey Grammer, Kirstie Alley, and Woody Harrelson were among the workers and patrons who routinely hung out at the bar where "everybody knows your name."
MICHIGAN: "Home Improvement" (1991-1999)
Network: ABC
Seasons: 8
It's Tool Time! Before he was "just a toy," Tim Allen was the tool man on ABC's hit comedy. When Allen wasn't on his show inside a show, he was talking to his mysterious/faceless neighbor Wilson who often gave him advice over a fence.
The show was so popular it forced "Seinfeld" to move to Thursdays so the two didn't compete for viewers.
MINNESOTA: "Mary Tyler Moore" (1970-1977)
Network: CBS
Seasons: 7
"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" helped redefine the role of women on television when Moore played a single, young, independent working gal who didn't need a man in her life.
Years later, "Friends" co-creator Marta Kauffman said its finale was inspired in part by "Mary Tyler Moore."
Worth noting: "Coach," "Little House on the Prairie"
MISSISSIPPI: "In the Heat of the Night" (1988-1995)
MISSOURI: "Grace Under Fire" (1993-1998)
Network: ABC
Seasons: 5
The '90s sitcom followed a recently divorced single mother, Grace Kelly (Brett Butler), as she raised her three children and worked at a local oil refinery.
Though it had numerous Golden Globe nominations, Butler's ongoing drug addiction and rehab stays cut production short after ratings started to fall.
MONTANA: "Buckskin" (1958-1959)
Network: NBC
Seasons: 1
Depicting a fictitious town in Montana, this 1880s-set show portrayed the lives of 10-year-old Jody, her widowed mother, and their interactions with the local townspeople.
Though the show didn't make it past its first season, "Buckskin" did see two summers worth of re-runs.
NEBRASKA: "The Young Riders" (1989-1992)
Network: ABC
Seasons: 3
The Western chronicled a group of Pony Express riders in a pre-Civil War, Nebraska Territory. Stephen Baldwin played William Cody — an arrogant young'un and skilled gunman.
After receiving a new time slot for season 2 — it started off against "Cheers" — the show began beating out competition and performing better than shows following it on ABC ("Twin Peaks" and "China Beach").
NEVADA: "Bonanza" (1959-1973)
Network: NBC
Seasons: 14
TV Guide once referred to the Cartwright family-classic as one of the 50 Great TV Shows of All Time, and reasonably so — unlike other shows of the time, "Bonanza" confronted taboo social subjects like substance abuse and environmental concerns.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: "The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire" (2003)
Network: CBS
Seasons: 1 (Only 8 of 11 episodes aired)
A quirky dramedy from "The Practice" creator David E. Kelley starring Randy Quaid ("Independence Day") as one of three brothers virtually in charge of a small town.
It's been suggested it didn't help the pilot of the show never aired, confusing viewers about the plot's direction in the series premiere.
NEW JERSEY: "The Sopranos" (1999-2007)
Network: HBO
Seasons: 6
It didn't take long for America to fall in love with New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini).
Throughout its six seasons, "The Sopranos" set huge precedents for television and movies, and ricocheted the show's creator David Chase, crew, and cast into rock star status.
NEW MEXICO: "Breaking Bad" (2008-2013)
Network: AMC
Seasons: 5
Say. My. Name. By the time the final season of "Breaking Bad" rolled around, everyone knew Bryan Cranston's name. School-teacher-turned-meth-dealer Walter White and his former student Jesse (Aaron Paul) delivered one of the most memorable endings to a television series we've seen in a long time.
NEW YORK: "Seinfeld" (1989-1998)
Network: NBC
Seasons: 9
"No soup for you!" Boy was New York tough to pick, but "Seinfeld" set the bar high for modern sitcoms to follow, moving away from the typical family set-up and toward the "group of friends" format.
It was what viewers wanted television comedy to be — a relatable, lighthearted chronicle of four highly addicting characters, Jerry, George, Elaine, and Cosmo, their day-to-day lives on New York's Upper West Side, and a plot chock-full of some pretty memorable quotes.
Other notable shows we considered: "Friends," "All in the Family," "The Honeymooners," "Cosby Show," "Diff'rent Strokes," and "Sex and the City"
NORTH CAROLINA: "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960-1968)
Network: CBS
Seasons: 8
"The Andy Griffith Show" brought viewers into the lives of a widowed sheriff, Andy Griffith, and his often complicated relationships with his boss, housekeeper, and son.
TV Land actually erected statues of Andy and Opie in North Carolina.
NORTH DAKOTA: "My Secret Identity" (1988-1991)
Network: CTV Canada
Seasons: 3
Originally broadcast in Canada but syndicated in the U.S., this North Dakota-set series is magical — really.
High school student Andrew Clements develops superpowers (sonic speed and levitation) after being exposed to radiation by his scientist neighbor. Andrew learns to use his powers to fight crime and solve his own personal dilemmas — on top of navigating his comparatively normal teenage years.
OHIO: "Family Ties" (1982-1989)
Network: NBC
Seasons: 7
The sitcom about former liberal hippies raising three kids in the conservative '80s helped push a young Michael J. Fox into the limelight with three consecutive Emmys for the actor.
OKLAHOMA: "Saving Grace" (2007-2010)
Network: TNT
Seasons: 3
Holly Hunter starred as promiscuous and self-destructive Oklahoma City detective Grace who was given a guardian angel after a night of drunk driving.
OREGON: "Eureka" (2006-2012)
Network: Syfy
Seasons: 5
This science-fiction series was set in the made-up town of Eureka, Wash. — a place owned by high-tech corporation Global Dynamics and inhabited mostly by brilliant scientists, all of whom help to solve mysterious accidents that occur in each episode.
PENNSYLVANIA: "The Office" (2005-2013)
Network: NBC
Seasons: 9
Scranton, Penn. — home of the World's Best Boss — Dunder Mifflin head honcho, Michael Scott (Steve Carell).
Aside from providing nine seasons worth of laughs, and an awfully catchy theme song, "The Office" paved the way for breakout stars John Krasinski, B.J. Novak, and Mindy Kaling.
RHODE ISLAND: "Family Guy" (1999-2003, 2005-)
Network: Fox
Seasons: 12
Seth MacFarlane's animated sitcom features the hilariously (and often crude) dysfunctional Griffin family.
The show was cancelled and took a four-year hiatus from 2001 to 2005, but it was brought back due to fan demand.
SOUTH CAROLINA: "Army Wives" (2007-2013)
Network: Lifetime
Seasons: 7
The Lifetime-original scripted series "Army Wives" took on a timely and relevant issue as it followed a set of women and their families on an active military base. Though the show just wrapped up its seven-season run in June, it was known for its celebrity guest stars, including Ashanti and Brooke Shields.
SOUTH DAKOTA: "Deadwood" (2004-2006)
Network: HBO
Seasons: 3
Often said to be cancelled too quickly, the eight-time Emmy Award-winning Western about how the South Dakota town came to fruition was known for its heavy use of profanity along with David Milch's writing.
TENNESSEE: "Nashville" (2012-present)
Network: ABC
Seasons: 2
Rival country singers Rayna (Connie Britton) and Juliette (Hayden Panettiere) vie for the spotlight as the former is threatened to be dethroned from her title as the "Queen of Country" by the younger, sexier singer.
TEXAS: "Walker, Texas Ranger" (1993-2001)
Network: CBS
Seasons: 8
If you wanted high-speed action, "Walker, Texas Ranger" and martial artist Chuck Norris gave it to you — plenty of it, actually.
Set in Dallas, the show features Cordell Walker (Norris) as a member of the Texas Ranger Division, as he and his partner Trivette battle crimes around the state.
Worth noting: "Dallas"
UTAH: "Big Love" (2006-2011)
Network: HBO
Seasons: 5
Starring Bill Paxton (as Bill Henrickson), Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny, and Ginnifer Goodwin, "Big Love" follows a fictional Mormon family in Sandy, Utah as they navigate an atyptical marriage, public perception, and the growing demands of Bill's new spotlight as a senator.
VERMONT: "Newhart" (1982-1990)
Network: CBS
Seasons: 8
"Newhart" gave us one TV's most iconic series' endings.
After eight seasons, in which viewers followed a mild-mannered author, Dick Loudon, and his wife as they operated a rural Vermont inn, Bob Newhart's second sitcom came to a dramatic and memorable close, with Dr. Bob Hartley (Newhart's character in first sitcom "The Bob Newhart Show") waking up from a bad dream.
The dream? The entire run of "Newhart."
VIRGINIA: "Homeland" (2011-)
Network: Showtime
Seasons: 3
Claire Danes plays Carrie Mathison, a bipolar CIA officer navigating a complex, suspicious relationship with half-hero, half-potential threat, Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis).
WASHINGTON: "Frasier" (1993-2004)
Network: NBC
Seasons: 11
In the most successful spin-off from "Cheers," Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) leaves behind a broken marriage in Boston to return to his hometown of Seattle and look after his retired-detective father, Martin.
Originally, Grammer wanted his character to be retired with "Cheers." The 11-season show earned a mindblowing 37 Emmys solidifying it as one of TV's best comedies.
WEST VIRGINIA: "Hawkins" (1973-1974)
Network: CBS
Seasons: 1
The critically acclaimed mystery featured stage actor James Stewart as a lawyer. Despite a Golden Globe, Stewart requested the show be cancelled because he wasn't happy with the series' quality.
WISCONSIN: "Happy Days" (1974-1984)
Network: ABC
Seasons: 11
"Sunday, Monday, Happy Days ..."
What started out as a show about teen Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) quickly became the Fonz show after Howard's character left for the military, culminating in the infamous shark jump that gave birth to the phrase "jumping the shark."
Milwaukee has even paid tribute to the lovable Fonz, erecting a statue, The Bronze Fonz, on the city's riverfront.
WYOMING: "The Virginian" (1962-1971)
Network: NBC
Seasons: 9
As TV's first 90-minute Western series, "The Virginian" followed an unnamed foreman, who went by "The Virginian," as he sets out to maintain order on the Shiloh ranch in the late 19th century.
Last year, members of the cast including lead James Drury celebrated the show's 50th anniversary.
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