The Big Screen...er, I Mean Small Screen Jungle: Iconic TV Shows Set in NYC
Ah, New York City. The city that never sleeps (except for that time it accidentally dozed off during the blackout of '77). A concrete jungle where dreams are made of, and where apparently, every single television show ever filmed also takes place. But hey, who can blame Hollywood? NYC's got it all: towering skyscrapers, yellow cabs that seem to materialize out of thin air, and enough pigeons to rival a Hitchcock film.
So, grab a giant soft pretzel (because apparently that's what all tourists eat in NYC, according to every sitcom ever), settle in, and let's take a whistle-stop tour of some of the most iconic TV shows that repped the Big Apple:
The Glamour Bunch: Friends, Sex and the City, Gossip Girl
We all know these shows. They're like the Mount Rushmore of unrealistic portrayals of New York rent prices. Friends had us convinced that six 20-somethings could afford a spacious apartment in Greenwich Village on a waitress and actor's salary (spoiler alert: they couldn't). Sex and the City made it seem like every woman in Manhattan had a Carrie Bradshaw-sized shoe closet and a Mr. Big waiting around the corner (spoiler alert: they didn't). Gossip Girl...well, Gossip Girl just had a lot of headbands and scheming teenagers who somehow knew more about adult problems than actual adults (spoiler alert: teenagers are clueless, everywhere).
Law and Disorder: NYC's Finest (or Most Gruesome)
Let's face it, crime never sleeps in the city that never sleeps. Shows like Law & Order (all the iterations!), NYPD Blue, and CSI: NY gave us a gritty, and often slightly nauseating, look at the underbelly of the city. Just remember, folks, these shows are for entertainment purposes only. If your takeaway is that every hot dog vendor is secretly a mob boss, well, that might be a bit of a stretch.
The Precinct with the Most Nine-Nine:
Okay, so maybe Brooklyn isn't technically NYC (don't tell Brooklynites I said that), but Brooklyn Nine-Nine deserves an honorable mention. This hilarious police sitcom proves that fighting crime can be fun, even if your captain is obsessed with Halloween and your co-worker keeps stealing your yogurt.
Hey! You Forgot...!
Of course, this is just a tiny sampling of the TV shows that have captured the magic (and the madness) of New York City. There's the quirky charm of Seinfeld, the heartwarming family dynamic of Everybody Loves Raymond (well, maybe not everybody...), and the supes-vs-regulars antics of Jessica Jones. The point is, there's a New York City TV show for everyone, whether you crave romance, drama, or just watching Jake Peralta goof off for 22 minutes.
So next time you're flipping through channels and find yourself in the concrete jungle of television, remember, it's probably a show set in NYC. Just grab a bagel and settle in for the ride.
