TV Shows That Will Make You Want to Live in L.A.
Los Angeles is famous for many things: celebrities, the Hollywood sign, diverse crowds, eclectic neighborhoods, vibrant nightlife, trendy restaurants, sunny weather, and scenic coastal views. Regarded as the Entertainment Capital of the World, Los Angeles is the epicenter of the entertainment industry, making it home to dozens of film and television studios. With the city being a central hub for film and movie magic, it’s no surprise to see that a great deal of TV shows are set in LA and prominently showcase the city’s landscape or some of its popular landmarks.
If you’ve ever been a fan of an LA-based TV show and noticed the beauty of the City of Angles in the background of each scene (running down the sandy beach as a lifeguard maybe?), then it might have intrigued you to venture out to La-la land to revel in some of the city’s most picturesque locations. From family neighborhoods in The Valley to urban hotspots in Hollywood to coastal views in Malibu, Los Angeles has a variety of stunning locations to add into the backdrop of every scene in television shows that were filmed in this area. Check out these four TV shows that will make you want to pack your bags and move to Los Angeles, or at least daydream about living here.
Baywatch
If the opening credits of Baywatch didn’t make you want to go buy a red swimsuit and run down the beach, then you’re the exception to the rule. This popular television series about attractive lifeguards saving people’s lives in raging seas featured the city’s best asset – the beach. Baywatch, which was filmed between 1989 and 2001, was filmed on location in some of LA’s most scenic beaches, including Will Rogers State Beach in the Pacific Palisades. Iconic characters like Mitch Buchannon played by David Hasselhoff and C.J. Parker played by Pamela Anderson are just some of the cast members who gave fans some memorable scenes that propelled the show’s long-time success.
Modern Family
Imagine witnessing the shenanigans while living next door to the Dunphy or Pritchett families from ABC’s television series Modern Family? That would certainly give you plenty of interesting and funny stories to share at the office water cooler, if they were real. Although these fictional and hilarious families don’t exist in the real world, the neighborhoods and homes do. Stroll through the affluent neighborhood of Cheviot Hills in LA’s westside to see the two-story Dunphy house or catch a glimpse of Cam and Mitch’s duplex home that’s located in Century City. Just a bit farther in the popular Brentwoodneighborhood, you’ll see the exterior of Jay and Gloria’s stately mansion. If quirky neighbors, beautiful homes, and suburban vibes have you looking into LA real estate, then you only have Modern Family to blame for that.
Beverly Hills 90210
Although teen angst the premise for Beverly Hills 90210, it was also responsible for making this zip code famous. Although some of the locations were filmed outside of Beverly Hills(like West Beverly High, which is actually located in Torrance) LA was still front and center in some of the show’s most memorable scenes. Fans and teens that lived anywhere else in the country imagined what it would be like to live an upscale lifestyle and in a lucrative, star-studded community within this posh zip code. Attending West Beverly High and walking down the halls alongside characters like Donna Martin, Brandon and Brenda Walsh, or Kelly Taylor might have made you want to transfer out of your old high school faster than you can say Luke Perry. With these kinds of high-class buddies and unlimited credit cards and bank accounts, wouldn’t that make you want to move to Beverly Hills?
Entourage
While Sex and the City had its characters frolic through the streets of New York City to showcase its urban vibe and trendy neighborhoods, Entourage did the exact same thing on the West Coast and used Los Angeles as its personal backyard. The hit HBO series filmed in real LA hot spots like Urth Caffe and Canter’s Deli in West Hollywood, Bouchon in Beverly Hills, and the Tropicana Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Dining at trendy restaurants, hanging by the pool or beach, and drinking the night away at exclusive clubs definitely made some fans swoon for the Los Angeles lifestyle.