With so many New York City TV shows, it’s easy to see why directors and producers seek to film at some of the most well-known New York City locations and icons. There are so many shows that have paved the way for producers and actors in New York City including Sex and the City, 30 Rock, Gossip Girl and Law & Order, and so many of these past shows have created a cult like following. While in New York, it’s well worth getting tickets to many of the live recorded shows and if you’re lucky, you might even get to see some famous actors doing what they do best in front of the camera. As in aspiring actor and or even as a fan, it’s definitely a privilege to see what goes on behind the cameras. Some of the TV shows filmed in New York City include:
Blue Bloods (2010–present): The series follows the Irish-American Reagan family of police officers with the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The show is filmed in New York City as well as surrounding areas such as Brooklyn. Tom Selleck stars in the show with Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Len Cariou and Will Estes.
Elementary (2012–present): Elementary is an American crime drama series that updates Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s character Sherlock Holmes. Starring Johnny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson, season one premiered on CBS in September 2012; season two began airing in September 2013; and season three began airing in October 2014. The series is set and filmed primarily in New York City with some scenes filmed in surrounding areas including Harlem and Brooklyn Heights.
The Good Wife (2009–present): The Good Wife is a legal and political drama that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2009. It stars Julianna Margulies, Christine Baranski, Matt Czuchry and Alan Cumming with Chris Noth regularly featured in a number of episodes. Filmed in New York City, Brooklyn and Queens, it is one of the TV shows that often features many of the city’s famous icons including the courts, bars and restaurants, the statue of liberty and central park. It is one TV show where Chicago is staged and filmed in New York.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–present): An American police, legal, crime drama television series that is set in New York City, where it is also produced. It is the longest running non-animated U.S. primetime TV series and stars Mariska Hargitay, Ice T, Kelli Giddish, Raúl Esparza and Peter Scanavino. Many outdoor scenes of the show are filmed on location in New York City, in all five of New York City’s boroughs. Interior scenes are filmed at the NBC’s Central Archives building in nearby North Bergen, New Jersey.
Orange Is the New Black (2013–present): An American comedy-drama series on Netflix based on Piper Kerman’s memoir about her time in prison. Starring Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Michael J. Harney, Michelle Hurst, Kate Mulgrew and Jason Biggs, the show films mainly at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, just a floor above the Sesame Street set.
