There is nothing moreimportant for a great television showthan making the audience feel like they are in a real place.While many modern television shows likeGame of ThronesandThe Mandalorianutilize an inordinate amount of visual effects in order to bring to life fantasy locations, many classic series had to use the limited sets available on any given studio lot. As a result, there are some surprising crossover locations between different iconic shows.
Due toshared studio locations,similar production windows, andeasily accessible lots,there are some instances when iconic television sets arereused for completely different purposes.It’s up to the individual showrunners and artists on a given show to verify that the transition is seamless, and that audiences aren’t able to notice the difference. Here are ten television show sets that were used on other shows.
10‘The Andy Griffith Show’ (1960-1968)
Used on ‘Star Trek’ (1966-1969)
The Andy Griffith Showwas a classic long running sitcom that surprisingly ended up sharing its set with a few key episodes ofthe originalStar Trekseries.The Andy Griffith Showtook place in the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina, which was designed to look like a standard small American community. However,Star Trekfeatured a few episodes in which Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy) visit a historical version of Earth in the 1930s that required them to use the same location.
The relatively low production value of the original three seasons ofStar Trekis one of the main reasons that it is so beloved.Although the series was canceled after beingmoved to the dreaded “Friday Night Death Slot” position,Star Trekwas kept alive by a hardcore audience of fans, leading to the development of one of the great science fiction franchises of all-time.
The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
9‘Scrubs’ (2001-2010)
Used on ‘The Office’ (2005-2013)
Scrubsmanaged to capture what it was like to work in a realistic hospital by filming on location in the North Hollywood Medical Center, a location that was also utilized for such beloved shows asFreaks and Geeks, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, andChuck. Notably, the location was also used in the final season of the American reboot ofThe Office, in which Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski)discover that they are about to have a baby.
The use of theScrubsset was beneficial toThe Office, as the series had been strugglingever since the exit ofSteve Carrell’s Michael Scott. Forcing two of the fan-favorite characters to confront the realities of becoming parents to a newborn allowed the series to go in a heartfelt direction ahead of its critically acclaimed final stretch of episodes.
8‘The West Wing’ (1999-2006)
Used on ‘Smallville’ (2001-2017)
The West Wingbecame one of the most acclaimed political dramas in historybecause it managed to replicate what the White House and other critical locations in Washington, D.C. actually looked like during the administration of President Jed Bartlett (Martin Sheen). The set was so realistic that it sparked the interest of the producers ofSmallville, who utilized it in the episode “Hourglass” when Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) has a dream about becoming the Commander-In-Chief and living in the Oval Office.
“Hourglass” isone of the show’s most underrated episodes,asSmallvillewas able to explore how terrifying it would be if Luthor was ever in a position of authority.AlthoughSmallvilleandThe West Wingweren’t necessarily geared towards the same audience, they both succeeded in taking a mature look at the importance that the Presidency has in the nation.
The West Wing
Used on ‘New Girl’ (2011-2018)
Mad Menutilized many practical locations to bring to life what the United States looked like in the 1960s, including the Prince Bar in Los Angeles, California. Although it serves as a favorite drinking destination for Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Roger Sterling (John Slattery), the Prince Bar also served as a primary location where Jessica (Zoey Deschanel), Nick (Jake Johnson), Winston (Max Greenfield), and Coach (Damon Wayans Jr.) hang out in the popular sitcomNew Girl.
Jokes about the social aspects of drinking are common in both shows; Don gets into a load of embarrassing situations because of alcohol, and there are several hilarious drunk moments insome of the funniest episodes ofNew Girl.Ironically, the set was also used for much more serious purposes when it was used inRyan Murphy’s Emmy Award winning miniseriesThe People vs. O.J. Simpson.
6‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ (1987-1994)
Used on ‘Alias’ (2001-2006)
Star Trek: The Next Generationused the Los Angeles Japanese Garden at the Tillman Water Plant to stand in for Starfleet Academy, where the young Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) conducts his studies in between joining the crew of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) on theEnterprise.The location was later repurposed in anepisode ofAliasin whichJennifer Garner’s characteris on a mission in Germany.
The use of practical locations was important forStar Trek: The Next Generation, as fans had to believe that Earth could feasibly develop into a more advanced society over the course of several centuries.Aliaswas similarly praised for the incorporation of somewhat realistic espionage techniques within an otherwise superficial adventure series; both shows were highly popular during the time of their initial release, earning several key nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
5‘Arrested Development’ (2003-2019)
Used on ‘My So-Called Life’ (1994-1995)
Arrested Developmenthad many scenes that were set at the real Balboa High School in Los Angeles, where George Michael (Michael Cera) attends classes with his cousin Maeby (Ali Shawkat). However, the producers ofMy So-Called Lifeused the same location to serve as the fictional Liberty High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that serves as it primary source of drama.
Ironically,bothArrested DevelopmentandMy So-Called Lifewere canceled far too soondue to poor ratings and the appeal to a more niche subset of viewers..My So-Called Lifeonly ran for a single season,whereasArrested Developmentaired three installments before being taken off the air. AlthoughArrested Developmentwas eventually revived for two controversial seasons on Netflix that aired over a decade later,My So-Called Lifedid not continue on in any other capacity. Nonetheless, both shows have benefited from a very strong cult following.
4‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ (1999-2000)
Used on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997-2003)
Beverly Hills, 90210was able to show what life in a Los Angeles high school was actually like by using the real Torrance High School campusin suburban California. The campus was also utilized as the setting of the fictional Sunnydale High School in the first three seasons ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer. Although the setting was essentially abandoned inBuffy the Vampire Slayer’s underrated fourth seasonsafter Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Willow (Alyson Hannigan), and Xander (Nicholas Brendon) head off to college, it was eventually used once more in the series finale when the “Scooby Gang” return to their old stomping grounds to face off with “The First Evil” (Nathan Fillion).
Buffy the Vampire Slayerwas unique among high school shows because of its genre elements, even if shooting on a practical location did end up making it feel slightly more realistic.
Beverly Hills, 90210
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3‘Quantum Leap’ (1989-1993)
Used on ‘Pushing Daisies’ (2007-2009)
Quantum Leaputilized the Bradbury Building in the historic downtown area of Los Angelesto serve as the base of its time traveland alternate reality adventures. The same location would end up being repurposed over a decade later for the cult classic mystery fantasy seriesPushing Daisies, where it stood in for Ned’s (Lee Pace) apartment complex.
BothQuantum LeapandPushing Daisiesneeded to use a few practical locationsin order to get viewers to buy into their admittedly absurd depictions of science fiction; there was enough semblance of realism that it was easy to forget how much suspension of disbelief was required. WhileQuantum Leapwas eventually revived into a moderately successful reboot series, fans ofPushing Daisieshave been hoping for some sort of continuation after the show was tragically canceled at the end of its second season.
Quantum Leap
2‘Dawson’s Creek’ (1998-2003)
Used on ‘One Tree Hill’ (2003-2012)
Dawson’s CreekandOne Tree Hillhave more in common than the fact that they were popular teen shows;both shows were filmed in the town of Wilmington, North Carolina.Wilmington served as both Tree Hill andDawson’s Creek’s fictional town of Capeside, so any savvy fan of both shows may have been able to spot some of the similar locations.
One Tree Hillwas initially conceived due to the demand for another popular teen show, and began airing its first season the same year thatDawson’s Creekwrapped up its finale. Both shows have had a significant influence on their stars;Dawson’s Creeklaunched the career of such acclaimed actors asJames Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson, Katie Holmes,andMichelle Williams, andOne Tree Hillserved as a jumping off point forJames Lafferty, Hilarie Burton,andSophia Bushamong others.
Dawson’s Creek
1‘MacGyver’ (1985-1992)
Used on ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ (1995-2001)
MacGyverfamously used the Griffith Observatory in Los Angelesas the exterior for Angus MacGyver’s (Richard Dean Anderson) slick, modern home that he stays at in between his series of exciting adventures. AlthoughMacGyveronly needed exterior shots of the observatory in order to complete its production, the iconic telescope and surrounding area were used for an episode ofStar Trek: Voyagerin which the crew is transported into modern day Los Angeles.
BothMacGyverandStar Trek: Voyagerhave been remembered fondly in recent years.WhileMacGyverwas revived into a popular reboot series that ran for five seasons on CBS,the best episodes ofVoyagerare consistently heralded among hardcore fans of theStar Trekfranchise, particularly in comparison to some of the more divisive recent installments of the saga that lacked the same attention-to-detail and emotional complexity.
