The Best Television Series Set in Each of the 50 States

When my colleague, Kieran Freemantle, tweeted me earlier this week, asking me to name the best television series set in each of the 50 states (sorry Washington D.C.), my first thought was, “Oh my gosh. 50 is a lot of TV shows and that sounds like a lot of research.” But the more I noodled on it, the more curious I personally became as to whether or not there were even enough shows to complete the task. After all, I couldn’t imagine there was a noteworthy television series set in Idaho. Or Iowa. Or West Virginia. I mean, I rarely think of most states on a daily basis, why would showrunners and writers decide to set a comedy in the middle of nowhere, right? But as I looked through the lists of shows (big thanks to Wikipedia for having a decent list of shows divided by state), I realized that television, on the whole, has spent a good amount of time traveling across the United States over the last 75 years or so. Sure, an inordinate amount of shows, including some all-timers, were set in and around New York City. And yes, there was one state where I genuinely couldn’t find a single TV series I would consider worthy of this list so I had to resort to naming a reality series, but I also learned a bit about where some great shows call home.

I did provide myself with some ground rules for selecting the one show to represent each state (because where’s the fun if there aren’t ground rules!):

• It must be a scripted television series. So, save for that one state I mentioned above, no Top Chef: Kentucky or Real World: Hawaii. But it could be live action or animated.
• No limited series. So, no Mare of Easttown to take the crown in Pennsylvania.
• This is the best show from that state, not necessarily the most popular. Law and Order: SVU may be a New York show known the world over, but come on, it’s nowhere near the best show set in that state.
• The majority of the series needed to be set in that state – and if it was an anthology series, the best season should have been set in there. If there were no other options in a state – as was the case with one state – I decided that if fans of the show would absolutely associate a show with a state (even if it was only partially set there), it would count. And non-anthology shows that jumped around in location throughout their run – think The Last of Us, The Walking Dead, and even the sensational The Leftovers – were disqualified for their inability to stay in one place for too long. However, procedurals that moved around episode to episode but had a clear base camp – like a Criminal Minds or The X-Files – would be linked to that stable base (usually Virginia, since these tended to be shows about government employees) and would be eligible. Basically, you had to tell a complete story in a single location or have a core setting in that single location.
• I didn’t have to have seen the series, but I needed to have heard of it in some manner. A couple of these shows are from way back in the day, so even watching them today would be hard, but there was one show I hadn’t even heard of on the list – again, there wasn’t another option for that state – so I relied on the quality of the show’s leading actor to qualify it.

So, time to get to the list!

Alabama: The Wonder Years (2021 Version – Currently Airing on ABC, Streaming on Hulu)

I bet you didn’t even know that The Wonder Years had been rebooted, right? Well, it has, and it is utterly delightful. This installment of the series is set in the 1960s in Montgomery, Alabama, and follows 12-year-old Dean Williams as he and his family navigate this turbulent time in America. The series currently airs on ABC (which means you can also catch it next day on Hulu), and is a great family sitcom in a time where there aren’t that many left on broadcast television. It’s also a heck of a strong installment for Alabama, so congratulations to the state for getting a truly great series set there.

Alaska: Northern Exposure (CBS, Not Currently Streaming Anywhere)

Set in the middle of nowhere in Northern Alaska, the series followed recent med school graduate (and native New Yorker) Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow) as he moves to the tundra to become the town doctor of Cecily. The dramedy dealt with the fish out of water situation around Fleischman’s move as well as the various quirky and interesting town residents. The series ran for six seasons (1990-1995) and was highly regarded critically, wracking up a boatload of nominations for a variety of awards. And really, whenever anyone mentions Alaska and television, this is likely the first show to jump to mind for critics and anyone in the 45 and older demographic.

Arizona: Alice (CBS, Not Currently Streaming Anywhere)

Loosely based on the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Arizona’s entry on this list comes complete with its own catchphrase: “Kiss my grits,” courtesy of the great Polly Holiday and her character Flo. The series follows Alice (Linda Lavin), whose husband died in a trucking accident, as she attempts to move to LA and start a singing career. Unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on your take – her car breaks down in Phoenix, and she and her young son end up staying after she gets a job in a local diner. Over the series’ nine season run (1976-1985), the series cycled through a large cast of actors as characters came and left the diner. It was a staple of the CBS line-up throughout its run.

Arkansas: Recess (ABC, Streaming on Disney+)

Let me tell you, there aren’t many shows set in Arkansas, so Recess makes the cut. That’s not to say it’s not a good show – I have wonderful memories of watching the series after school as a kid and loving it – but compared to some other states, it’s not at the top of heap. For the uninitiated (aka non-Millennials), Recess is a cartoon centered around a group of fourth graders at Third Street Elementary School. The main clique has a representative for each of the stereotypical kids one might find at school – rebel, nerd, jock, tomboy, super nice guy, etc. And that main clique gets into a host of crazy situations throughout the show’s six-season run (mostly involving trying to get one over on Finster, the school’s recess monitor). The series ran from 1997-2001, with two straight-to-video films coming after.

California: Arrested Development (Fox/Netflix, Streaming on Netflix)/Halt and Catch Fire (AMC, Not Currently Streaming Anywhere)

Ok, I cheated on this one by selecting two shows. But here’s my reasoning: Arrested Development had an incredible initial three season run where almost no one watched it because its style of comedy was ahead of its time, only to sully its legacy with two atrocious additional seasons years later on Netflix. Halt and Catch Fire started out with a very, very shaky first season before righting the ship for its remaining three years, becoming an all-time great drama – even though almost no one watched the series while it was on the air. So, two California-set shows that found a greater audience via streaming (someone get Halt and Catch Fire back on a streaming service, stat), both with all-time great stories, characters, writing, and performances. Not too shabby, California. Arrested Development ran from 2003-2006, with the fourth season debuting in 2013, and its fifth coming over 2018-19. Halt and Catch Fire ran from 2014-2017.

Colorado: Community (NBC/Yahoo, Streaming on Netflix)

So, I was torn about this one, largely because Colorado has two other strong contenders: Mork & Mindy and South Park, both of which I’ve watched and enjoyed. But both series, in my opinion, had greater lulls in their runs than my choice, Community. Sure, we’ve all agreed season four of the series was a gas leak-induced fever dream. And yes, the series did end up causing Yahoo’s nascent streaming service to implode in the show’s sixth and final season. But when Community was at the top of its game it was one of the best comedies ever to air on TV. And that’s not hyperbole – the best episodes of Community belong in the pantheon of all-time great television. Which put the series, which aired from 2009-2015, in the top spot for Colorado’s representative on this list. The series followed a community college study group – your classic group of misfits finding a strange friendship with each other while “studying” over waaaay more time than it actually takes to graduate from community college. The hijinks and crazy situations the gang found themselves in were always good for a laugh, and the high-concept episodes became the stuff of legend. Now we all just have to wait for that promised movie.

Connecticut: Bewitched (ABC, Streaming on Tubi)

There were a number of worthy entries for the best series set in Connecticut, but they all pale in comparison to this classic comedy. Airing from 1964-1972 (and spawning a really bad Nicole Kidman-Will Ferrell film decades later), the series followed Samantha (Elizabeth Mongomery), a housewife who also happens to be a witch, as she lives her life in the suburbs. Her magical family would occasionally pop in for visits – much to the consternation of her human husband Darrin (Dick York, who was eventually replaced by Dick Sergeant, in one of the biggest casting swaps in TV history). All problems could easily be solved in a half hour, and usually with a nice dose of magical intervention, but boy were they fun to watch unspool. Now, the series was originally set in Westport, CT, but later episodes occasionally said it was in NY – but I’m going with the initial setting, since the Stephens family never moved over the course of the series.

Delaware: Steven Universe (Cartoon Network, Streaming on Hulu)

A story about a boy who lives with the Crystal Gems – those would be magical, mineral-based aliens, of which Steven is half-descended from – this cartoon is wholly delightful and an absolute joy to watch. And, frankly, the only series that takes place in Delaware that’s worth writing about. All-in-all, the series ran from 2013-2020, including spin-off films, and had a rabid fan base. Steven goes on adventures with the Gems, learns more about himself and others, and gains a greater understanding of what it means to be a Gem throughout the course of the series. It’s also family friendly, so it’s a series the whole gang can get behind.

Florida: The Golden Girls (NBC, Streaming on Hulu)

Really, was there any other option for the state of Florida? One of the most popular series on television when it aired from 1985-1992, the series has continued to delight new generations of viewers in the decades since it’s been off the air. Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia have become friends to so many through the decades – a show that holds up insanely well today for its honest handling of hot-button topics and its biting humor. Whenever someone is looking for a great comedy to watch, I always ask if they’ve seen this one – because no one does it better than this murderer’s row of top-notch comedy talent. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll crave some cheesecake.

Georgia: Atlanta (FX, Streaming on Hulu)

Perhaps there’s a bit of recency bias, but how can you not select a series named for the major city in the state? It helps that this sometimes surreal, almost always thought-provoking, series was able to keep us engaged throughout all its twists and turns. Donald Glover proved himself to be a truly brilliant writer – and a really great actor – through his command of this series, making sure to surround himself with a stellar cast on the cusp of stardom (Lakeith Stanfield was the show’s stealth MVP). Not every big swing ended up working – the season in Europe was very hit or miss – but when the Atlanta team connected? Boy, were those some of the best shows on television. Airing from 2016-2022, you never knew what you would be seeing when you tuned into an episode, but that was what made this one truly great.

Hawaii: The White Lotus – Season One (HBO, Streaming on Max)

Made during the pandemic, when all other shows were shuttered and television was looking for a way to create content, The White Lotus captured the zeitgeist in a way few shows have in recent years. A darkly comedic skewering of white wealth, the series followed various groups of vacationers and the stressed-out hotel staff of a fictional White Lotus-brand hotel in Hawaii. Could the series have gone a bit harder to show us just how out of touch and horribly offensive the various travelers could be? Sure. But boy, did we all love watching the bitching, moaning, and horse trading that went on in the various fractured relationships presented to us. And Jennifer Coolidge having a career renaissance as a result? Sheer perfection for us in 2021, whilst we were sequestered in our homes.

Idaho: The Grinder (Fox, Only Available for Purchase on Streaming)

Critically acclaimed but unable to get the ratings it needed, the series – about an actor famous for playing a lawyer, played by Rob Lowe, who returns home and decides that he knows enough about law to join his family’s law firm – was canceled after just one season in 2016. But people missed out on a really smart, funny, and silly series by not giving it a look when they could. And, considering it’s pretty much the only television series set in Idaho ever made, the state of Idaho should have pushed more folks to give this one a look as well. State pride and all that jazz.

Illinois: The Bear (FX, Streaming on Hulu)

As an Illinois native, I thought long and hard about my selection for this state. While Illinois hasn’t had a ton of television series set here – especially shows that aren’t medical/cop/firefighter procedural-type shows or TGIF sitcoms – there were a couple of contenders. But ultimately, The Bear came out on top. Currently airing on FX on Hulu, the series follows the team at The Beef of Chicagoland restaurant as they attempt to switch the Italian Beef joint over to become a fine dining restaurant. Chicago is known for many things, but near the top of its list of accolades is its food culture. Seriously, from “simple” fare like beef sandwiches and hot dogs to Michelin starred restaurants, Chicago has it all. And what The Bear does so incredibly well is make you feel like you’re a part of the tight-knit family at The Beef. You fall in love with each of the characters, you desperately want to see them succeed and you are crushed when they fail. But most of all, you can’t help but want to eat when you watch an episode. Seriously.

Indiana: Parks and Recreation (NBC, Streaming on Peacock)

With a plucky Leslie Knope (a great Amy Poehler) at the center, Parks and Recreation might just be enough to make you wish you lived in Pawnee, Indiana – or at least Eagleton. The faux documentary series, which ran from 2009-2015, was able to craft a silly but kind type of comedy (sure, everyone picked on Jerry/Gary/Terry/Larry throughout the series, but they really did love him . . . ok, maybe not April) that was missing from television before its run. And it cemented Michael Schurr as the king of broadcast sitcoms in the process. A show about genuinely caring about civic duty as well as how important a found family can be, Parks and Rec is an all-time great television comedy, and a fun representative for the state of Indiana. Which, let’s face it, doesn’t have all that much going for it.

Iowa: American Pickers (History Channel, Streaming on Netflix)

What does Hollywood have against Iowa? Like, seriously – did the state do something to some big-name producer? When you get asked to name the best film set in Iowa, you can immediately go with the great Field of Dreams. When asked for the best musical set in Iowa, it’s obviously The Music Man, which happens to be one of the all-time best musicals ever written. But when it comes to TV shows . . . yeah, there’s not much there. And none that made it past the one-year mark with much of a mark at all on the world of television. Which meant that I was forced to select American Pickers, a reality show where folks drive around the country stopping at people’s homes and occasionally stores and try to haggle their way into finding hidden Americana treasure to restore to its old glory. Yeah, it’s not a great show by any means, but it’s the only option here. The series has been running since 2010 and continues to this day. And it only made the list because the pickers’ home base is located in Iowa – most of the picks don’t even happen there. So, I’m sorry Iowa. But maybe you need to hire an agent or someone to get you noticed by the television taste makers?

Kansas: Somebody Somewhere (HBO Max, Streaming on Max)

It’s certainly a risk to select a series that is currently airing (a third season was recently ordered at the time of writing this list), but Somebody Somewhere is such a wonderful representation of all that can be amazing in a state with not the best track record when it comes to progress that it had to be the selection for Kansas. When you think of Kansas, chances are you picture something more in line with The Wizard of Oz’s black and white sections – farms, simple lives, close-minded people. But what Somebody Somewhere does so well – in addition to being both genuinely funny and having some of the most moving and connected characters on television with incredibly lived-in relationships – is show that preconceived notions about a place can be completely wrong. Sure, the Kansas in the series isn’t some utopia – nowhere really is – but it is a kaleidoscope of people, living together. There’s a vibrant queer community who care deeply for one another and live openly and proudly in a state where you might not think that was possible. There are amazing allies who love and accept others, and there are those who still need that extra push over the hill. But it’s a gorgeous story that is just as much about its setting as it is about the story it’s telling there.

Kentucky: Justified (FX, Streaming on Hulu)

The series, adapted from Elmore Leonard’s stories about the character Ryland Givens (portrayed here by the always great Timothy Olyphant – who will pop-up in another show later on this list), was as close to a modern-day Western as we’ve had in the 21^st century. Running from 2010-2015, Givens was one of the many morally gray men who graced our screens during the Peak TV era of television (and several more will make there way to this list as well). The easy charm of Olyphant was crucial to the series getting its tone just right, making sure we cared enough about Givens to excuse some of the frontier-style justice he meted out. Plus, the show offered a chance for some of our greatest character actors to chew the scenery and play antagonist for Givens’ lawman persona.

Louisiana: True Detective – Season One (HBO, Streaming on Max)

In the winter of 2014, the collective consciousness of the television viewing audience was riveted by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson slowly unspooling a tale of murder and possible occult action in the bayou. Nearly a decade later, folks still talk about how time is a flat circle. And they also talk about how that single season of television was able to spawn two additional installments of the True Detective anthology that absolutely failed to catch on with audiences and critics alike. The series is coming back for a fourth swing in the summer of 2023, so we’ll see if it can do for Alaska what season one did for Louisiana.

Maine: Murder She Wrote (CBS, Streaming on Paramount+)

If you are around my age, you probably recall watching Murder She Wrote at night with your parents. Or maybe my parents were the only ones who thought that watching Jessica Fletcher (the iconic Angela Lansbury) solve the murder of a week in a small town was an excellent viewing option for a small child. Either way, this mystery series, which aired from 1984-1996, was a joy of the procedural genre. While it might boggle the mind today that no one was seriously suspecting Fletcher for the murders – she, after all, made her money writing about the murders as novels – watching the character deduce whodunit before the end of the episode was the perfect soothing way to end an evening. Although, between this series and the host of Stephen King-written fare that is also set in Maine, perhaps those who live in the state should look into why so many stories set there are about death.

Maryland: The Wire (HBO, Streaming on Max)

While there might be an argument to be made for Homicide: Life on the Street, NBC’s gritty cop drama about life in Baltimore, I suspect pretty much every television critic out there would agree that The Wire is the only correct choice for the best series set in Maryland. From 2002-2008, the series told focused stories about the key institutions that make Baltimore the city that it is: the drug trade, the ports, city government, education, and the media. And while some of the seasons were more successful than others – with critics and audiences alike – when taken together as a single sprawling piece of television art, the series becomes truly exceptional. For my money, it’s a top five all-time television series, with some of the most nuanced and complex characters, writing, and performances that have ever graced the small screen.

Massachusetts: Ally McBeal (Fox, Streaming on Hulu)

Much like with Illinois, the presence of a major American city in the state means a host of law, medical, and cop shows have called Massachusetts (and really, Boston) home over the decades. And, with Salem also in the state, there are several supernatural-themed shows on the list as well. But I’m going with Ally McBeal, the quirky and strange legal comedy from David E. Kelly (which kicked off a string of several Kelly-created Boston-set shows) that ran from 1997-2002, to represent MA. Why? Well, the series was reliably funny, offered us a string of weird – but confident in their weirdness and neurosis – characters, some great acting (Peter MacNicol stole every scene he was in, and the show proved how game Jane Krakowski was for pretty much anything – something Tina Fey would go on to exploit to great effect on 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), and it brought Robert Downey, Jr. back into the mainstream. Sure, Downey would have a very public relapse during his run on the series, but the subsequent rehab stint would be his last and set the stage for him to be cast as Iron Man shortly after. Which mean that without Ally McBeal, would we have the MCU?

Michigan: Freaks and Geeks (NBC, Streaming on PlutoTV)

It always hurts to find a series that was incredible – and before it’s time – only after it is years off the air. And that was the case for most fans of this quirky, one-season wonder of a comedy. Running from 1999-2000, the series was created by Paul Feig (yes, the director behind Bridesmaids and Spy) and produced by Judd Apatow (yes, that Judd Apatow), and starred a host of on the brink of stardom young actors (James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Busy Philipps, John Francis Daley, Martin Starr, Samm Levine, and Linda Cardellini). I mean, what fools we all were to sleep on this one, right? But the story of high schoolers in 1980 – the younger nerds and the older burnouts – was one that was, you guessed it, pretty universal about the painful realities of growing up. The writing was sharp, the performances were great, and the show remains one of the best one-season wonders out there.

Minnesota: The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS, Streaming on Prime Video)

Who can turn the world on with her smile? Well, that would be Mary Richards, played by the iconic Mary Tyler Moore, who is the newest associate producer at the television station WJM. Alongside Moore is a murderer’s row of talent: Ed Asner, Murray Slaughter, Ted Knight, Cloris Leachman, Valerie Harper, Betty White, and Georgia Engel. The Mary Tyler Moore Show aired from 1970-1977 and remains one of the most beloved television sitcoms of all time. While the original great work/home-hybrid sitcom was The Dick Van Dyke Show (which also starred Moore), this was the pitch perfect next step in the genre. And every modern workplace sitcom we have owes an enormous debt of gratitude to this series. As for how much Minneapolis loves the show? A statue of Moore doing her iconic hat toss from the opening credits still stands in the city.

Mississippi: One Mississippi (Prime Video, Streaming on Prime Video)

There weren’t many choices for Mississippi, but that didn’t matter because One Mississippi is about as great of a show as you could hope for for any state. Seriously. This underrated gem from comedian Tig Notaro is a semi-autobiographical story from Notaro that is at times hilariously funny and at other immensely moving. Airing from 2015-2017, this is one of the best shows of the 2010s era of television and a hell of a showcase for Notaro in particular.

Missouri: Ozark (Netflix, Streaming on Netflix)

While I’m not someone who ever really loved Ozark (it was always a bit too derivative of other Peak TV series for my tastes), it’s certainly the strongest and most even of the options for the state of Missouri. Running from 2017-2022 and starring Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, and Julia Garner, dealt with the criminal underworld inhabited by the usual underworld denizens and the seemingly above-board folks who helped to keep the criminals afloat. Did it end up a bit off the rails? Yeah, it did. But there were some fun times to be had throughout its run – that is if you like your television with anti-heros (and, as a number of shows on this list will attest to, a whole heck of a lot of people do).

Montana: Yellowstone (Paramount Network, Streaming on Peacock)

Was there any question that Yellowstone, the show everyone’s parents are watching, would be the representative for Montana? Well, for one, there were almost no other shows to choose from. And well, it’s an incredibly popular series that has struck a chord with a lot of viewers. While the series’ fifth season went from a sure thing to an utter mess when star Kevin Costner decided he no longer wanted to be part of it, it remains one of the highest watched shows on television – or rather, on the niche cable Paramount Network. In a massive error, Paramount sold the streaming rights to Peacock right before they launched their own streaming network – and right before Yellowstone became a massive hit – but the series, which began in 2018 and continues through 2023, is still a cash cow, spawning multiple high-profile spin-offs.

Nebraska: Better Call Saul (AMC, Streaming on Netflix)

Yes, I’m aware I am cheating with this particular entry, but I can explain. Sure, the bulk of Better Call Saul, the prequel spin-off of Breaking Bad, takes place in New Mexico. But key portions of the series – the flashforwards to a period following the end of Breaking Bad – are set in a black and white Omaha. And a large section of the final season took place in Nebraska. And, when you think about the series, I’m betting Omaha comes to mind alongside New Mexico. (Also, there are almost no other options, so I’m sticking to my guns on this one.) It’s rare that a spin-off is successful. And it’s even rarer that a spin-off comes close to touching the brilliance that made the original series work. Better Call Saul is the rarest spin-off that equals and at times exceeds the greatness of its forbearer. I had my doubts that the world needed to know the story of Saul Goodman before Walter White walked into his life, but boy was I wrong. From 2015-2022, we learned how Jimmy McGill became Saul Goodman and then became Gene Takavic, and what an amazing ride it was.

Nevada: Hacks (HBO, Streaming on Max)

One of the funniest comedies currently airing on HBO also comes with the ability to make you break down and cry. It’s amazing what happens when the perfect combination of cast (here, Hannah Einbinder and the legendary Jean Smart are the leads), writing, and narrative arc meet and combust into a truly exceptional series. Following a young, partially-cancelled comedienne Ava (Einbinder) as she attempts to salvage her career with a gig helping legendary Vegas comic Deborah Vance (Smart, taking on the Joan River-esque role with aplomb), the story veers from a fish out of water tale into one about family – biological and found – and how, when you least expect it, you can find people who you click with on so many levels.

New Hampshire: The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire (CBS, Not Currently Streaming Anywhere)

I’m going to be honest, I only vaguely remember hearing about this 2002 David E. Kelly series when it came out. And, I’m guessing most folks haven’t even heard of it. The cast was shockingly strong – Randy Quaid, John Carroll Lynch, Chris Penn, Mare Winningham, Elizabeth McGovern, Ann Cusack, among others – but it only lasted a mere nine episodes before getting cancelled. The series follows three brothers – Quaid, Lynch, and Penn – who were the big men on campus back in their youth, as they navigate their middle-aged lives in their hometown. Why did I pick a series that was critically acclaimed but never made it through an entire season? Well, there aren’t any other shows that could fit on this list from New Hampshire. And with a cast and pedigree like this one, I’m amazed the series didn’t hit. But you never know with television shows, what will catch fire and what won’t. It was either this one or a Jumanji TV series. I think I made the right choice.

New Jersey: The Sopranos (HBO, Streaming on Max)

What The Wire did for Baltimore, The Sopranos did for New Jersey – in that it crafted a compelling, complicated, and critically acclaimed series that then became synonymous with the state it was set in. You can’t help but think of Tony Soprano when you think of TV in Jersey. It’s the law. And what a series it was. A show that pulled folks in with the promise of mob stories and got them hooked on watching the personal and professional spirals that Tony ended up going down season to season. Sure, characters were whacked, but what made the show great was James Gandolfini’s central performance, keeping the series grounded in reality while showing how this life was slowly eating away at the massive man at its center. Just great stuff, from 1999-2007, and with a finale that made the country believe they’d lost their cable connection, The Sopranos will always be indelibly linked to the Garden State.

New Mexico: Breaking Bad (AMC, Streaming on Netflix)

Much like with Jersey and The Sopranos, is there any other option for New Mexico than Breaking Bad? The series that put both Albuquerque and blue meth on the map (well, one more than the other, since the blue meth was fully fictional – as far as we know), this exceptional series that detailed the rise and fall of Walter White (the great Bryan Cranston, who showed his dramatic chops after a career mostly spent in comedy) aired from 2008-2013 and continued the era of the male anti-hero that began with The Sopranos. Carefully plotted, it also spun-off into one of the all-time great prequel series (and my selection for Nebraska) in Better Call Saul. Darkly moving, complex, always compelling, Vince Gilligan created one of the greatest dramas to ever grace our television screens with Breaking Bad, and in doing so, helped the world to recognize the beauty that is New Mexico.

New York: The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS, Streaming on Peacock)

Far and away, the hardest selection to make was for New York. So many incredible shows have been set in New York City (and the rest of the state) over the course of television history. So, for this choice, I went back into the early years of TV and selected a classic. The Dick Van Dyke Show ran from 1961-1966 and set the bar for what a sitcom could be. Telling the story of Rob Petrie (Van Dyke), a comedy writer for fictional The Alan Brady Show, it followed both Rob’s home life (where he was married to Mary Tyler Moore) and work life (which saw him rubbing elbows with the great Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Richard Deacon, and Carl Reiner, as his co-workers), the series was always hilarious, whip smart, and contained some of the best comedic performances ever on television. Give it a look now and you’ll see that it really holds up. A lot of great comedies came out of this mold – many of which were set in New York – and they all have The Dick Van Dyke Show to thank for their existence.

North Carolina: The Andy Griffith Show (CBS, Streaming on Paramount Plus)

Mayberry, North Carolina was absolutely another character in The Andy Griffith Show, making this series the clear choice for North Carolina on this list. Starring Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor, a widowed sheriff, the 1960-1968 series was and remains a piece of Americana. From Don Knotts’ bumbling Barney Fife to a young Ron Howard playing Andy’s son Opie, the series feels like it comes from an era far earlier than the 1960s. When people think back to the “good old days,” they’re likely channeling the black and white nostalgia of a series like The Andy Griffith Show. The small-town feel of Mayberry and the ability to solve any issue by the end of the episode would be duplicated by numerous sitcoms over the course of television history.

North Dakota: Fargo – Seasons One and Two (FX, Streaming on Hulu)

While the FX series might be named Fargo, it doesn’t all take place in North Dakota, which means only seasons one and two make the cut to be called the best series set in North Dakota – but, in the grand scheme of things, that’s pretty perfect as those are far and away the best two season of the series. Taking its name from the Coen brothers’ film of the same name, it’s an anthology series telling stand alone tales that crib bits and pieces from the Coens’ whole film oeuvre. Whether it’s a cunning villain chasing down as hapless one while a normal cop tries to stop all the madness in season one or two scammers who get mixed up with the local crime syndicate (and aliens?) in season two, the stories are smart, have incredible casts, and some of the best writing this side of an actual Coen brothers’ film. The series has come and gone since 2014, with years going by between some installments. A fifth season will premiere later in 2023, so who knows, maybe it will make the grade and get added to the list of the best TV show set in North Dakota?

Ohio: 3rd Rock from the Sun (NBC, Currently Only Available for Purchase on Streaming)

From 1996-2001, a crew of aliens completed a mission on Earth to learn more about humanity. This absolutely hilarious series (which does still hold up) starred a heck of a cast – John Lithgow, Jane Curtin, Kristin Johnston, French Stewart, and a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt – and was much smarter than the rather simplistic plot suggested. Sure, the series owes a bit of a debt to Mork & Mindy (another series about an alien learning about humanity starring the great Robin Williams in a star-making turn), but 3^rd Rock was a bit rougher around the edges with its humor than the generally docile fun of Mork & Mindy. The Ohio setting worked as a grounding force for the series – the Midwestern-ness of it all made sure that the occasionally off-the-wall antics of the aliens was harder to explain away than it would have been a major city – and it allowed the group to better understand (and the show to explore) how smaller cities still have plenty of erudite folks within them (the series spent a great deal of time at the local college campus).

Oklahoma: Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu, Streaming on Hulu)

A series about Indigenous teens (and the community that surrounds them) in Oklahoma – written, produced, starring, and directed by Indigenous individuals – shouldn’t be such a rarity in the television landscape, but it is. Fortunately, Reservation Dogs is also a flat-out great series, blending comedy and drama to explore how its four central characters feel disaffected following the death of their fifth musketeer prior to the start of the series. Watching each character grieve this loss, grapple with their place in the world as a whole and try to figure out a way to make their shared dream of escaping to California a reality opens our eyes into a world many of us have never encountered previously. But this isn’t a sob story about how rough life can be on the Rez. No, it’s about the spark of joy and life that exists even when you think it’s been blown out. You’ll find yourself falling in love with these prickly but lovable characters and wondering just when you started tearing up at the show’s emotional gut-punches that take you by surprise. It’s final season drops in August.

Oregon: Portlandia (IFC, Streaming on AMC+)

From 2011-2018, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein (and a cavalcade of famous guest stars) put together a sketch comedy series set in hipster-centric Portland, Oregon. While I can’t provide irrefutable proof, I’m willing to bet that some of Portland’s national reputation as a center for the granola-crunching, hippy dippy culture that has pervaded the city for the last 20 years or so came from parts of this series. Of course, we all know the city comes by some of that reputation naturally – it’s not a parody if you aren’t actually parodying something people know to be true – but it certainly exposed Portland and the various cultural elements that make it into a great Western US city to a more mainstream audience. Strange to think of now that Portland is a well-known US city, but back in 2011, what did you really know about the city? Sure, Portlandia was never a massive hit (a lot of that stems from it airing on the niche cable network IFC), but it was a great, smart, funny series that has come to reflect the city (and the state) it was set in.

Pennsylvania: Abbott Elementary (ABC, Streaming on Hulu)

Before you attack in the comments, I almost selected The Office for this entry. Almost. But then I remembered how much the series fell off a cliff after Steve Carrell left the series and I knew I couldn’t pick it over the absolutely delightful – and thus far, cliff-less – Abbott Elementary. Currently airing on ABC, the series follows a group of educators at the titular inner-city Philadelphia school. It’s closest analogue would probably be a Parks and Recreation in that the series depicts both the work and personal lives of the grounded – yet occasionally wacky (Ava, the school’s principal is perhaps one of the greatest sitcom characters of all-time, and Janelle James is sensational bringing her to life) – characters, letting us see how much good they do for the students in their lives (pay teachers more, everyone) and how they interact with each other. There’s, naturally, a central will-they-or-won’t-they relationship that is slow burning its way into our hearts, the older and wiser teacher who mentors without making it obvious, and a focus on just how crucial it is to place the focus on those under-served communities we often overlook. Oh, and it’s incredibly funny as well.

Rhode Island: Family Guy (Fox, Streaming on Hulu)

There are precious few television series set in Rhode Island, but one of the lot is the long-running Fox animated series Family Guy, so it gets the nod in this entry. While the series’ early seasons are now much more problematic than they were when they aired (and rightly so), there are still a bunch of classic bits that stand the test of time (the Stewie “Mom!” sequence remains hilarious and never fails to make me laugh). And the series has certainky been willing to adapt to changing tastes and move beyond tired and offensive stereotypes as everyone has become more aware of the issues with them. Seth McFarlane’s ability to understand changing norms and pivot when needed is impressive, as others in his place might not have been as willing. But with the series set to continue going on for the foreseeable future, it looks like we’ll have plenty more chances to watch the Griffins and their friends navigate life in Rhode Island.

South Carolina: Vice Principals (HBO, Streaming on Max)

Part of the Danny McBride suite of dark comedies on HBO (which includes Eastbound and Down and the currently airing Righteous Gemstones), this series aired from 2016-2017 and was the darker cousin to a series like Abbott Elementary. Following Neal Gamby (McBride), a scheming jerk of a vice principal who attempts – alongside his former-nemesis turned compatriot co-vice principal Lee Russell (Walter Goggins) – to get the newly named school principal, Dr. Belinda Brown (Kimber Hébert Gregory), fired from her role so one of the duo can take over, the series is funny and smart in that it never allows Gamby and Russell’s plot to seem viable. We know they’re poorly suited for the role of principal, so it’s fun to watch them flail and try to “win” even as we know they are ultimately doomed to fail.

South Dakota: Deadwood (HBO, Streaming on Max)

Part of HBO’s run of exceptional early-2000s television programing, Deadwood often gets overlooked in favor of its fellow, more beloved brethren. But, for my money, at its best, it was more moving, more complex, and more beautifully written than all the other HBO prestige dramas of its time. Telling the story of the push for South Dakota’s statehood via the story of the frontier town of Deadwood, the series mixes real historical figures (including Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane, to name two of the more famous ones) with original characters created for the series. What we get, via the gorgeous writing of David Milch, is a microcosm for America as a country, with a true melting pot of people coming together to try and figure out how to govern, live alongside those with vastly different views and backgrounds, and how to deal with varying wants and needs of a host of people stuck trying to build a society together. The series falters a tad in its third season, but the wrap-up film (which came in 2019, thirteen years following the end of the series proper) helped to smooth out those bumps a bit. Still, the final episode of the series – and the brilliant first and second seasons – make this one an all-time great show.

Tennessee: Nashville (ABC, Streaming on Hulu)

Is Nashville, which aired from 2012-2018, a prime-time soap opera? Yes, it absolutely is. But it is the Tennessee entry because first, there aren’t many Tennessee-set shows that aren’t reality shows, and second, it stars the great Connie Britton, so it’s definitely a step above your typical soap. Set in the world of country music (naturally, considering its setting), the series follows a fading country star (Britton) as she encounters a rising younger star (Hayden Panettiere). There’s love triangles, substance abuse, cheating, and singing. And it’s sometimes a glorious mess of a series, but it’s quintessentially about the city it’s set in, which means it absolutely fulfills its spot on this list.

Texas: Friday Night Lights (NBC, Streaming on Peacock)

Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose its spot as Texas’ entry on this list. If Britton’s presence was enough to get Nashville a spot on the list, her combined powers with those of Kyle Chandler mean Friday Night Lights was a lock as Texas’ representative here. Football is a way of life in the Lone Star State, and Friday Night Lights took that basic premise and told complex stories about how that sport’s prominence reverberated to impact the lives of everyone in a Texas town – from QB1 to the kid riding the bench to the coach who came into town with a mandate to turn things around and the family who had to follow him there. But most importantly, the series was about the deep bonds of family, friendship, and how a team, in the best of circumstances, can include both. Football was the bedrock on which the series, which aired from 2006-2011, was built, but it was simply the conduit for telling deep stories that revealed so much more about what it means to be part of a community.

Utah: Big Love (HBO, Streaming on Max)

From 2006-2011, HBO’s Big Love told the story of a polygamist Mormon family living in, you guessed it, Utah. Starring Bill Paxton as the patriarch and Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny, and Gennifer Goodwin as his three very different wives, the series was a success for the network and probably not a show that Utah really appreciated having on the air. After all, the state has worked hard to put its polygamist past behind it and well, that was the whole point of the series. But the show was well-written and incredibly well acted (the cast routinely made the awards show list, with Sevigny taking home a Golden Globe in 2009). And to be honest, there aren’t all that many shows set in Utah, so this was far and away the strongest entry for the state.

Vermont: Newhart (CBS, Streaming on Prime Video)

When it comes to Newhart, there are two things people seem to recall about the series. First, the quirky Vermont town Dick (Bob Newhart) and Joanna Loudon (Mary Frann) move to contains Larry, his brother Darryl, and his other brother Darryl (both of whom never speak until the finale). And second, the aforementioned finale has one of the greatest surprise endings in the history of television: a call-back to Newhart’s previous series, The Bob Newhart Show, that reveals Newhart (which aired from 1982-1990) was just a dream. But what people tend to forget is that the show was also really darn funny. Bob Newhart is, of course, one of our greatest comedic actors of all time, and his presence alone would be enough to elevate a mediocre series to the level of good. But the premise – a fish out of water story – had enough funny baked in to make it really work even when it shouldn’t. And yes, the finale is an all-timer, but the rest of the show was pretty darn great, too.

 Virginia: The Americans (FX, Streaming on Hulu)

When it comes to shows set in Virginia, you pretty much have your pick of any series set at a US government agency that isn’t Congress, The White House, or the Supreme Court. But out of all of those shows, the best is absolutely The Americans, the 2013-2018 drama that followed a duo of Soviet sleeper agents as they tried to complete their missions despite living across the street from an FBI counter terrorism agent. But while the series pulled you in with stories of espionage (and all that it entails in a Hollywood-sense of the term), it turns out The Americans was really about the inner-workings of marriage. What Elisabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) discover about each other – their limits, their wants, their needs, and their hopes for the future – over the course of the series is far more interesting and important than the shockingly high body count the couple rack up over that time. Sure, the series remains perched on a knife’s edge for much of its run – and its finale absolutely sticks the landing in a way few shows manage to do – but we care deeply about these flawed people by the final curtain.

Washington: Twin Peaks (ABC, Streaming on Paramount Plus)

While Grey’s Anatomy has probably become the modern go-to series when you mention Washington state to people, the best series set there is absolutely Twin Peaks, the creepy David Lynch series that set the bar for the various high-concept dramas that would follow it. Without Twin Peaks, there’s no X-Files or Lost. And Washington’s Pacific Northwest ambiance is just as crucial of a character to the series as any of its human (or supernatural) characters. Without those pine trees, that fog, those rocky beaches, the feel of Twin Peaks wouldn’t have been achieved. Posing the question “Who killed Laura Palmer?” and then leading audiences down a trippy path of twists and turns along the way, the series reinvented television for the modern era (it aired from 1990-1991, with a revival third season in 2017 which took place in many other locales beyond Washington). Network TV had never attempted anything like this story, and once it was told, the medium was never the same again.

West Virginia: Hawkins (CBS, Not Currently Available for Streaming)

So, I had never heard of Hawkins prior to looking up shows that were set in West Virginia, but the 1973-1974 series starred Jimmy Stewart, so I figured it had to be the best series set in the state. That, and the other options were all questionably named reality shows. So, Hawkins it is! Maybe West Virginia and Iowa should get together and petition Hollywood for better television representation? Anyway, Hawkins is a story about a big city lawyer who returns home and hangs a shingle, taking local cases. It’s a pretty simple storyline and it didn’t last too long, but again, Jimmy Stewart was involved, playing a quintessential Jimmy Stewart character, so I’m betting it was more interesting than it appears on the outset. Unfortunately, this series isn’t streaming anywhere, so there’s no way to watch it. Again, West Virginia, call your agent.

Wisconsin: Happy Days (ABC, Streaming on Hulu)

When it comes to Wisconsin set shows, a great many of them turn out to be family sitcoms. I guess that says something about how Hollywood sees the state – a great place to raise a quirky family and get into hijinks! So, when it came to selecting one from the masses, the choice was easy: Happy Days (which aired from 1974-1984), the sitcom that gave us the Fonz and catered to America’s nostalgia for the 1950s. While the series would eventually jump the shark (literally, in that the phrase comes from an episode where Fonzie water skis over sharks), it was still a great sitcom in its earlier years. And, like Mary Tyler Moore, a statue of the Fonz exists in Milwaukee, commemorating their most famous fictional son.

Wyoming: The Virginian (NBC, Streaming on Prime Video)

This classic Western, which aired from 1962-1971, has the distinction of being television’s first 90-minute Western series. Also known as The Man from Shiloh, the series was centered on the Virginian, the tough foreman of the Shiloh Ranch. The series dealt with the typical Western tales: ranching, frontier town life, and riding horses. What you saw was what you got, and there wasn’t all that much nuance. But the stories were key frontier-tales about life in the wild west of Wyoming post-Civil War, so that was precisely what you could expect.