Miami Pop Cultural Geography, or How TV puts things on MY map!

As a little ongoing project, I have decided to spend a couple of posts thinking of the different places TV has put on my imaginary global (but mostly North American) map. We'll do the big ones first (NYC, Miami, LA, Chicago, San Fran, etc) but I also want to add smaller (and/or imaginary) places that I wouldn't have even cared for, if it hadn't been for people like Rory (Stars Hollow, CN), Dawson (Capeside, MA), and Buffy (Sunnydale, CA).

Last time we looked at NYC. This time, we're going South to the capital of Latin Americ... I mean, Florida.

MIAMI
- This is the city of Vice (and pastel suits).
- It houses a steamy serial killer, a pair of sizzling plastic surgeons and a sassy set of Golden Girls.
- Just like NYC, Miami seems to attract cops: here's where David Caruso looks cool in sunglasses as he CSI's, where Carla Gugino deluded herself into thinking she was J-Lo... er Karen Sisco I mean, and where Jeffrey Donovan burns notices.
- C'mon! It's the home of several variety shows: Sabado Gigante and Despierta America for the Latinos and Good Morning Miami for the fictional white viewers of that guilty-pleasure prone sitcom.
- And while we're spotlighting the Latino-centered shows in Miami, we have to remember South Beach is where the Latina Charmed ones lived.
- It's where Hogan knows best... apparently, and where Eve got an eponymous sitcom (who knew?!)
- I probably shouldn't be revealing this, but my favourite Miami TV Show (that I actually hadn't thought about in years and years) is Silk Stalkings. Anyone remember that? Good times.
- And, of course it's where Flipper swims around!
- While we're plotting the greater Miami area, let's expand a bit and add in Orlando (for all those crazy sitcom Disney arcs!) and Boca Raton (for all the NYC sitcoms we cited last time and the elderly parental couples who live there):

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Ah yes. Sunny Miami - not as impressive as NYC, but it did give us Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia; that adorable dolphin and rolled-up pastel sleeves. And if that wasn't enough, Miami-set shows are always good for some gratuitous male nudity (see: Nip/Tuck).

And now, let's put s'more pins on that map:

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NYC Pop Cultural Geography, or How TV puts things on MY map!

As a little ongoing project, I have decided to spend a couple of posts thinking of the different places TV has put on my imaginary global (but mostly North American) map. We'll do the big ones first (NYC, Miami, LA, Chicago, San Fran, etc) but I also want to add smaller (and/or imaginary) places that I wouldn't have even cared for, if it hadn't been for people like Rory (Stars Hollow, CN), Dawson (Capeside, MA), and Buffy (Sunnydale, CA).

But first (and because I live close to it):


NEW YORK CITY
- This is the "City" in 'Spin City,' 'Caroline in the City' and 'Sex and the City'
- It has housed a blond witch, a Big Bird, some cool turtles, a sewage inhabiting Beast, a girl who talks to dead people and flashes back in time, animated gargoyles and lately some overhyped 'heroes.'
- It has produced iconic places that I wish I could hang out at like 'Central Perk,' 'Monk's Cafe,' 'Riff's,' & 'McClaren's.' Oh. And of course 'Central Park West.'
- This is where Betty, Felicity, Lucy, Carrie and Jerry live!
- This is where Will lived with Grace, where Ted met the 'Mother,' where Ross and Rachel were not on a break, where Jamie met Paul, where the Cosbys were a family, where the Wayans were brothers, where Veronica had her closet and where I just wanted to shoot David Spade.
- This is where Tina Fey, Lucille Ball, Felicity Huffman, Amanda Bynes, Dick Van Dyke and Fran Drescher comedically shined.
- This is where CSI, Law & Order, Without a Trace, Thirdwatch, etc. get their kicks.
- And of course all boros are accounted for: there's a King in Queens, someone's Grounded for Life in Staten Island, a certain Becker lived in the Bronx, a couple of Honeymooners in Brooklyn and of course an Apprentice in Manhattan.

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I could keep going but it should be no surprise to anyone why NYC is one of the most famous city in the world: it's a blank canvas where you can paint any story you want: what other city can say they house Samantha Jones as well as Spiderman, 'That Girl' and 'The Odd Couple,' a Real World season as well as SNL...?

And now, we put the first pin in the map - New York City:


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[Wikipedia article]