Life, Art and Old TV Shows in Southern California
I grew up in Southern California but not in the Los Angeles area so when I watched shows on tv that were filmed in and around LA I had a similar experience to those in other areas of the country that were watching the same shows. I had no idea what part of Los Angeles they were using to film in and I bought any LA street that they wanted to double for some other part of the country or the world.
On occasional trips to LA as a kid I did occasionally get a glimpse of things. I remember being excited to see an LAPD car with the same kind of lights as the ones on Adam-12 (yes, big thrill, right?). I remember seeing a hospital in Los Angeles and asking my dad if that was Rampart Hospital from Emergency. (It wasn’t).
However, after college I ended up moving to Los Angeles and after spending a number of years here I got familiar with a lot of the city. Now when I watch the old TV shows I see a lot of recognizable places. It may not be exciting to you, but it brings a smile to my face.
I live in the Burbank area now and our town includes a couple big movie studios and Universal is just a stone’s throw away so of course a lot of the Universal tv shows used Burbank for filming locations. I’ve seen several Burbank locations used in episodes of the Rockford Files including DeBell golf course, the Castaway Restaurant (both in the hills overlooking Burbank) and one Burbank Street where Rockford zooms past La Paz Liquors. All of these places still exist. For me it’s kind of like going back in time and reliving great childhood memories.
Mulholland Drive, which runs along the top of the Hollywood Hills is also a familiar sight in COUNTLESS shows. Once you drive it you’ll never think it’s actually some foreign country.
The Colorado Street bridge in Pasadena (about 20 minutes away from my home) has been used many times. I remember seeing it in an episode of Mission Impossible. The Pasadena City Hall doubled for Gotham City’s hall on Batman.
For me, as an old tv show junkie this is heaven. I’ve been able to play on the DeBell course and then see it on Rockford or Barnaby Jones. Maybe it’s not exciting or maybe I’m a bit of tv geek, but like I said it brings a smile to my face, just like the old tv shows I watch.
