So says Architectural Digest: "The 26 Most Iconic TV Interiors of the Past 100 Years"
A neat trick, since television broadcasting itself hasn't been around for 100 years.
This list is far too heavy on shows from the 1980s and 1990s. Worse, there are some dubious choices, and some glaring omissions:
- the 12th Precinct squadroom and the captain's office from Barney Miller
- Hill Street Station from Hill Street Blues
- the Emergency Department at County General Hospital from ER
- 704 Houser Street from All in the Family
- St. Eligius Hospital from St. Elsewhere
- Jim Phelps's apartment from Mission: Impossible
- Jim Rockford's trailer from The Rockford Files
- The huts from Gilligan's Island
- The Batcave from Batman
That's off the top of my head.
Replies
When I saw The Most Iconic TV Interiors. I thought "That'll be American TV Interiors, won't it?" I wasn't entirely correct, as Architectural Digest's list does include Downton Abbey. But that's it. They even include the US remake of The Office rather than Ricky Gervais's original British series.
A few other interiors from British TV shows that might be thought worthy of inclusion:
I would have included:
Other iconic TV interiors I would include:
* In New York State, the court at the trial level is called "Supreme Court." The highest court in New York State, what most other states call "Supreme Court,"** is called the "New York Court of Appeals."
** In the state of Maryland, the trial level is District Court. Appeals are in the "Court of Special Appeals, and the highest court is called the "Court of Appeals."
I have never watched Friends, and never will, but I have involuntarily learned a lot about the show from the unending stream of stories about it. But I assume the apartment they all hung around in and the coffee shop (which had a punny name I don't remember) would count.
Also, Seinfeld's apartment and his coffee shop would probably count.
* In New York State, the court at the trial level is called "Supreme Court." The highest court in New York State, what most other states call "Supreme Court,"** is called the "New York Court of Appeals."
** In the state of Maryland, the trial level is District Court. Appeals are in the "Court of Special Appeals, and the highest court is called the "Court of Appeals."
In California the local trial court is called Superior Court. Several years ago, the Municipal Courts and Justice Courts (Justice of the Peace), that previously handled lawsuits and misdemeanors, were all converted to Superior Courts.
The coffee shop from Friends is called "Central Perk".
I forgot to add
Captain Comics said:
Those actually are on the Architectural Digest list.
But you know what else isn't on their list?
They don't even have Shedon's and Leonard's apartment, the broken elevator and the staircase from The Big Bang Theory!
How about the Brady home from Brady Bunch?
Or the Cunningham home from Happy Days? There was a diner too, I think.
How about the Kent farm on Smallville? That was recently re-used on Supergirl. Also, the Daily Planet was memorable on Smallville -- so much so that I recognized the elevator on some other show (that I don't remember).
I'm actually working up my own article, because seeing what they did, I know I could have done a better job. I may not know architecture, but I know TV trivia.
Wish me luck.