With “The Bear” getting a slew of Emmy nominations, we asked Sun-Times readers to tell us your favorite TV shows that have been filmed in Chicago. Here’s a sampling of responses, lightly edited for clarity.
“‘Good Times’ because of its enduring relevance, ‘Crime Story’ because of its vibiness, ‘ER’ because it was a juggernaut, ‘South Side’ because it was an unsung wonder.”
— Ayana Contreras
“Favorite is and will always be ‘ER.’ It was a show like no other I ever watched. It had a long-running cast, and the camaraderie oozed from the set into my living room every week. I laughed and cried and many times found myself on the edge of my seat. I would call my sister afterward, and we would talk about what just happened. I remember when the character Mark Green, played by Anthony Edwards, died, I was crying so hard I could not talk to my sister that night.”
— Jamie Sarti
“ ‘Hill Street Blues.’ While they never openly declare it’s in Chicago, it simply can’t be any other city. It’s clear every minute that the show is taking place in Chicago even though only the exteriors were shot in the city.”
— Jim O’Connor
“ ‘Chicago Fire’ and ‘Chicago PD’ because they show off the city so well and actually film in the city.”
— John Cain
“ ‘Studs’ Place.’ I’ve only seen recordings. The unscripted show centered on the characters populating a Chicago greasy spoon and starred the great author and radio host Studs Terkel and Win Stracke, one of the founders of the Old Town School of Folk Music. One of the foundations of what’s known as ‘The Chicago School of Television.’ ”
— David Fell, 66, Old Town
“You have to love ‘The Bear’ and how the city serves as a main character.”
— Ed Reyes
“ ‘The Bear’ and ‘Shameless.’ Both explore the Chicago lifestyle, while many [shows] are set in Chicago, but you wouldn’t know it if they didn’t tell you.”
— Joanne Charron
“ ‘Kukla, Fran and Ollie’ gave Chicagoland Fran Allison. After the show’s 10-year run, Fran continued on television as a local personality.”
— Amy Jackson
“ ‘Married with Children’ It’s the best! Love Al Bundy!”
— Judi Smith
“ ‘Good Times’ or ‘Family Matters.’ You got to see both sides of living in Chicago. You knew it was Chicago because of the landmarks. Cabrini-Green Also Wrigley Field.”
— Mark Anthony Sr., 53, Auburn Gresham
“ ‘Bozo’ because every kid within the radius of picking up WGN wanted to be on ‘Bozo’ and compete on the Bozo buckets. If you think about it, kind of makes sense why we are all so good at beer pong. We have been practicing since we were kids.”
— Adam Weintraub
“ ‘The Chi.’ Beautiful scenes and inclusive of the South Side.”
— Lyn Nett
” ‘The Bob Newhart Show.’ Showed the Mag Mile, Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower in the opening credits. A good representation of professionals working in Chicago offices in the ‘70s.”
— Mary Frances Wilkens, 58, Northwest Side
“I have been working part-time as a background extra for over 25 years in Chicago, starting with the TV show ‘Early Edition’ to ‘Boss,’ ‘The Chicago Code,’ ‘Shameless,’ ‘Chicago Fire,’ ‘Med,’ ‘Justice,’ ‘Chi,’ ‘Power Force.’ The best TV show of all time in Chicago is whatever one I worked on as an extra that week.”
— Frederick Weichmann II