If you’re like me, every night you’re stuck with the same question. ‘What should we watch?” It seems that even though I have 10 lifetimes worth of content at my fingertips, and endless tv shows,  I can never really choose. So how about streaming something local. Something based in Florida. Something that while you’re watching you may recognize where they are. When we were down in the Florida Keys around Islamorada, I recognized an area from the show ‘Bloodline’. The show ‘Killing It’ clearly looks like some of those access roads in the Everglades. There’s been countless times I recognized spots from Miami in shows. What about Fort Myers and Southwest Florida?

IMDB lists 114 titles that list Fort Myers as a filming location. Most of those are movies, the tv shows on there I didn’t see any that I’d recommend. Naples had 89 titles listed. Again, no tv shows that I’d watch.  But this isn’t about movies.  I want to binge a series with a Florida flair.

I was inspired by Ranker, but then, of course, went on my own course. So we’ll talk a little bit about each show, maybe a clip, see what interests us. Yes, a lot of these are Miami based. But not all. There’s some Tampa, Florida Keys, and some fictional places that look a lot like places we know. Cougar Town was clearly Sarasota. So if you’re not sure what to watch tonight, here are the best tv shows that are based in Florida.

• Golden Girls

  The “Miami home” in the show is actually in Los Angeles. The show does list Orlando as a filming location, but I remember most of the show being inside.

• Burn Notice

  Shot in and around Miami. The main set was in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood.

• Dexter

  The first season was shot in Miami, then they switched filming to LA. The residence of Dexter is the real life Bay Harbor Club condos, located at 1155 103rd Street, out on Bay Harbor Island, in Miami Beach, Florida. 

• Florida Man

  This is a new series on Netflix. Although based around a man returning to his home in Florida, most of the show was shot in Wilmington, North Carolina. The only shots of Florida appear to be ‘stock footage’. Still, not a bad show.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juyodtul_7s

• Miami Vice

  Fun story here. A lot of Miami Vice crime occurs around South Beach. At the time, that was a high crime area. Love this scene.

• CSI: Miami

  Most of this show was shot in California. Long Beach and Redondo Beach. It was actually shot at the same studio as “The OC”.

• I Dream of Jeannie

  The setting was Cocoa Beach, but it was shot in California. One commenter stated, “Barbara Eden was, and always will be, a Goddess”. Check it out in the first episode, within 2 minutes they get right to the point of the show.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q712oNfpYiQ

• Bloodline

  This series was shot 6 years ago, mostly in Islamorada. If you make a trip through the Keys you can stop and see many of the locations used. The house in the show is the real life Moorings Village & Spa.

• The Finder

  Sticking with the Florida Keys theme. The Finder was a spin off of the show Bones, but only lasted one season. The show was based around a bar in Key West, which was filmed in California but there were scenes shot here.

   

• Nip/Tuck

  Amazing show. Seasons 1-4 were shot in Miami. Seasons 5 and 6 were LA based and frankly, not as good.

• On Becoming a God in Central Florida

  This one is about 4 years old, and not bad. It’s based around a small town near Orlando, but was actually shot in New Orleans.

• Fresh Off the Boat

  Set in Orlando, but filmed in Los Angeles. The outside shots were Venice Beach.

• Flipper

  Miami, specifically the Miami Seaquarium. It’s really a cool look at 1964 Miami.

• Cougar Town

  This Courteney Cox lead series was based around Sarasota. The called it “Gulf Haven”, but it was Sarasota. Filming took place on the Miami Street backlot located at the Culver Studios in Culver City, California. It’s kinda funny.

   

• Jane the Virgin

  It was set in Miami, but only establishing shots of the city were used. The filming was Los Angeles.

• Empty Nest

  True story – I had a picture of the Empty Nest cast in my house. Hanging in the living room. When someone made an offer to buy the house they wrote it in the contract that they wanted the picture. The show was based in Miami but was shot in LA.  The grass at the beginning should have given that away. No one in Miami has grass like that.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0-5hTKk1Fs

• Killing It

  In a great lie, this show was actually shot in New Orleans. They were probably afraid of the REAL Everglades.

   

• Second Noah

  I’ve never seen this show, but it was filmed in Tampa. Lots of local mentions. The mom works at Tampa’s Busch Gardens. The dad coached at the University of Tampa. The older kids attend Plant High School and go to Ybor City for fun.

• That should get you started.

  There’s a lot more on Ranker, but it’s a lot of shows that I’ve never heard of, or shows that only lasted a year (or less). Shout out to the tv show Eve. Not a bad show, but I don’t think it’s streaming anywhere.

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