10 Great Shows About Fictional Towns

Whether it’s the supernatural history of Mystic Falls or the eccentricity of Quahog, fictional towns have remained as integral keys of world building for a number of cartoons and TV shows. Time and time again fans find themselves enamored not only by the plot line of their favorite series, but by how the cities and/or towns they take place in impact the characters & events that occur.

These settings carry an alluring appeal for the unknown, the mysterious, the magical and most importantly, the unattainable. Existing only in the premise of these infamous TV shows, these fictional towns and their inhabitants have created quite a reputation for their fanbases; placing quite a notoriety on these settings that fans could only wish were real.

10 Teen Wolf (Beacon Hills, California)

On the surface, Beacon Hills as a whole is seemingly the typical California suburban town with historic buildings, beautiful homes and classic activities like a bowling alley and ice skating rink. Brewing in the midst of the picture perfect suburbia is the hellscape that is Beacon Hills High School.

Outside of the hidden details that immensely added to the plot, the Teen Wolf high school essentially serves as one of the main locations for the supernatural activities that occur throughout the series. From kidnappings to endless battles, Beacon Hills High School was nothing like the typical California school (or any for that matter).

9 Family Guy (Quahog, Rhode Island)

From endless banter in The Drunken Clam to the innate hectic nature and makeup of the Griffin household, Family Guy‘s fictional town of Quahog is seemingly one of the best animated places to live for no shortness of oddball neighbors and a lifetime (or at least 20 seasons) of stories.

With an abundance of notable buildings encompassing this fictional Rhode Island town, it would be nothing without its inhabitants – and that mixture of raunchy, problematic and condescending character dynamically tied to locations within the series make the town that much more appealing.

8 Gilmore Girls (Stars Hollow, Connecticut)

Stars Hollow is such an elemental factor to the Gilmore Girls franchise. There’s an energetic, small town charm that is carried here, filling its borders with whole-hearted moments and close-knitted community camaraderie.

Fans can’t help but drool over the towns homey qualities that Lorelai and Rory revel in, its myriad of festivals and events, and the overall appeal of its warmness; making the wish for it to be real tied to a particular attraction for its quaint vibes.

7 Parks and Recreation (Pawnee, Indiana)

Pawnee, Indiana, where “when you’re there, then you’re home.” The unconventional town that hosts the citizens of Parks and Recreation is depicted and narrated by Leslie in such a way that you fall in love with how much everyone in the town cares – it’s sort of an alarming passion. While lots of the characters of peculiar, troublesome, and hilarious (even the forgotten Parks characters), the passion they have for the town speaks volumes.

The little details viewers are allowed to see about Pawnee, like how JJ’s Diner has the best waffles in the world, and the unique personalities of the citizens and how they play a role in the show allows the allure for this hectic and somewhat odd town to build organically throughout the series.

6 The Vampire Diaries (Mystic Falls, Virginia)

The Vampire Diaries existed as one of the most interconnected shows when it came to setting and story line. The very formation of Mystic Falls and its ongoing legacy is consistently tied with the “Founding Families” and all of the main characters that come into play are descendants of those families. Every ounce of storyline that could be tied into the setting was done so, and seamlessly.

From the vampire and witch history, to the entire Salvatore brothers & Katherine/Elena situation, to many burial grounds and locations of death, Mystical Falls held no shortage of supernatural history wrapped into your “typical” Virginia town. While the town and all its supernatural history may be fictional, there are a number of real-life Vampire Diaries filming locations to check out.

5 South Park (Park County, Colorado)

Surviving over 20 seasons is a tall order and maintaining an integral place within pop culture is even harder to do but South Park has risen to the feat. Aside from the crew of misfits wreaking havoc and the consistent slew of essential characters, South Park as a town deserves a medal for all its gone through.

From visits from aliens to surviving volcanoes, there is no filter or boundaries on what can and cannot happen in this fictional Colorado town. It’s that element of surprise in every episode that makes this location super unconventional but works perfectly for the characters living there; their optimism and hope carries them through their daily unexpected events.

4 The Good Place (The Good Place)

The Good Place is a great fictional town because it quickly became much more than just a place to live. While in fact it’s presented as “the after life,” it starts as this ideal version of a post-mortem utopia; making it unique and appealing to even see a setting occurring in posthumous light. This town changed the humans that lived there and served as a new lease on life to the demon who built it.

From its seemingly perfect inhabitants, to the Janets, The Good Place (which is really the bad place in essence) is built and curated to serve as an ideal town after death; until it isn’t. Despite the undertones of cynicism and the overarching plan to make this hell seem like heaven, The Good Place is the perfect town for Eleanor to shake things up and get to the bottom of Micheal’s sinister plot.

3 The Simpsons (Springfield)

The Simpsons‘ Springfield is one of the most iconic fictional towns for its landmarks and flexibility as a setting; earning its spot as a cultural keynote in comedic references and inspirations. In its 33 seasons Springfield has existed as one of the most moldable towns, constantly changing in relation to whatever the character and/or the plot needs.

Aside from the noteworthy internet memes that emerged from plot lines, Springfield creatively allowed its setting to be crucial to its characters. Ranging from the timeless “cops love donuts” cliché depicted by Lard Lad Donuts or the power plant being owned by the ruthless Mr. Burns to show economic disparity, Springfield is one of the best fictional towns for its endless adaptations and landmarks that have co-created the space along with the show’s notable characters.

2 Stranger Things (Hawkins, Indiana)

1980s Hawkins, Indiana has more than meets the eye for the Stranger Things cast. Aside from the dated, wholesome small-town appeal, the “Upside-Down” serving as Hawkins’ alter-ego in a sense is the main attracting factor. The characters of the Stranger Things add an immense appeal to this Indiana town with their adventures, immense displays of bravery, and willingness to be good friends to one another.

Being utilized as an attraction at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights in 2018, Hawkins has lived in the heart of fans while they were physically able to inhabit the town in the attraction from landmarks like the infamous and dangerous woods to the Byers’ house – Hawkins has earned its place as an iconic fictional town to house one of the most famous casts of child actors in the last 5 years.

1 Once Upon A Time (Storybrooke, Maine)

Once Upon A Time‘s Storybrooke is potentially the most significant fictional town bursting at the seams with magical history and possibilities. Although the town is posed as small and quaint, viewers quickly learn the unique backgrounds of all its citizens and are allowed the bliss of seeing endless childhood stories and fairytales coming to life in new lights.

Storybrooke exists as the ideal town for those with a taste for villains, adventure and overall excitement. This hidden gem has all the appeal of a story book and all the passion of the enchanted. Seamlessly tying several timeless tales and lores into this one town makes it the goal destination for fans who prefer to live in their stories.

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