Television in Atlanta
Atlanta is the up and coming spot for more than just its Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. The ATL is a diverse hub of arts, culture, and history, with its production scene particularly on the rise. We’ve written before about the incredible films being made and set in our backyard, but it doesn’t stop there! There are an abundance of television shows that you might be surprised to learn are set in Atlanta and the wider Georgia area. Thanks to the new streaming culture, TV is more popular than ever and many directors, producers, and writers are looking for a piece of this peach pie.
Known as the Black Mecca, Atlanta is fortunate enough to host Tyler Perry Studios, one of the stops on our Atlanta Black History & Civil Rights Tours. Perry has been elevating Black artists and stories in Atlanta for decades. His infamous show “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” ran for 254 episodes from 2006-2012 – the most of any television series with a predominantly Black cast. This was more than “The Jeffersons”, “Family Matters”, and even “The Cosby Show”. It also picked up a spin-off series with the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2016, and another season is expected next year.
Paving the way for a wealth of Black-centered stories, Atlanta has hosted many other series, including Donald Glover’s HBO-hit “Atlanta”, which highlights the struggles associated with the race divide present both in Atlanta and the U.S. If you’re interested in learning more about the history and story behind the modern Black civil rights movement, check out our tours or customize your own. Glover actually grew up near Stone Mountain, a beautiful attraction just outside of Atlanta where we run private tours. Other shows also include “Greenleaf”, “Being Mary Jane”, and “Dynasty”.
Even before binge-watching, Atlanta had been the backdrop of a ton of television. “The Walking Dead” was a sensation, bringing life to a historic Georgian town that was on the verge of vanishing. But earlier audiences would remember “Matlock” fondly, the mystery legal drama from the 1990s. Other noteworthy works keeping us glued to our screens are “The Vampire Diaries”, “Brockmire” starring “The Simpsons” Hank Azaria, “Watchmen”, and the “MacGyver” recreation. For our streaming fans, look no further than Netflix’s smash, “Stranger Things”, which used the midwest charm of Georgia to get viewers to time travel back to the 80s. Another surprising one is “Ozark”, although set in the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri the show is predominantly shot in Georgia. The Peach State provides many diverse backdrops, and it is a destination rich with sights for visitors and cameras alike.
Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten those reality favorites! Some obvious contenders on the Atlanta production scene include “Little Women: Atlanta”, “Love and Hip Hop Atlanta”, and “Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta”. The revamped “Queer Eye” is also filmed in and around Atlanta, bringing everyday people and their stories to life through makeovers of the body and mind. But most importantly, “The Real Housewives of Atlanta”, which has been running for 12 seasons with no hints at stopping. The third installment of the franchise quickly became the most successful, as well as the most-watched series on Bravo. It has led to five separate spin-off shows and although considered “Trashionistas” or, “A time capsule of the Bling Decade,” the show’s success cannot be denied. Some put its success down to its showcasing of wealthy Black Americans, previously unseen on reality TV.
If anything can be taken from the success of shows set in Atlanta and Georgia, it is that audiences are looking for diversity on their screens. Atlanta sets the stage with a variety of unique locations, people, and stories. Discover the city for yourself on our city tours or on a driving tour. We’re proud as peaches of the city we call home and love showing it off to both travelers and locals alike. Keep us in mind on your next trip to the South, we also provide a range of transport options as diverse as Atlanta’s television shows, with an airport transportation service as well! See you soon.