The 30+ Best Shows That Take Place In Boston, Ranked By Votes

Some TV cities feel generic. Boston does not. Between its brick townhouses, loud sports fans, and “wicked smaht” energy, the city has become a character in its own right. From cozy sitcom bars to gritty crime stories, a surprising number of series either live in Boston full-time or visit often enough to count as honorary locals.

This ranked guide brings together 30+ of the best shows that take place in Boston, inspired by fan voting on major TV lists and popularity on streaming platforms. You’ll see beloved classics like Cheers, prestige legal dramas, melancholy tearjerkers, and even alien invasions playing out along the Charles River.

Whether you’re planning a Boston-themed binge weekend, writing your own Beantown-inspired script, or just wondering “why are there so many lawyers on TV here?”, this list breaks down what each show does best, how it uses Boston, and who it’s perfect for.

How We Ranked These Boston TV Shows

To keep this list as fair (and fun) as possible, the ranking blends several factors:

• Fan voting and popularity: We looked at audience-ranked lists and user ratings that spotlight TV shows set in Boston or elsewhere in Massachusetts.
• Cultural impact: Did the show define an era, launch major careers, or become a reference point in pop culture?
• Boston-ness: Does the series use real neighborhoods, accents, sports rivalries, universities, or local history in a meaningful way, instead of just dropping a skyline shot in the intro?
• Rewatch value: Is it still entertaining in 2025, or does it feel like a museum exhibit with shoulder pads?

The top of the list is heavily influenced by fan votes and long-term popularity, while the lower ranks give some love to cult favorites and short-lived gems that still capture something real about Boston.

The 30+ Best Shows That Take Place in Boston (Ranked)

Let’s head to the bar, the courthouse, the morgue, and occasionally outer space. Here are 30+ of the best Boston-set TV shows, ranked by a mix of fan love and cultural staying power.

1. Cheers (1982–1993)

   If you only watch one Boston show, make it Cheers. Set in a basement bar where “everybody knows your name,” this classic sitcom defines the warm, chaotic, bartender-knows-your-business vibe Bostonians are secretly proud of. The series mixes sharp one-liners with surprisingly heartfelt stories about found family, heartbreak, and the weird comfort of sitting in the same bar stool for 11 years.

   Boston factor: The bar is modeled on the real Beacon Hill pub now branded as “Cheers,” and the city’s sports obsession is baked into Sam Malone’s backstory as a former Red Sox pitcher. It’s cozy, funny, and endlessly rewatchable.

2. Boston Legal (2004–2008)

   A spin-off of The Practice, Boston Legal is what happens when you take a heavyweight legal drama and spike it with absurdist humor and cigar-fueled balcony monologues. James Spader’s Alan Shore and William Shatner’s Denny Crane are chaotic good personified, arguing outrageous cases that touch on politics, ethics, and the insanity of modern life.

   Boston factor: The series leans into high-powered downtown law firm culture and the city’s reputation for liberal politics, old money, and big personalities. Think: serious issues, silly delivery, excellent suits.

3. The Practice (1997–2004)

   Before Boston Legal joked its way through court, The Practice gave Boston one of TV’s darkest, most ethically complicated legal dramas. Following a small defense firm in the city, it tackles tough cases about crime, justice, and what happens when defending people you might personally loathe becomes your job.

   Boston factor: It leans into urban crime, wealth gaps, and the moral gray zones of big-city law. If you like courtroom battles that feel ripped from headlines, this is your jam.

4. Ally McBeal (1997–2002)

   Set in a fictional Boston law firm that’s part workplace, part romantic funhouse, Ally McBeal is equal parts quirky comedy and melodrama. The show is famous for surreal visuals (hello, dancing baby), an iconic soundtrack, and a lead character who spends as much time inside her own anxious imagination as in the courtroom.

   Boston factor: While filmed largely in LA, the series still uses Boston as shorthand for brainy, high-achieving professionals who are secretly a mess. It’s very late-’90s in the best possible way.

5. Rizzoli & Isles (2010–2016)

   A tough Boston detective and a refined medical examiner team up to solve crimes while bickering like sisters. Rizzoli & Isles rides on chemistry between its leads, blending procedural crime-of-the-week plots with stories about family loyalty, trauma, and friendship.

   Boston factor: The show uses Boston PD, local neighborhoods, and the city’s working-class roots to ground what could have been a generic cop drama.

6. St. Elsewhere (1982–1988)

   Long before prestige medical dramas were cool, St. Elsewhere turned a fictional Boston hospital into a pressure cooker of ethical dilemmas, heartbreak, and dark humor. It pushed boundaries with serialized storytelling and helped launch the careers of stars like Denzel Washington.

   Boston factor: The show channels the feel of an underfunded urban hospital serving a complicated cityraw, messy, and very human.

7. Spenser: For Hire (1985–1988)

   Based on Robert B. Parker’s novels, Spenser: For Hire follows a wisecracking private investigator navigating Boston’s rougher edges. It’s pure ‘80s crime TV: trench coats, shady docks, and a hero who quotes literature between punches.

   Boston factor: Filmed extensively on location, it’s a time capsule of the city’s streets, waterfront, and blue-collar neighborhoods in the ‘80s.

8. Crossing Jordan (2001–2007)

   Crossing Jordan mixes forensic science with complicated personal histories. Medical examiner Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh solves deaths while trying to untangle her own family trauma. The show balances case-of-the-week plots with ongoing emotional arcs and a strong ensemble cast.

   Boston factor: Set in the Boston medical examiner’s office, the series gives you morgue-side views of crime in the city plus glimpses of local institutions and politics.

9. Boston Public (2000–2004)

   If you’ve ever wondered what teaching in a big-city public school is really like (and then turned the drama up to 11), Boston Public is your answer. The series follows teachers and students at a fictional high school as they battle bureaucracy, burnout, and real-life issues like racism, violence, and inequity.

   Boston factor: It taps into the city’s reputation for education while highlighting the huge divides between glossy university brochures and underfunded public schools.

10. A Million Little Things (2018–2023)

    Set around a group of Boston friends blindsided by tragedy, A Million Little Things is a modern tearjerker that explores grief, mental health, infidelity, and second chances. It feels like a cousin to This Is Us, with slightly more Bruins merch.

    Boston factor: Characters meet up at local rinks, bars, and condos; sports fandom and city life are woven into the relationships, not just used as wallpaper.

11. The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005–2008)

    Yes, a Disney Channel sitcom made the cut. The Suite Life of Zack & Cody is technically set in a luxury Boston hotel where twin brothers turn chaos into an art form. It’s goofy, kid-focused, and surprisingly influential for millennials who grew up on it.

    Boston factor: The show leans more on hotel hijinks than city-specific storytelling, but Boston gives it an upscale urban backdrop (and at least a little New England personality).

12. Falling Skies (2011–2015)

    What if an alien invasion hit Bostonand the history professor stepped up? In Falling Skies, Noah Wyle plays a former academic leading a resistance movement after extraterrestrials devastate the planet. The series mixes sci-fi action with family drama and moral dilemmas about survival.

    Boston factor: The early seasons lean heavily on the idea of Boston as a birthplace of revolution, reimagining the city as a battleground against alien occupation.

13. Fringe (2008–2013)

    While Fringe travels through parallel universes and shadowy government conspiracies, much of the early show is anchored in and around Boston and Harvard. The “Fringe Division” investigates bizarre phenomena ranging from body-melting pathogens to time slips.

    Boston factor: Labs, campuses, and old brick buildings underscore the city’s reputation for science and academiabasically, “what if we weaponized that weird research project down in the basement?”

14. City on a Hill (2019–2022)

    Set in 1990s Boston, City on a Hill dives into corruption, racism, and organized crime through the uneasy partnership of a crooked FBI agent and an idealistic assistant district attorney. It’s gritty, morally messy, and inspired by real-life crime cases.

    Boston factor: This show is drenched in Boston historyespecially the city’s struggles with policing, busing, and neighborhood tensions.

15. Two Guys and a Girl (1998–2001)

    Before Ryan Reynolds was Deadpool, he was one of the “guys” in Two Guys and a Girl, a sitcom about post-college life in Boston. The show follows three friends juggling bad jobs, weird neighbors, and messy relationships with a lot of snappy dialogue and late-’90s energy.

    Boston factor: It uses the city as a backdrop for young-adult confusionthink shared apartments, local hangouts, and that feeling of being broke in a very expensive town.

16. Boston Common (1996–1997)

    A short-lived but charming sitcom, Boston Common centers on a Southern guy who escorts his younger sister to a Boston college, then sticks around campus himself. It plays up fish-out-of-water humor as he collides with northeastern attitudes and academia.

17. Goodnight, Beantown (1983–1984)

    Goodnight, Beantown is a newsroom sitcom about dueling Boston TV anchors forced to share the same desk and time slot. Think early “enemies-to-colleagues” dynamic, with plenty of local flavor from the city’s media world.

18. Banacek (1972–1974)

    In Banacek, a suave Boston-based insurance investigator solves “impossible” theftsmissing racehorses, vanished sculptures, you name it. It’s very ‘70s: stylish coats, clever mysteries, and lots of brash confidence.

19. Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers (1974–1975)

    This cult-favorite sitcom follows a shy symphony musician navigating dating and friendships in Boston. It’s low-key, very ‘70s, and a fun deep cut if you like vintage comedy and city life stories.

20. The Paper Chase (1978–1986)

    Set at a fictionalized version of Harvard Law School, The Paper Chase explores the intense pressures of legal education. A demanding professor, anxiety-ridden students, and cutthroat competition make this a time capsule of Boston’s elite academic world.

21. The Young Lawyers (1970–1971)

    The Young Lawyers tracks ambitious law students working at a Boston legal clinic, taking on social-justice cases and moral dilemmas. It’s one of the earlier shows to use Boston as a backdrop for idealism and activism.

22. Tru Calling (2003–2005)

    In supernatural drama Tru Calling, a Boston morgue worker (played by Eliza Dushku) relives days to prevent deaths after corpses literally ask her for help. It’s a genre mash-up of crime procedural, sci-fi, and character study.

23. Being Human (US) (2011–2014)

    A vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost share a house in Boston and try to live like normal young adults. Being Human uses supernatural metaphors to talk about addiction, trauma, and chosen family, framed by the city’s college-town feel.

24. Salem (2014–2017)

    While set in 17th-century Salem rather than modern Boston, Salem is a stylized horror-drama that reimagines the infamous witch trials with real magic, political scheming, and gothic atmosphere. It taps into the region’s dark colonial history.

25. Dawson’s Creek (1998–2003) – Later Seasons

    The early years of Dawson’s Creek take place in fictional Capeside, but later seasons follow the characters into Boston colleges, apartments, and jobs. Those arcs show a more urban New England lifemessy roommates, internships, and all.

26. Leverage (2008–2012) – Boston Era

    For part of its run, Leverage is set in Boston, with a crew of modern Robin Hoods pulling heists on corrupt corporations. The city gives them plenty of powerful targets, from finance to tech to real estate.

27. October Road (2007–2008)

    In October Road, a successful author returns to his fictional Massachusetts hometown after writing a thinly veiled book about it. While not strictly Boston-proper, it captures the push-and-pull between small-town life, nearby Boston, and dreams of leaving.

28. Clipped (2015)

    Clipped is a short-lived sitcom set in a South End barbershop where former high school classmates now work together. The show leans on workplace banter, old grudges, and the kind of neighborhood feel you only get in tight Boston communities.

29. Do Over (2002)

    In time-travel dramedy Do Over, a 34-year-old man wakes up in his 14-year-old body and gets another shot at his ‘80s adolescence. While the Boston connection is lighter, it still taps into the region’s suburban life and nostalgia.

How to Choose the Right Boston-Set Show for Your Mood

With 30+ options, you don’t have to watch them in order. A few quick starting points:

• Want laughs and comfort? Start with Cheers, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, or Two Guys and a Girl.
• Craving courtroom fireworks? Dive into The Practice, Boston Legal, or The Paper Chase.
• Love crime and mystery? Try Rizzoli & Isles, Spenser: For Hire, City on a Hill, or Crossing Jordan.
• In the mood for sci-fi or supernatural? Go for Fringe, Falling Skies, Being Human, or Tru Calling.
• Want to ugly-cry? A Million Little Things will happily destroy your mascara in a very therapeutic way.

Experiences: What It’s Really Like to Binge Boston-Set Shows

Binging shows that take place in Boston is more than just a geography exerciseit’s a whole mood. After a few episodes, you start recognizing patterns: people yell at each other but still show up when it counts, friendships form in bars and diners, and almost every character owns at least one piece of sports apparel. Even if you’ve never been to Massachusetts, you’ll start to feel like you could navigate the T on your own.

One of the most satisfying experiences is watching how differently Boston appears from show to show. In Cheers, the city feels like a small town hidden under street level, where the outside world only exists as stories people bring back to the bar. Switch over to City on a Hill and suddenly Boston is tough, divided, and simmering with historical tensions. Then you jump to Fringe or Falling Skies, and the same skyline becomes a backdrop for conspiracy boards and alien invasions. It’s like the city is trying on different genres the way the rest of us try on outfits.

If you’re watching with friends, Boston shows are perfect for “spot the landmark” or “count the accents” games. Someone will always swear that a certain character’s accent is “too New York” or “too TV,” while another insists, “No, I know a guy who sounds exactly like that.” Shows like Spenser: For Hire and Rizzoli & Isles often use real locations, so locals can call out where a scene was actually shot, while non-locals just enjoy the brick-and-brownstone aesthetics.

There’s also a strangely comforting overlap between the fictional world and the real one. After you’ve seen Cheers, visiting the real Beacon Hill bar becomes a fandom pilgrimage. Fans of A Million Little Things or City on a Hill might wander neighborhoods thinking, “This is where that scene could’ve happened.” The city starts to feel layered: one level is the real history, and another is the TV mythology stacked on top of it.

From a storytelling perspective, bingeing Boston-set shows is a crash course in how one city can anchor wildly different tones. Writers use Boston’s universities to justify geniuses, its old-money neighborhoods to explain power and privilege, and its working-class roots to ground blue-collar heroes. Watching several of these series in a row, you start to notice recurring archetypesthe brooding cop, the idealistic young lawyer, the lovable barfly, the brilliant but socially awkward scientistand how each show tweaks them just enough to feel fresh.

Finally, there’s a personal experience many viewers share: Boston shows can make you nostalgic for a place you’ve never lived. Maybe it’s the brick sidewalks, the idea of “your” neighborhood bar, or the comfort of seeing characters debate life over a plate of something fried. Even when the plots get heavymurders, court cases, alien attacksthere’s often a sense that community still matters. For a lot of viewers, that’s the real draw: not just the skyline, but the sense that in this city, you might actually find your people.