A few months ago, I introduced a few television shows that take place in New York City and how accurate they are; some of them were completely unrealistic (think, “Friends”) while some of them were a bit accurate when it came to life in the Big Apple (even “Seinfeld” was pretty accurate). I wanted to write this post about shows that currently film in New York City—you might have walked past during one or two of these before while they’re filming actually! They’ll typically close down a road, and you’ll see trailers up and down the streets for wardrobe, props, and even catering. Most times they’ll post what they’re filming and what days on the street’s telephone poles. This is enough for me to get excited about it—I’ll poke my head up and see if I can see any of my favorite actors! Taking a note of the following shows that shoot in New York City will not only get you interested in these programs, but you’ll easily pick up enough English (and New York City) lingo to help your learning process.
- Blue Bloods, CBS
This show has been on since 2010 and has made quite a name for itself in the police procedural drama realm. It takes place in New York City, so you’ll see them quite a bit all over the city streets in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan—specifically in the East Village. This is a great way to get familiar with not only police work in New York City, but it will help you practice your English, especially your conversational phrases. Since most of the actors speak quickly and frequently with each other, their English is often clumped together, so it’ll help you get used to the speed of speaking English.
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, NBC
This specific franchise has been around for almost 20 years now, so the show has evolved quite a bit over time. Focusing on legal and crime procedures in New York City, the program focuses on special cases and how the legal and police authorities work their way through each one. The show is shot in all five boroughs, so chances are pretty high that you might run into a taping or two during your time in the Big Apple. Some of the language in this show might be tricky with legal and police jargon, but it’s still great for learning conversational terms and watch how certain professionals conduct themselves.
- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Netflix
This is actually one of my favorite shows, and I was so excited when I learned that it was shot in New York City. The show is about a young woman that comes to the city for a fresh start, but she’s a bit behind the times, so she has to learn new fashion, new slang terms, and how to take care of herself as she also learns about living in the city. If you are new to the English language, this is also a great show to watch since you’re watching the lead character adapt to New York City but also adapt to a brand new language all over again.
- Jessica Jones, Netflix
If you’re into superhero plots, this is a great one for you to enjoy. The main character opens up her own detective agency and follows her and her fellow agents as they adapt to this new business structure. You might also like this since it’s filmed in New York City. The show does its best to not necessarily name their town as New York City, but sometimes it’s hard to miss that it is indeed the Big Apple. If you’re familiar with Hell’s Kitchen, you might recognize some of the sights and architecture pieces in certain scenes. Even though there is a bit of a supernatural element in this show, it’s still a great way to learn some new English phrases while you’re still getting to know New York City.
Learning English during your time in New York City doesn’t necessarily have to be tedious—all you need to do is catch a few episodes of this show, and you’ll start looking for familiar scenery from the city and picking up on common English phrases and maybe even picking up some new slang!