The Mentalist (Sacramento, West Sacramento, Wilton: crimes, how much, campers)

[ndfmnlf]

I avidly watch this show. Its lead character has this quirky psychobabbly way of solving crimes. Also realized the show's setting is Sacramento. That's quite a departure from the routine in TV shows where they set the stories in LA, SF, NY, or Chicago....as if other American cities don't exist.

[wburg]

The show is set there, but I think only one episode was actually shot here. That episode created a non-existent "rooftop cafe" across the river in West Sacramento, atop a building popularly known as the "Ziggurat." It allowed a dramatic shot of Sacramento's not-particularly-dramatic skyline. It isn't the first show set in Sacramento--the 1970s sitcom "Eight is Enough" was also set here, but, like "The Mentalist," shot mostly in southern California.

[ndfmnlf]

Originally Posted by wburg

The show is set there, but I think only one episode was actually shot here. That episode created a non-existent "rooftop cafe" across the river in West Sacramento, atop a building popularly known as the "Ziggurat." It allowed a dramatic shot of Sacramento's not-particularly-dramatic skyline. It isn't the first show set in Sacramento--the 1970s sitcom "Eight is Enough" was also set here, but, like "The Mentalist," shot mostly in southern California.

The last 2 or 3 episodes I saw had scenes of the Capitol building as well. Of course, these images could all have been spliced together during editing.

[wburg]

Actually, I take it back--I was walking by the Capitol this evening and there were a row of tractor-trailers and campers of the sort used for movie production, one of which had a "The Mentalist" tag in the window, so I assume they're back in town doing more on-location shooting, and may well have done more through the past season.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by ndfmnlf

I avidly watch this show. Its lead character has this quirky psychobabbly way of solving crimes. Also realized the show's setting is Sacramento. That's quite a departure from the routine in TV shows where they set the stories in LA, SF, NY, or Chicago....as if other American cities don't exist.

Not to leave out Washington, DC and Miami!

Ya mean there really ARE other cities in Uhmerica?

[Marsh511]

As a fan of the show "The Mentalist" with Simon Baker and also a new resident of the Sacto area, I was just wondering how much of the show is shot on location in this area. That office building (of the "CBI" headquarters) looks a little bit like the buildings in the area of the RR museum, but not quite. Is that the exterior of a real Sacramento building? Would love to find out where they've done some on-location filming...

[BeauCharles]

I've seen a few downtown/skyline shots filmed from one of the newer buildings adjacent to Old Sac, a river scene and I know there has been at least one State Capitol grounds filming. As with most series "set" somewhere the majority of exteriors shots are in Southern California and passed off as the other location.

[wburg]

I am pretty sure the "CBI" location is not in Sacramento. BeauCharles pretty much summed it up: they faked a "rooftop dining" restaurant across the river from Old Sac in West Sacramento, using an upper floor of the "Ziggurat" building, and I ran into a bunch of location-shoot trucks (mobile dressing rooms etc.) in front of the Capitol on 11th and L a year or so ago. Like other shows set in Sacramento, very little filming is done here.

[Mr. Ozo]

I LOL'd when they showed what was supposed to be Wilton. It was a mountainous desert oviously in So Cl.

[NinaN]

It is funny how movie studios do that. Years ago there was a show supposedly shot in Houston. They always showed the stars riding out of the mountains on horseback right into Houston. I think the closest mountain range to Houston is about 300 miles. Surely the people shooting the show never have been to Texas!