New "Upstate" sitcom based in Syracuse (Montgomery, Fayetteville: crime, tech job)
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A new sitcom to be shot in Syracuse, called "Upstate" is being proposed to networks. Central New York native Tom Seeley, who wrote for "Cheers" and "Newhart" during his twenty years in L.A., says his new comedy pilot "Upstate" will be about a family dealing with old plants closing and new high tech job opportunities. Seeley says it's a storyline the whole country can relate to.
Interesting, maybe it will have the same affect as "the Office" had on Scranton. Seeley says the setting for the show is inspired by the Eastwood neighborhood in Syracuse. "Upstate"will be shot on real locations in Syracuse and around Central New York."
Last edited by urbanplanner; 10-14-2011 at 01:36 PM..
even if people are traveling through Syracuse, they may stop off for a coffee, grab a bit to eat, take some photos of the area, see the sights in the sitcom. According to the report, it is not going to be filmed in front of a studio audiance. Eastwood may benefit the most, it is the inspiration for the show...according to the news clip.
Based on the website for the project and various news coverage, it seems the show is going to focus exclusively on a blue collar theme that will do nothing to improve Syracuse's image. The show will further solidify the stereotype held by some that CNY is a poorly educated, rotting blue collar area with obese people that drive pickup trucks, smoke, drink, and shop at Wal-Mart. The executive producer even compared "Upstate" to the shows "Roseanne" and "All in the Family." While I personally liked "All in the Family", "Roseanne" and its bastard cousin "Grace Under Fire" did not showcase Middle America in a very positive light. Just my humble opinion.
Personally, I would have preferred a show like "The Office" to be set in Syracuse. Having been to Scranton numerous times, I would argue that Scranton is an even more fitting location for a show like "Upstate" as it arguably has a more blue collar flair and a population that has lower educational attainment, health issues, and more cultural flaws than Syracuse.
A mix of blue and white collar characters and the inevitable tension that sometimes exists between the two groups would have been more palatable. Perhaps more dynamicism would be brought to the show if the main character(s) had a wealthy, overachieving brother living in Fayetteville. Something even similiar to the the old sitcom Darma and Greg that involved two sets of inlaws, one from an old money, upper crust background and the other from a counterculture, hippy commune-type upbringing.
On a related note, has anyone watched the CBS crime drama "Unforgettable" with Poppy Montgomery? Syracuse is mentioned during every episode as Carrie Wells (played by Montgomery) is a native of Syracuse. Poppy Montgomery makes Syracuse look pretty hot.
Last edited by RollsRoyce; 10-14-2011 at 03:25 PM..
even if people are traveling through Syracuse, they may stop off for a coffee, grab a bit to eat, take some photos of the area, see the sights in the sitcom. According to the report, it is not going to be filmed in front of a studio audiance. Eastwood may benefit the most, it is the inspiration for the show...according to the news clip.
Just bringing some more visibility to the area and the region would be great, even if it didnt lead to a ton more tourist dollars. In my experience, most people from outside the Northeast only know of Syracuse through SU basketball
A new sitcom with an Upstate background. I would watch it ONLY IF it is good. I won't watch it just because its supposed to be Upstate or Syracuse. As someone else said, it sounds like the "theme" of this new comedy would better fit a city like Scranton. I don't picture people living in Syracuse as exactly heavily beer drinking, driving old pick-up trucks, uncouth, uneducated, uncultured, backward thinking, whose favorite/main shopping store is Walmart. Of course we won't know the actual story-line until we've seen a few episodes. I hope that the writers develop a "theme" that I will enjoy so I can support/watch the show.
Some of the TV shows I'll mention below are NOT ALL COMEDIES but they have elements that could be used in a comedy. Some of these shows have been off the air for years but had successful long runs and popularity.
If the new "Upstate" comedy has elements like some of the following shows, then I think it will be very successful: Retired At 35, Everybody Loves Raymond, Frasier, The Exes-yet to be released in Nov., Spin City, King of Queens, Happily Divorced, 3rd Rock From The Sun, The New Adventures Of Old Christine, Two And A Half Men, Desparate Housewives, Bob Newhart Show, Designing Women, Newhart, Mary Tyler Moore Show, and some others I can't recall right now.
On the other hand, if the new "Upstate" comedy is more like: Roseanne, The Nanny, Dharma and Greg, Sex In The City, Grace Under Fire, some others, I won't be able to grab the remote fast enough to change the channel because those shows for me are like scratching your fingernails across a school-room blackboard.
I'll have to wait to see if the comedy is a hit or a miss.
Eastwood could work, if it involves the economic variation within that neighborhood. I would think that the East Side could work due to the variation in terms of the people, economics, occupations, neighborhoods and educational attainment.
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