It seems that way !

I don't think there are more set in New York than in all other locations combined, but I think there are more set in New York than in any other single location.

It seems that way now, but L.A. might have used to be on top.

When were you thinking this was? The 70s?

Yeah - pretty much.

seems almost every new show I've watched lately has been in San Francisco...

Here's a fun thread I put together last year about show locales.

It seems that any show where someone needs to take a taxi is set in NY...note sure of the percentage, but I agree, it sure seems that way.

Boston has had a bunch...

As my 8 y/o says "Vegas AGAIN?"

It seems like most procedurals take place in either New York or Los Angeles with an occasional Washington DC appearance. With the exception of Law and Order, most of the shows set in the East Coast are all shot in Los Angeles.

Loads out of London right?

Probably, to it's credit, I'd rather see shows set in New York than LA.

Top 20 Programs last week, discounting reality TV/sports:

3. House (Sunday), Fox, 29.05 million viewers - New Jersey
6. House, Fox, 22.56 million viewers - New Jersey
8. Lost, ABC, 16.14 million viewers - ???
9. Lost (Thursday, 8 p.m.), ABC, 13.16 million viewers - ???
10. NCIS, CBS, 11.77 million viewers - Washington DC
11. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 11.69 million viewers - Las Vegas
12. Eli Stone, ABC, 11.14 million viewers - Not sure.
13. Law & Order, NBC, 11.1 million viewers - New York
15. Without a Trace, CBS, 10.18 million viewers - New York
18. Two and a Half Men CBS, 9.6 million viewers - California
20. Law & Order: SVU, NBC, 9.29 million viewers - New York

Most shows shot in LA are faked to being elsewhere. Most shows shot in NYC are set in NYC.

It's interesting to me that most shows set in New York make a point out of it, but shows set in SoCal generally have an anonymity or "everytown" quality, although there are exceptions, like Entourage.

But that's really just my impression and I don't watch a lot of TV nowadays.

That's somewhat true. Though I dunno about the "every town" quality, when I think "everytown quality" I tend to think That 70s Show (Wisconsin) or The War At Home (New York), of course that could be due to Two and a Half Men, which smacks you over the head with its "Hey look, it's Malibu!" every chance it can.

Regardless of where they're supposed to be set too many shows are shot in Vancouver. Living in the Pacific Northwest nothing pulls me out of a show like seeing the unmistakable local flora dominating the scenery. Those trees, ferns, and fog stick out like a sore thumb when you're supposed to think the show is in LA, San Fran, etc.

Seems more and more are being shot in SF. Eli Stone is shot in SF or appears to be. Same for Journeyman.

I still think majority are in NY. What happened to the days when shows were shot in Canada to save money and appear to be shot in "insert ...." city?

Well, I think Ugly Betty is only partially shot in NYC. Most interiors are shot in an L.A. studio.

Not so sure about Dirty Sexy Money though...

Damages was definitely shot in NYC - a sticking point that allowed Glenn Close to be in it (she reportedly left The Shield because all the time on the West coast kept her away from her kids too much).

Looking over on the L.A. side, here's what I surmized:
LIFE
The Bionic Woman
Chuck
Scrubs (sort of)
Moonlight
The Shield
The Closer

NYC:
How I Met Your Mother
Everybody Hates Chris
Gossip Girl
Dirty Sexy Money
Ugly Betty
30 Rock
Damages

I don't think Eli Stone or Women's Murder Club shot much in SF as we usually get a ton of articles about it if they did. Unfortunately SF doesn't get real TV shoots here, just the flyover/second unit stuff or a one-off episode - like Full House, Monk, or Charmed. It's too expensive to just go a few hours north when they can replicate everything in LA or Vancouver.

The last big series we had was Nash Bridges. That was cool, I saw the Baracuda once when they filmed a chase scene in the financial district. But I only saw the second unit shooting for Journeyman while it was here. But I recognized a ton of places in the show.

I don't think Bionic Woman really indicated what city it was set in. I know it was shot entirely on location in Vancouver.

Dirty Sexy Money is shot in Los Angeles. The pilot was shot in NYC.

You can also add Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles as another Los Angeles set show.

Journeyman was definitely not shot in SF, It was shot on a set at the 20th Century FOX lot in Los Angeles.

I did say 'or it appears to be' (in SF). They do a good job making it look like it's in SF.