When Carmen “Karmie” Belzatto encountered a bear on a rain-soaked Clark Street Bridge in June 2021 during the opening scene of “The Bear” (spoiler alert, it was a dream sequence), we never knew we’d get to experience Chicago TV greatness in the making.
To be sure, there were reasons for optimism: series star Jeremy Allen White had just finished a decade as “Rip” Gallagher on the Chicago-set Showtime series Shameless, and “The Bear” creator Chris Stoller (a Park Ridge native) had an illustrious resume that included collaborations with Bo Burnham and serving as director and executive producer on Ramy Youssef’s acclaimed Hulu series. Still, few expected that “The Bear” would soon become a bonafide cultural phenomenon, with season three cementing its status as one of the best TV shows of the decade and one of the best Chicago series of all time.
So, with this milestone coming up and the return of “The Bear,” I thought it would be a good time to rank the best Chicago TV shows of all time. Here are some tidbits I picked up on my research road.
- Joanie and Chachi left “Happy Days” in Milwaukee for Chicago and recorded the awful theme song for “Joanie Falls in Love with Chachi,” which was canceled after just 17 episodes, about 16 episodes too late.
- Before the British TV series The Office and its classic American counterpart, there was the 1995 series The Office (no relation). Valerie Harper played a secretary at Package, Inc., a Chicago packaging design company. It ran for six episodes.
- Other productions set in Chicago include the Whitney Cummings semi-autobiographical comedy “Whitney” (2011-2013), which starred “Better Call Saul” star Rhea Seehorn as Whitney’s friend who becomes her boss, and “Breaking Bad” star Dean Norris as a series regular.
- In the early 2010s sitcom Shake It Up, Zendaya’s character Rocky Blue(!) and Bella Thorne’s character CeCe Jones served as backup dancers for the local show Shake It Up, Chicago! The theme song was even sung by Selena Gomez. Shake It Up was a moderate success, running for 75 episodes. Sources say Zendaya has since pursued a career in acting with some success.
Punky Brewster? From Chicago.
Larry and his cousin Balki, the “Perfect Strangers”? New arrivals in Chicago.
Kenan and Kel? Chicagoans.
Webster? He’s been in a lot of trouble in Chicago.
Now, let’s talk rules: We maintain that shows set in Chicago should actually be filmed in Chicago, but we’re not going to give any extra points for that: To make it on our list, a series has to be set in Chicago, even if production spent little to no time in Chicago.
It also excludes talk shows and local variety shows, which means iconic shows from “Oprah” to “Bozo’s Circus,” “Svengoulet” and “Soundstage” aren’t included. This is entirely about scripted series, and yet there wasn’t enough space for a slew of nominees, including “The Chi,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Married with Children,” “Soul Food,” “Anything But Love,” “Chicago Hope,” “Work in Progress” and Dick Wolf shows like “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago Med,” “Chicago PD” and “Chicago Justice.”
My top 10:
1. ER (1994-2009)
Set in the fictional Cook County General Hospital, ER is arguably the best and most influential medical drama of all time, with Michael Crichton and John Wells creating must-watch television for an astounding 15 seasons. The original cast, featuring up-and-coming stars like George Clooney, Julianna Margulies, Eriq LaSalle, Noah Wyle, Anthony Edwards and Sherry Stringfield, was fantastic, the theme songs were great and the storylines were consistently compelling. (Nurse Carol Hathaway’s exit to Don Henley’s “Taking You Home” remains one of the greatest TV moments of all time.) Over the years, ER has seen complete cast changes but never lost steam.
2. The Bear (2021-)
Ebon Moss Bakrakha (left) and Ayo Edebeli star in “The Bear.”
Despite the shock of “ER,” it’s arguable that of the hundreds of Chicago-set shows over the decades, none have had as big an impact on pop culture as “The Bear.” From articles about where to buy knives and utensils from the show, to the rise in popularity of restaurants like Ebba that were featured prominently in the series, to frenzied Reddit and Insta reports about filming locations, to foodie tours inspired by “The Bear”… And of course, it’s also a consistently great show that’s both funny and moving. The direction, editing, cinematography, and soundtrack choices are all flawless and brilliant.
3. Crime Story (1986-1988)
Bill Smitrovich (left) and Dennis Farina in “Crime Story.”
Criminally (but sadly) short-lived in an era when most TV series were episodic, Crime Story was an ongoing tale of cops and gangsters bent on destroying each other. Created by Chuck Adamson and Gustave Leininger, and executive produced by an early-career Michael Mann, Crime Story starred the late Dennis Farina as the great veteran Chicago Police Department cop Mike Torello and Anthony Dennison as criminal Ray Luca. With Del Shannon’s “Runaway” playing over the opening titles to set the mood, Crime Story was a layered, gritty and authentic series.
4. “Early Edition” (1996-2000)
Kyle Chandler filmed scenes for “The Early Edition” with guest star Robyn Lively in 1997 on Wacker Drive, across from the old Sun-Times building.
It wasn’t that long ago that a pre-Friday Night Lights Kyle Chandler starred in a Rod Serling-esque fantasy series, but the setting really reflects that era. Chandler’s Gary Hobbs receives the Chicago Sun-Times a day in advance, learning about future events and forced to decide how and when to prevent a horrific tragedy or even change the timeline. Though many of the storylines are deathly serious, “Early Edition” also has a warm and funny core.
5. Shameless (2011-2021)
Shameless stars Jeremy Allen White (from left), William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum.
The American version of the British series of the same name, shot primarily in Los Angeles, made heavy use of Chicago locations for brief but frequent filming. Emmy Rossum was the glue that held the series together as Fiona Gallagher, the de facto parent to the siblings, including Jeremy Allen White’s Lip, while the great William H. Macy was a scene-stealer as Frank, the drinking, drug-addicted, sleazy, scheming, occasionally charming and totally irresponsible family patriarch. Shameless had a sizzling rock ‘n’ roll feel.
6. The Good Wife (2009-2016)
Julianna Margulies plays attorney Alicia Florrick on The Good Wife.
Julianna Margulies stars in this Chicago-set hit as Alicia Florrick, a good wife and mother who must return to work as a junior litigation lawyer after her husband (Chris Noth) is brought down in a salacious scandal. While The Good Wife functioned as a traditional workplace drama, legal thriller and late-night soap opera, it also maintained cutting-edge relevance by keeping up with the latest technological developments and featuring storylines focused on 21-year-olds.st It will include 21st century elements like AI, Bitcoin, and next generation government surveillance.
7. M Squad (1957-1960)
Lee Marvin plays a Chicago cop in M Squad.
Listen up, guys, we had to include at least one oldie on this list, and what better choice than “M Squad,” in which Lee Marvin plays Lt. Frank Ballinger, leader of the Chicago Police Department’s special forces. “M Squad” holds a special place in Chicago political and filmmaking history, having been one of the obvious inspirations for the satirical TV series “Police Squad” and the film “The Naked Gun.” Mayor Richard J. Daley was reportedly so infuriated by an episode about police corruption that he essentially banned Hollywood from making TV shows or movies in Chicago for 20 years. Shot in a silvery noir tone, “M Squad” is both dated and cool all at the same time.
8. Good Times (1974-1979)
John Amos (seated) appeared in “Good Times” with Ralph Carter (from left), Bernadette Stanis, Janet DuBois, Esther Rolle and Jimmy Walker.
Set in an unnamed Chicago public housing project (though the end credits refer to Cabrini-Green Homes), Good Times is in some ways a very traditional sitcom, full of laughs and notorious for its breakout character, JJ Evans (Jimmy Walker), and his catchphrase, “Die no might!” But its portrayal of a black family led by a proud, hardworking father (John Amos) and a loving wife and mother (Esther Rolle) holds an important place in Chicago (and American) television history. Rolle and Amos grew increasingly annoyed by JJ’s antics, and both eventually left the show, though Rolle returned for the sixth and final season. Despite its smooth and sometimes rocky journey, Good Times holds a special place in popular culture.
9. The Boss (2011-2012)
Kelsey Grammer plays Chicago’s strict mayor in “The Boss.”
“Boss,” which garnered attention with just 18 episodes over two seasons on Starz, was a dark and ridiculously funny look at Chicago politics, with Kelsey Grammer winning a Golden Globe for his incredible performance as Mayor Tom Kane, a man diagnosed with Lewy body dementia who will do anything to stay in power against anyone. For a while, there was talk of “Boss” being brought back for at least one final episode, but unfortunately, we’ll never know what became of Mayor Kane and co.
10. Family Matters (1989-1998)
Steve Urkel (played by Jaleel White) became a breakout character on “Family Matters.”
Before the series underwent its admittedly disappointing Arkell-ification, which initially saw Jaleel White’s hilarious nerd-next-door breakout and virtually take over the show in two parts, Family Matters (a spinoff of Perfect Strangers) starring Reginald VelJohnson and Jo Marie Payton was a solid, entertaining series about the Winslows, a middle-class black family living in Chicago. With a catalog of 215 episodes, the series remains one of the most successful American sitcoms with a predominantly black cast. Though Family Matters didn’t end well, its place in Chicago TV history is undeniable.
