MovieChat Forums > The Whole Truth (2010) Discussion > Doesn't look like New York at all

Doesn't look like New York at all

posted 14 years ago by susenet
7 replies | jump to latest

It's very distracting that they got the look and feel of NYC *so* wrong.

The Whole Truth, like a lot of shows, is set in New York but filmed in Los Angeles. Some shows do a great job of simulating New York City, for example NYPD Blue had the right cramped dark look to it.

The Whole Truth does the crappiest job of simulating NYC that I've seen in a network production. The way the space is laid out is all wrong, the light is wrong. They even had an overhead shot of the streets in the current episode, and even THAT looked wrong. Geez, can't they afford stock footage of an aerial view of NYC?

Even the supposed NYC police cars have the wrong markings. Apparently they really cheaped out on this aspect. Oh, yeah - and on the writing, too. But that's pretty common. <sigh>

[–] kc12286 14 years ago

Yes, last nights episode was the first time I was really distracted by it. In the two previous episodes the characters were pretty well restricted to restaurants, the courtroom, etc. The few outside scenes we got (i.e. the park, the construction site) weren't nearly as bad as that quick, simulated shot after the last break.

I think this proves how hard it is to "fake" NY. And yes NYPD, Friends even and Will & Grace probably did it better. Can't think of other examples right now.

[–] silverr8c 14 years ago

L&O SVU does a good job but every time they go into Suffolk County the muck it up. The last episode they go into Wyandanch to a farm feed supply store and then drive through a farm with rows of corn. There hasn't been a farm in Wyandanch in over 40 years

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[–] kc12286 14 years ago

Yea but SVU isn't "faking" NY, at least not NYC. Although they did just recently move their whole production to NYC, all their previous internal scenes were shot in Jersey.

As for upstate NY, yes most shows often get that wrong too. As an upstater (sort of, less than an hour outside of the city, but nonetheless consider upstate by any city dweller) I haven't been to Wyandanch, but I do laugh when they've gone to Poughkeepsie or other larger upstate towns/cities. It always looks so country, which it's not, it's pretty cityish.

[–] Iwishyouwell 14 years ago

Hmm, as a former Manhattan (and current Brooklyn) dweller I couldn't disagree more that Friends got anything even remotely right. Outside of the actual shot of the building standing still to this day at the corner of Bedford & Grove, the rest is embarrassingly inaccurate to the look, and most importantly, the feel of Manhattan.

[–] kc12286 14 years ago

Ok, maybe it wasn't perfect, but it certainly wasn't as bad as the simulated, sped up, shot of Manhattan this show has used in previous episodes.

I still think most other shows, did it "better" than this one. It just felt too fake. I wasn't a long time Friends viewer, so I never really thought about the fact that it wasn't shot in NY.

[–] donjuanlinz 14 years ago

I love some of the NYC scenic shots in this show. Think they're the best I've seen on tv. And yes, I'm a NYer.

[–] editorsandwritersgroup 14 years ago

That billboard – uh, I mean, street sign – that said "Mulberry St" in the background of one brief shot was a dead giveaway that they were trying too hard to make it look like Manhattan. Good grief, even the sunshine shouted "L.A.!"