When Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto encountered a bear on a rain-soaked Clark Street Bridge in the opening sequence of “The Bear” in June of 2021 — spoiler alert, it was a dream sequence — we had no inkling we were about to experience Chicago television greatness in the making.
To be sure, there was reason to be optimistic. Series lead Jeremy Allen White had recently completed a decade-long run as “Lip” Gallagher on the Chicago-set Showtime series “Shameless,” and “The Bear” creator Chris Storer (a native of Park Ridge) had been building an impressive resume through his collaborations with Bo Burnham and his work as a director and executive producer on Ramy Youssef’s acclaimed Hulu series. Still, there was no way of knowing “The Bear” would quickly become a bona fide cultural phenomenon, with Season 3 solidifying its standing as one of the best TV shows of the decade — and one of the greatest Chicago series of all time.
Which brings us to this juncture. In light of “The Bear” making its return, I thought this would be an apt time to rank the best Chicago TV shows of all time. A few tidbits I picked up along Research Road:
- When Joanie and Chachi left behind the “Happy Days” in Milwaukee, they moved to Chicago and went on to record an excruciatingly awful theme song for “Joanie Loves Chachi,” which was canceled after just 17 episodes — about 16 episodes too late.
- Before the British TV series “The Office” and the American version that became a classic, there was 1995’s “The Office” (no relation), starring Valerie Harper as a secretary for Chicago package design company called Package, Inc. It lasted all of six episodes.
- Also set in Chicago: Whitney Cummings’ semi-autobiographical sitcom “Whitney” (2011-13). where “Better Call Saul” star Rhea Seehorn played Whitney’s friend who becomes her boss, and “Breaking Bad” star Dean Norris had a recurring role.
- In the early 2010s sitcom “Shake It Up,” Zendaya’s Rocky Blue (!) and Bella Thorne’s CeCe Jones played background dancers on a local show called “Shake It Up, Chicago!” There was even a theme song performed by Selena Gomez. “Shake It Up” had a decent run of 75 episodes. Sources tell me Zendaya has continued with her acting career since then, to some success.
Punky Brewster? Chicagoan.
Larry and his cousin Balki, those “Perfect Strangers”? New arrivals in Chicago.
Kenan & Kel? Chicagoans.
Webster? Getting into all sorts of hijinks in Chicago.
Which brings us to the rules. As much as we advocate for shows set in Chicago to actually be shot in Chicago, we’re giving no extra points for that. In order to qualify for our list, a series must have been SET here, even if the production spent little or no time in the city.
Also, we’re not including talk shows or local variety programs, so iconic fare ranging from “Oprah” to “Bozo’s Circus” to “Svengoolie” to “Soundstage” isn’t eligible. This is strictly about scripted series, and even so, there wasn’t enough room for a number of contenders, including “The Chi,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Married ... With Children,” “Soul Food,” “Anything but Love,” “Chicago Hope,” “Work in Progress” and the roster of Dick Wolf shows: “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” remains arguably the greatest and most influential medical drama of all time, with Michael Crichton and John Wells creating must-see TV for an astonishing 15 seasons. The original cast of rising stars George Clooney, Julianna Margulies, Eriq LaSalle, Noah Wyle, Anthony Edwards and Sherry Stringfield was amazing, the theme song was brilliant, the storylines were consistently compelling. (Nurse Carol Hathaway’s exit scene, set to the sounds of Don Henley’s “Taking You Home,” made for one of the best single TV moments of all time.) Through the years, “ER” saw a complete turnover of the cast but never lost its stride.
2. ‘The Bear’ (2021-)
Even with the impact of “ER,” it can be argued that of the hundreds of Chicago-set shows through the decades, none has made as big an impact on the popular culture as “The Bear.” Articles about where to buy knives and cookware on the show, the increased popularity of restaurants such as Ever that have been prominently featured on the series, rabid Reddit and Insta reports on filming locations, even a “Bear”-inspired food tour ... and oh yes, it’s also a consistently superb show that produces huge laughs and major feels. The direction, editing, cinematography, soundtrack choices — all flawless and inspired.
3. ‘Crime Story’ (1986-1988)
At a time when most TV series followed the episodic format, the criminally (sorry) short-lived “Crime Story” was the ongoing saga of a cop and a mobster who were obsessed with destroying one another. Created by Chuck Adamson and Gustave Reininger, with early-career Michael Mann serving as executive producer, “Crime Story” starred the late great Chicago police veteran Dennis Farina as Lt. Mike Torello, and Anthony Denison as rising crime figure Ray Luca. With Del Shannon’s “Runaway” playing over the opening title to set the tone, “Crime Story” was a richly layered, gritty and authentic series.
4. ‘Early Edition’ (1996-2000)
It wasn’t THAT long ago when a pre-“Friday Night Lights” Kyle Chandler starred in this Rod Serling-esque fantasy series, but the premise is very much of its time: Chandler’s Gary Hobbs receives the Chicago Sun-Times a day in advance, which gives him knowledge of future events and forces him to decide how and when he’ll try to prevent horrible tragedies and otherwise change the timeline. Even with the often-deadly serious storylines, “Early Edition” had a warm and funny center.
5. ‘Shameless’ (2011-2021)
Although primarily filmed in Los Angeles, the American adaptation of the British series of the same name always made great use of its Chicago locales during brief but frequent shoots here. Emmy Rossum was the glue that held the series together as Fiona Gallagher, the de facto parent for a brood of siblings that included Jeremy Allen White’s “Lip,” while the great William H. Macy was a scene-stealing force as the booze-soaked, drug-addicted, despicable, scheming, intermittently charming and utterly irresponsible family patriarch, Frank. “Shameless” had a frenetic, rock ‘n’ roll sensibility.
6. ‘The Good Wife’ (2009-2016)
Julianna Margulies with another Chicago-set hit, this time as Alicia Florrick, a good wife and mother who has to return to work as a junior litigator after her husband (Chris Noth) is taken down in a salacious scandal. “The Good Wife” worked as an old-fashioned workplace drama, a legal thriller and a nighttime soaper, but also maintained a cutting-edge relevancy by keeping up with the latest tech developments and featuring storylines concentrating on 21st century elements such as AI, Bitcoin and next-level government surveillance.
7. ‘M Squad’ (1957-1960)
Listen hep cats, we had to include at least one old-school entry on the list — and what better choice than “M Squad,” with Lee Marvin as Detective Lt. Frank Ballinger, the leader of a special unit of the Chicago Police. “M Squad” was one of the clear inspirations for the satirical TV series “Police Squad!” and the “Naked Gun” movies, and it holds a special place in Chicago’s political and filmmaking history, as Mayor Richard J. Daley was reportedly so ticked off by an episode about police corruption that he essentially banned Hollywood from making TV shows and movies in the city for the next two decades. Shot in silver-y, noir tones, “M Squad” is dated and yet cool at the same time.
8. ‘Good Times’ (1974-1979)
Set in an unnamed Chicago public housing project (though the Cabrini-Green Homes are seen in the credits), “Good Times” was in some ways a very traditional sitcom with big silly laughs and a breakout character in J.J. Evans (Jimmie Walker) and his “Dy-no-mite!” catchphrase. But it’s an important part of Chicago (and American) television history for its portrayal of a Black family unit led by a proud and hardworking father (John Amos) and a loving wife and mother (Esther Rolle). Rolle and Amos became increasingly frustrated by J.J.'s buffoonish antics and both eventually exited the show, though Rolle returned for the sixth and final season. Even with that uneven and sometimes rocky path, “Good Times” holds a special place in the popular culture.
9. ‘Boss’ (2011-2012)
A potentially great series that made its mark over just 18 episodes spanning two seasons on Starz, “Boss” was a dark and outrageously entertaining look at Chicago politics, with Kelsey Grammer winning a Golden Globe for his superb performance as Mayor Tom Kane, who has been diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies but will do anything to anybody if it means he can keep his power. For a while, there was talk of bringing back “Boss,” at least for a final episode, but alas, we’ll never know what became of Mayor Kane, et al.
10. ‘Family Matters’ (1989-1998)
Before the admittedly disappointing Urkel-ization of the series, with Jaleel White’s initially hilarious next-door nerd becoming a breakout character and essentially taking over the show in polarizing fashion, “Family Matters” (a spinoff of “Perfect Strangers”), starring Reginald VelJohnson and Jo Marie Payton, was a solid and entertaining series about the Winslows, a Black, middle-class family living in Chicago. With a catalog of 215 episodes, this remains one of the most successful American sitcoms with a predominantly Black cast. “Family Matters” didn’t end on the most positive of notes, but its standing in Chicago TV history is undeniable.
