On March 18, Dan Meth created a U.S. sitcom map. (That followed his popular New York map of sitcoms.) On April 2, Flowing Data issued a challenge to improve the U.S. map.
Today I finished this interactive map of sitcom locations. (And by finished, I mean someone already mentioned two more sitcoms that should be added.) This map is also posted on STLtoday.com, where there is a density map and a list of unmappable sitcoms. That’s right — I know you’re going to ask about “The Simpsons” and “Leave it to Beaver.” Information for each sitcom includes an address (or at least a city), its original run dates and network, and its cast, which links to Internet Movie Database. When available, videos are also embedded. (When Hulu adds ABC shows, the quality and quantity of ABC embeds will improve.)
The most difficult part of the project was tracking down locations for each sitcom. Wikipedia and fan sites were quite helpful. (If you see a location that is off, let me know.) My own sitcom knowledge came in handy, although growing up without a TV did put me at a disadvantage. Meth’s map included select TV shows; I included all of the sitcoms that I could find that had aired for at least two seasons.
When you get a chance, take a look at Meth’s sitcom livingroom vs. kitchen chart, and his new Beach Boys Venn diagram.