Can You Name All 3 Sitcoms Set in Indiana?
Sitcoms Set in Indiana – Laughs from the Land of Hoosiers
Indiana may be better known for basketball, breaded tenderloins, and the Indy 500—but when it comes to sitcoms, the Hoosier State has quietly built a TV comedy resume worth cheering for.
1. Parks and Recreation
Let’s start in Pawnee. Sure, it’s fictional—but Parks and Recreation made it feel real enough to put on a map. Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope turned small-town bureaucracy into big-hearted comedy gold, with a supporting cast as lovable as a warm waffle at JJ’s Diner.
- Setting: Pawnee, Indiana (fictional town)
- Years: 2009–2015
- Starring: Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt
- Fun Fact: Though Pawnee is fictional, it’s often compared to real Indiana towns like Bloomington or Muncie.
2. The Middle
Then there’s The Middle, set in the (also fictional) town of Orson, Indiana. This one gave us the Heck family—relatable, chaotic, and somehow still functioning despite life’s constant curveballs. It was a show that perfectly captured Midwestern grit, awkwardness, and the beauty in the everyday.
- Setting: Orson, Indiana (fictional town)
- Years: 2009–2018
- Starring: Patricia Heaton, Neil Flynn
- Fun Fact: Orson is loosely based on Jasper, Indiana, where one of the creators grew up.
3. One Day at a Time
But here’s a real-life shoutout: One Day at a Time—the original version from the 1970s—was actually set in Indianapolis. Long before prestige TV discovered Indiana, this groundbreaking sitcom was telling the story of a single mom raising two daughters in the Circle City. It tackled serious issues with humor and heart, all while giving Indy some solid representation on the sitcom stage.
- Setting: Indianapolis, Indiana
- Years: 1975–1984
- Starring: Bonnie Franklin, Valerie Bertinelli
- Fun Fact: This classic sitcom was one of the first to depict a single mom raising kids in the Midwest.
4. Stranger Things
And if you count Stranger Things (set in fictional Hawkins), even our supernatural horror comes with a side of one-liners and unlikely heroes.
- Setting: Hawkins, Indiana (fictional town)
- Years: 2016–present
- Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, David Harbour
- Fun Fact: Hawkins may be fictional, but it’s filled with real Indiana vibes—small-town life, secret government labs, and plenty of 1980s nostalgia.
So whether it’s fictional towns or real cities like Indy, Indiana proves you don’t need a coast to deliver coast-to-coast laughs.
Can You Name All 3 Sitcoms Set in Indiana? was originally published on b1057.com
