TV-GPS: CARSON CITY, NEVADA

This story popped up at the end of July:

In Plain Sight Marketing
July 31, 2018

A new sitcom called "Casino Boss" starring comedian, movie star and Saturday Night Live alum, Joe Piscopo, is filming in the Carson Nugget Casino, located at 507 N. Carson St.

A full cast of comedians and performers including Bob Zany, comedian and the real "Bob" from the "Bob & Tom" syndicated radio show, Grammy nominated singer, songwriter and award-winning filmmaker, Linda Chorney and Kabir Singh are part of the cast.

Locals Roger Diez, Cameron Crane and Sophie Moeller are also part of the cast. The show is being directed by Yvette Fintland and written by the Carson Nugget's owner, Dean DiLullo, loosely based on the iconic history of the Carson Nugget.

"The premise of the script is 'How hard can it be to run a casino?'" DiLullo said. "Every day funny things happen in the casino and this sitcom has captured them."

Carson City, Nevada, has always been a recognizable location of the Old West in TV Westerns, probably thanks mostly to 'Bonanza'.  (On that map in the opening credits, the Ponderosa mega-ranch of the Cartwrights looks like it's about to swallow the western town whole.

From Wikipedia:
Carson City is an independent city in and the capital of the US state of Nevada, named after the mountain man Kit Carson. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,274.  The majority of the town's population lives in Eagle Valley, on the eastern edge of the Carson Range, a branch of the Sierra Nevada, about 30 miles (50 km) south of Reno.

Here are some of the examples in which the televersion of Carson City provided the location in TV Westerns:

'DEATH VALLEY DAYS'

"The Man Who'd Bet On Anything"
Abe Curry is determined to do anything to make Carson City a success and later helps make it the state capital. But his habit of betting on everything puts the well being of his family and future at risk.

"Lady of the Press"
Mike Ward arrives in Carson City and immediately clashes with newspaper owner Lauri Frick. He establishes a rival paper, both working to improve things in frontier Nevada. What Lauri doesn't realize is who her secret contributor is.

"Fighting Sky Pilot"
Reverend Ben Darniell believes he should practice what he preaches, and he refuses to resort to violence in the face of opposition. But he finds a minister in Carson City must be prepared to fight for those who cannot defend themselves.

"Little Washington"
The tale of a society belle of Washington, D.C. who is transplanted to Carson City, Nevada, then known as "Little Washington".

'BONANZA'

"One Ace Too Many"
In his second attempt to cash in on Ben's good name, crooked lookalike Bradley Meredith learns that the Cartwrights are in Carson City and, posing as Ben, pretends that he is seriously ill and begins to liquidate the Ponderosa's assets. 

"Company Of Forgotten Men"
Candy is kidnapped by retired Army Sergeant Mike Russell and his band of fellow former soldiers when he uncovers their plan to blast their way into the Carson City Mint to steal the pension they believe they deserve, but never received, from their long years of Army service

"Justice Deferred"
Not long after bad-tempered Frank Scott is hanged for murdering a young woman in a dark Virginia City alley, witness for the prosecution, Hoss Cartwright, sees a man in a Carson City saloon who looks just like Frank, hears him whistling the same strange tune the killer whistled that fateful night, and begins to fear that his testimony has sent the wrong man to the gallows.

"The Spanish Grant"
The Cartwrights try to disprove the validity of a Spanish land grant to stop the De La Cuesta family from seizing part of the Ponderosa and all of the Carson Valley settlers' homestead lands.

'THE WILD, WILD WEST'

"The Night Of Sudden Death"
Black clad men clamber over each other and up the wall to a high window, entering the United States Mint at Carson City. They plant a bomb and leave without taking any of the money. Jim West and Artemus Gordon must learn why they broken in and who masterminded the plot before economic chaos overtakes the United States.

I don't see any reason why any of those characters living in Carson City in those episodes couldn't have run into each other.

Like this new 'Casino Boss', there was another TV series which was centered around Carson City in "the present." (At the time, it was the 1950s.)

'State Trooper'

Rod Blake, a State Trooper, is an officer of the Nevada Department of Public Safety. The setting is in the 1950s American West.

Here's an example from the show:

"Carson City Kitty"
Blake suspects an inside job when a valuable necklace is stolen from a Carson City, Nevada museum.

And it's not just found in the main Toobworld.  Carson City is also located in the TV dimension of the sitcom Presidents.  (Containing 'Nancy', 'Mr. President', 'Corey In The House', 'Hail To The Chief', etc.)

'Veep'

"Nev-AD-a"
While Amy, Dan, Jonah and Richard lead the Nevada recount effort, Mike begins a new diet, Kent tries to figure out how old Sue is, and Selina meets a billionaire banker.

As of now, there are no plans to honor Carson City, Nevada, as a TV location by inducting it into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.  As with any other location like New York City and Los Angeles, just because TV characters live in an established location isn't enough to qualify it.  This may change as I do further research (yeah, watch the actual episodes.)  But also I'll check out the surnames in those episodes - perhaps I can cobble together some theories of relateeveety to connect them all.....

Check back next August, maybe we'll have come up with something.....

Happy trails to you!