Much of the pilot episode of “Hart of Dixie” was filmed in the lovely Wilmington, North Carolina, which you may have recognized from CW staples “Dawson’s Creek” and “One Tree Hill”. But since then, they’ve brought filming back to Los Angeles and have recreated the fictional town of Bluebell, Alabama on the Warner Brothers lot.

The Rammer Jammer from "Hart of Dixie" is the same exterior as Merlotte's from "True Blood", and can be found at Warner Brothers Studio in Burbank, CA. Screen cap credit: capturedgracemusic.net.

In episode 102, “Parades and Pariahs”, the mayor takes Bilson’s character Zoe Hart to a restaurant called Rammer Jammer. If you’re a fan of the HBO series “True Blood”, you probably recognized the exterior of Rammer Jammer as the same that stands in for Merlotte’s. That’s because this exterior is on the Warner Brothers backlot, which both shows use for filming (”True Blood” occasionally, “Hart of Dixie” primarily). This is what the all-purpose restaurant looks like when not dressed up for either show:

Right nearby, in the “jungle” area of the WB backlot, is a little shack that it appears they’re using as Wade’s cabin. It was used as a cafe in Million Dollar Baby and has been seen on “Pretty Little Liars” and “The Mentalist” as well.

Here it is as photographed it on the WB tour:

Wade's cabin from "Hart of Dixie". Photo credit: Christina LeBlanc for LiveTheMovies.com.

And here it is, after it’s dressed and decorated for the show:

Wade's cabin, dressed for the show. Screen cap credit: capturedgracemusic.net.

Of course, if you’re a fan of “Pretty Little Liars” or “Gilmore Girls”, you probably recognized the town square setting from the parade scenes (episode 102) in “Hart of Dixie” — that’s because it’s all the same town square! That’s right: Stars Hollow, Rosewood, and Bluebell are all the same! (Just with some different set dressings.)

The church was seen on "Pretty Little Liars", and the gazebo was used on "Gilmore Girls". Now both are also part of Bluebell, Alabama on "Hart of Dixie". Screen cap credit: capturedgracemusic.net.

And again, these can both be seen on the WB Studio Tour in Burbank, CA (which I very highly recommend):

Photo credit: Christina LeBlanc for LiveTheMovies.com.

More to come on the sights from “Hart of Dixie” as the season unfolds!

- Story and photos by Christina LeBlanc, Executive Editor

Production uses several streets in the Los Altos neighborhood of Long Beach for the homes of the show’s characters. San Anseline Avenue is where you can find Rita’s house (2348), and next door (at 2354) is the house of the neighbor with the noisy dog from Season 1.

Rita's house as seen on Dexter.

The house next door to Rita's, the neighbor with the noisy dog from Season 1.

Nearby you can find the home Dexter grew up in with Deb and Harry, at 2431 Chatwin Avenue. Next door to that, at 2421 Chatwin Avenue, is Angel’s former home as seen in Season 1 when he gets drunk and Dexter tries to drop him off there.

At 5570 E. Rolanda Street is the house that Dexter inherits from his biological father in Season 1, and right across the street at 5561 E. Rolanda Street is where the old lady neighbor lived.

The house that Dexter inherits from his biological father.

Important note: These are private homes. Do not trespass or disturb the residents!

Several scenes from “Dexter” were also filmed at Shoreline Village in Long Beach. It’s a cute shopping center on the water near the Queen Mary. The show constructed the Santa’s Village scene among the shops, and the spot below was the backdrop for the police gathering to watch the video that the Ice Truck Killer left behind.

This spot can be seen on the show (look for the pink store front).

The official address is 429 Shoreline Drive. The green barn-looking building, which is actually a theatre, was used as the comic book store crime scene in Season 2:

Also in that episode, La Guerta and Doakes go for a walk along the Shoreline Village boardwalk. You might recognize this view:

A little further north of Long Beach you can find a few more “Dexter” spots. In Marina del Rey you’ll find the hotel where the Ice Truck Killer sprayed his victim’s blood for Dexter to find, so Dex would start piecing together the horrific events of his mother’s murder. The Marina del Rey Hotel is at 13534 Bali Way.

The Marina del Rey Hotel stood in for the Marina View Hotel.

Marina del Rey is also home to the 50s diner Dexter and Lila go to in Season 2:

The diner is at 4211 Admiralty Way and is actually an organic restaurant, but maintains the 50s diner charm.

Nearby in Santa Monica is the bowling alley Dexter frequents with his coworkers in Season 2. It’s located at 234 Pico Blvd and in real life is the AMF Bay Shore Lanes:

In Sun Valley, CA, you can find the auto salvage yard where Dexter killed the husband and wife who were killing Cuban immigrants. The address is 9928 Glenoaks Blvd:

The autoyard is in Sun Valley.

Close by is the Pink Motel, where the cops track the Ice Truck Killer wannabe and bust him in time to save the woman he’s kidnapped:

The Pink Motel is at 9457 San Fernando Road in Sun Valley.

Of course, several of the first season’s locations are in Miami, including Dexter’s apartment at 1155 103rd Street in Miami Beach (production built a reproduction at the studio in Los Angeles).

For a ton more “Dexter” locations, visit Seeing-Stars’ excellent season-by-season guide.

- Story and photos by Christina LeBlanc, Executive Editor

The Biggest Loser gym. Photo Credit: LiveTheMovies.

A bird's-eye view of the grounds, from LAMountains.com.

At King Gillette Ranch (26800 West Mulholland Highway, Calabasas), you’ll find the “Biggest Loser” gym, the dormitories where the cast lives, and the lush green grounds where they train and reflect. You pay a small parking fee (about $7 for the whole day), and can go directly to the main building for maps and information. (LAMountains.com also provides a free map here.)

It’s a beautiful spot to walk around, take a few photos, and enjoy nature. But, TV junkies, you’ll also spot the gym, dorms, and buildings from the show:

When I visited, they’d just started filming the 10th season. My friend and I were lucky enough to spot some of the new contestants chatting and going for a walk:

We tried not to disturb them in case they were filming, but the above guys were really nice and said hi to us. All in all, a nice little spot for a TV-stalking stop!

- Story and photos by Christina LeBlanc, Executive Editor

If you take the Warner Brothers VIP Studio Tour, you’ll see (the generally undressed) exterior of Merlotte’s as you cruise through the studio’s forest/jungle area. It’s nestled in the trees near a shack that’s recently been used on “Chuck” and “The Mentalist”. It remains undressed (as above) until the crew comes in to film scenes, at which point it is dressed up as the Merlotte’s you recognize from the show:

The interior of Merlotte’s is constructed and filmed on a sound stage at another studio. (Having been inside “Merlotte’s” as seen above, I can confirm there’s really nothing inside.) However, tucked away behind Merlotte’s is Sam’s trailer:

When I last visited the Warner Brothers lot, they’d just finished filming some scenes with Sam and his car was still on the lot, parked out by Merlotte’s. As with Merlotte’s, the interior of Sam’s trailer is pretty bare — the interior set is built on a sound stage at a different studio.

Still, it was cool that the tour guide for the Warner Brothers Deluxe Tour (which I took for the first time this month) let us wander in and around both locations — especially knowing that Sam Trammell had been there just a day earlier!

For more info on the Warner Brothers tour, check out our story & review here.

- Story and photos by Christina LeBlanc, Executive Editor

Beachwood Market
Tess and Alexis shop here for dinner supplies in “The Party” (Season 1).
2701 Belden Drive
Los Angeles, CA

Canyon Beachwear
Tess and Alexis shop here in “Mommie Dearest” (Season 1).
13035 Ventura Boulevard
Studio City, CA 91604

Casa Dorada
Tess and Alexis stay here in “What Happens in Cabo, Stays in Cabo” (Season 1).
Av. Pescador S/N
Col. El Médano
Cabo San Lucas, BCS 23410

Groundwork Coffee Company
Tess meets Max here to talk about their relationship in “Vanity Unfair” (Season 1).
1501 Cahuenga Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
 groundworkcoffee.com

The Hudson
Alexis and Tess go here with Vernon Davis and friends in “The Move” (Season 1).
1114 North Crescent Heights Blvd.
West Hollywood, Ca. 90046
 thehudsonla.com

Hyde Lounge
Tess and Alexis go dancing there in “Mommie Dearest” (Season 1).
8029 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046

La Fonda Restaurant & Lounge
Gabby and her parents go here in “What Happens in Cabo, Stays in Cabo” (Season 1).
2501 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90057
 lafondala.com

Lucky Strike Lanes
Tess goes bowling with Ryan Cabrera here in “The Hearing” (Season 1).
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Ste 143
Hollywood, CA 90028
 bowlluckystrike.com

Miceli’s
Gabby takes her family out to dinner with her first paycheck in “Vanity Unfair” (Season 1).
1646 N Las Palmas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90028

MILK
Gabby and her stepdad go here to talk in “The Move” (Season 1).
7290 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Petersen Automotive Museum
Tess walks in the Biatta Intimates runway show here in “The Arrest” (Season 1).
6060 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
 petersen.org

Pink Kitty Nightclub
Alexis and Tess hosted an event for Haiti here in “What Happens in Cabo, Stays in Cabo” (Season 1).
 pinkkittycabo.com

Planet Blue
Alexis, Tess, and Gabby shop for Gabby’s birthday outfit here in “The Party” (Season 1). Gabby applies for a job there in “Vanity Unfair” (Season 1).
409 N Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

The Roxy Theatre
Tess and Alexis go see Wicker here in “The Party” (Season 1).
9009 W Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA
 http://theroxyonsunset.com/

Skin Haven
Tess and Alexis get pedicures there in “Vanity Unfair” (Season 1).
300 N. Crescent Heights Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048
 skinhaven.com

Tailwaggers
Gabby applies for a job here in “Vanity Unfair” (Season 1).
1929 N Bronson Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90068
 tailwaggerspets.com

The Wine House
Andrea and her husband go here in “Mommie Dearest” (Season 1).
2311 Cotner Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90064

You may recognize the mansion from films like Ghostbusters (it was Gracie Mansion), The Big Lebowski, Batman and Robin, Indecent Proposal, X-Men, The Holiday (it stood in for a restaurant interior) and Death Becomes Her. It also stood in for Rory’s school, Chilton, on “Gilmore Girls”.

Aside from its location factor, the park & mansion are worth a visit for the scenery alone. The mansion is gorgeous, the grounds are pretty and serene, and from the front of the property is a gorgeous view of all of Los Angeles.

- Story and photos by Christina LeBlanc, Executive Editor

The fountain/water feature at Hollywood & Highland.

A wider view.

The Hollywood & Highland complex is a cool place to check out if you’re on Hollywood Boulevard. It’s right across the street from El Capitan Theatre and next to the Hard Rock Cafe and Madame Toussaud’s Wax Museum. The complex has stores, restaurants, and a great view of the Hollywood sign.

The Hollywood & Highland complex has also been seen in The Italian Job, Hollywood Homicide, Stuck on You, and Collateral.

- Story and photos by Christina LeBlanc, Executive Editor

Much of the on-location action took place at Fisherman’s Village in Marina del Rey. (Unfortunately the above sign has since been moved/removed.) They called it Oceanside Wharf on the show, but everything else is practically the same. Oh yeah, except there’s not really a banana stand there. But the lighthouse you see behind the banana stand on the show is really there, and you can get a burger or hot dog for lunch there. The round blue tables that George Michael and gang routinely sat at are there. You can close your eyes and imagine the banana stand is there, right?

Just across the walkway is Sapori’s, the side of which stood in for a candy apple stand – remember when Gob chipped his tooth and started whistling when he spoke? (”You’d better let me do the talking.”)

Sapori's doubled as a candy apple stand.

And, finally, docked at Fisherman’s Village is the Marina Hornblower — also known as the boat George Sr. was arrested on. It’s usually there, and easy to snap a photo with.

Nearby in Marina del Rey is the Shell Station (4770 Lincoln Boulevard) where Michael and Maeby stop in “Afternoon Delight”…

…as well as Panini Coffee & Cafe, where Michael and Oscar met in “Whistler’s Mother”:

The cafe is located at 4325 Glencoe Avenue in Marina del Rey. Interiors were used in the episode.

On Venice Boulevard in Mar Vista, you’ll find a few more locations.

At 12320 is Robinson’s Beautilities, a costume shop that Tobias walks by in the first-season finale.

A few feet down the street at 12310 is Sam Johnson’s Book Shop, where Tobias notices his book The Man Inside Me, and later does a book reading.

Around the corner at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship Coffee House (3838 S Centinela) is where Kitty met with the Bluth boys to try to take control of the Bluth Company.

(The interiors were used for the filming of the episode.)

In Los Angeles, University High School at 11800 Texas Avenue was used for George Michael and Maeby’s high school.

A bit further north in Culver City is where a lot of the show was filmed, mainly because its home was Culver Studios. Alandale’s, where Marta buys Michael a suit, is at 9715 Washington Boulevard:

Culver City Hall at 9770 Culver Boulevard is where all of the exterior scenes at court took place.

The Culver Hotel at 9400 Culver Boulevard stood in for Deliberations, the bar where Michael picked up Maggie Lizer. Inside the hotel is Munchkin’s, the hotel restaurant where Kitty once claimed Michael was threatening her.

(The Culver Hotel actually has a rich history; it’s where many of the Wizard of Oz bit players stayed while filming the movie at the nearby studio.)

Though the show wasn’t actually filmed in Orange County, it was set there and inspired by creator Mitch Hurwitz’s Orange County upbringing (he went to high school in Costa Mesa).

You might see a similar shot on the show.

In fact, Hurwitz has mentioned that the Bluth banana stand was inspired by two dueling banana shacks on Balboa Island: Dad’s Donut and Bakery Shop at 318 Marine Ave in Newport Beach and Sugar & Spice Original Frozen Banana just a few shops down the street. Though these eateries weren’t featured on the show, they definitely inspired it and the treats they offer are definitely delicious.

For more on “Arrested Development”, check out Christina’s interview with Buster himself, Tony Hale!

- Story and photos by Christina LeBlanc, Executive Editor

In “Coal Digger”, Luke and Manny get in trouble for fighting at school. The school they attend is Walgrove Elementary School at 1630 Walgrove Avenue in Los Angeles, CA.

In “Great Expectations” Mitchell and Cameron go out with their crazy friend Sal to Jones Hollywood at 7205 Santa Monica Boulevard (at Formosa Ave) in West Hollywood, CA.

In “Fears”, Gloria makes Jay and Manny go to the pier – supposedly to go fishing – and tricks them into conquering their fears of riding a rollercoaster. This scene took place at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, CA. (The Santa Monica Pier has been seen in countless other productions, including Forrest Gump and the Paul Rudd/Jason Segel film I Love You, Man.) The rollercoaster Gloria, Manny, and Jay ride is the rollercoaster at Pacific Park at the pier (380 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA).

Manny, Jay, and Gloria at the Pier. (Photo: ABC)

The Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Park.

 In “Fifteen Percent”, Jay and his buddies run into Cameron, and then Mitchell, at a deli. The deli is actually Papa Dons Deli at 303 Pasadena Ave in South Pasadena, CA.

In “Game Changer”, Claire runs all over LA trying to find an iPad for Phil for his birthday. At one point she goes to the Apple Store at The Grove, at 189 The Grove Dr in Los Angeles. Claire and Mitchell get kicked out for fighting, but under normal circumstances The Grove is a lovely place to spend your day.

Mitchell and Claire fight with a line-cutter at the Apple Store at The Grove. (Photo: ABC)

Filming returned to The Grove in “Benched” — it’s where Claire takes Alex shopping, but gets ditched and then runs into Gloria and Lilly.

As for the family homes you see in the credits each week? Phil & Claire’s house is at 10336 Dunleer Drive in Los Angeles; Jay and Gloria’s house is at 121 South Cliffwood Avenue in Los Angeles; and the home of Mitchell and Cameron (one of TV’s cutest couples) is at 2211 Fox Hills Drive in Culver City. Remember: these are private homes, so don’t trespass or disturb the residents!

- Story and photos by Christina LeBlanc, Executive Editor

- Story and photos by Christina LeBlanc, Executive Editor