Capital Locations Trivia Quiz

Answer: Designing Women

"Designing Women" aired on CBS for even seasons, 1986-1993. It centered around a fictional design firm (Sugerbaker & Associates) run by four women and one male. The show's humour was carried by the personal experiences and interactions among them. The original cast (1986-1991) featured Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Annie Potts and Jean Smart, with Meshach Taylor in the main male role.

Answer: Walker

"Walker" made its début on the CW Network in January 2021, a reboot of the 1990s series "Walker: Texas Ranger", with Jared Padalecki reprising the role of Cordell Walker, pioneered by Chuck Norris. In this show, Walker has returned to Austin and to his two teen-aged children after a year of deep undercover.

Much of the early action involves re-accustoming himself to 'normal' police life and reconciling with his family.

Answer: Rizzoli & Isles

Boston is the setting for a number high-profile television series, including "Cheers", "Ally McBeal" and "The Practice". "Rizzoli & Isles" aired on TNT for seven seasons (2010-2016) and featured Angie Harmon as Jane Rizzoli, a medical examiner, and Sasha Alexander as Maura Isles, a detective in the Boston Homicide Unit.

Answer: Family Ties

"Family Ties" marked the début of Canadian actor Michael J Fox, who would later star in the blockbuster movie series "Back to the Future". The series ran on NBC from 1982 to 1989, part of NBC's strong Thursday night line-up. The premise was that two flower children of the 1960s (Steven and Elyse Keaton) now have their own offspring who are very much of the 1980s (originally three with a fourth born during the run), and totally uninterested in the issues and causes that motivated their parents. Fox's character, Alex P Keaton, in particular is a junior capitalist and ardent Republican, who will later become Senator for the state of Ohio.

Answer: Magnum P.I.

Hawaii has been the setting for a number of crime-dramas. There was "Hawaii 5-0", both the original series with Jack Lord which ran from 1979-1990, and the remake which ran for ten seasons from 2010-2020, both on CBS. An earlier crime series "Hawaiian Eye" ran on ABC from 1959 to 1963, and finally the two incarnations of "Magnum P.I.", the first with Tom Selleck (CBS) from 1980-1988 and a reboot, also on CBS with Jay Hernandez, which made its début in 2018.

Answer: One Day at a Time

"One Day at a Time" was a successful and popular situation comedy which ran on CBS from 1975-1984. The show centered on a divorced mother (Ann Romano, played by Bonnie Franklin) who moves after her divorce to Indianapolis, She has two teen-aged daughters, Julie (Mackenzie Phillips) and Barbara (Valerie Bertinelli). Also a regular was the busybody, but not unlovable, manager of their apartment building Schneider (played by Pat Harrington Junior).

Answer: Saving Grace

"Saving Grace" ran for three years on TNT (2007-2010). Set in Oklahoma City, although filmed principally in LA and Vancouver, it starred Holly Hunter as a hard-living detective, who has a life-changing experience with an angelic figure (Earl) encouraging her to accept God and turn her life around.

The Oklahoma City bombing of 1995 plays a role in the background story, as Grace's sister was killed in that bombing leaving Grace to care for her nephew.

Answer: Alice

"Alice" was a TV series adapted from a successful film, "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore". The lead role of Alice Hyatt, played by Ellen Burstyn in the film, had Linda Lavin in the TV series. The premise was that after Alice's husband was killed in a trucking accident, she and her young son Tommy (Philip McKeon) start a new life in Phoenix.

She gets a job in Mel's Diner, Mel played by Vic Tayback, which provided the principal setting of the series. All episodes began in the diner, although Alice's apartment was often seen. Two other waitresses (Flo and Vera) formed a regular supporting cast

Answer: The Mentalist

"The Mentalist" was another example of a crime drama where a civilian assists the actual police investigators. Simon Baker played Patrick Jane, a reformed fake psychic who used his skills to assist the California Bureau of Investigation, based in Sacramento.

While he admitted that there is nothing supernatural about his career, he did use his powers of observation and insight of human nature to help solve puzzling crimes. He worked for special agent Teresa Lisbon (played by Robin Tunney) -- they marry in the final episode -- in company with Grace, Kimball and Wayne who provide the supporting cast.

The show ran on CBS from 2008-2015. Jane was also motivated in finding a criminal named "Red John" who had killed his wife and daughter. Halfway through season six, the series rebooted and moved the setting to Austin, Texas.

Answer: Dynasty

"Dynasty" was ABC's answer to CBS' hit prime-time soap opera "Dallas". It ran for nine seasons with 220 episodes. The series focussed on the very wealthy Carrington family of Denver: husband oil-tycoon Blake (John Forsythe), current wife Krystle (Linda Evans), and scheming ex-wife Alexis (Joan Collins).

It was Collins's arrival to the series and the rivalry between the wives that began Dynasty's rise in the ratings -- in the spring of 1985 it was ranked in the top spot on US television. The fifth season (1985) ended with the "Moldavian massacre" in which the Carringtons attend a royal wedding in Moldavia which is attacked by terrorists. Like "Who Shot J.R.", the cliff-hanger ending left watchers asking "Who survived?".