August 2007 Archives

By Ramesh Santanam, Associated Press Writer

Maybe it's this former steel town's blue-collar traditions. Or its down-to-earth reputation. Or its many connections to the entertainment industry.

Whatever the reason, Pittsburgh has become a popular setting for TV shows.

Spike TV's bank heist miniseries "The Kill Point" is set here, and was shot here, too. The TNT medical drama, "Heartland," and Fox's planned fall TV news sitcom, "Back to You," starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton, also take place in Pittsburgh (though filmed elsewhere).

The Pittsburgh Film Office, which tries to lure movie productions to the region, would prefer that all movies and TV shows with Pittsburgh as their backdrop be filmed in the city. But film office director Dawn Keezer feels that anything that showcases the city helps it shed an outdated gritty, smoke-filled steeltown image many still have of it.