Kanika Kumar
BET’s ‘Twenties’ is a comedy-drama that follows three 20-something best friends, one queer and two straight, as they tackle the ups and downs of their personal and professional lives in Los Angeles. Created by Lena Waithe, the female-driven series primarily revolves around Hattie, an aspiring screenwriter, who gets evicted from her flat but still tries to achieve her dreams with the help of her friends Marie and Nia.
Starring Jonica T. Gibbs, Gabrielle Graham, Christina Elmore, Sophina Brown, and Big Sean amongst others, ‘Twenties’ is the first black queer-led show on BET. The scripted series received praise for its exploration of diverse black identities and attempt to represent the challenges of a big city. Hattie, Marie, and Nia all live and work in Los Angeles, which is considered the center of entertainment and arts in the country.
With Hattie being a writer, Nina being a yoga instructor, and Marie being a television studio executive, the show accurately captures a large section of the city’s population that is closely involved with the art and well-being industries. Los Angeles is the driving force of their life, almost a character of its own. Needless to say, many wonder where ‘Twenties’ is filmed. Is it actually filmed in Los Angeles? Or did another city emulate the City of Angels? Let’s explore the filming locations of ‘Twenties.’
Twenties Filming Locations
‘Twenties’ is set in the chaotic but mesmerizing world of Los Angeles. Well, it is also filmed in Los Angeles! That’s right, the tall palm trees and wide sunny streets that we see on the show are nothing but LA’s own iconic features. Let’s take a closer look at the specific filming locations!
Los Angeles, California
‘Twenties’ is filmed in Los Angeles in California. To authentically portray the experiences of Hattie and her friends — revolving around the city they reside in — the creators of the show chose Los Angeles as the filming location. It would certainly be hard to use any other city to capture the visuals and vibes of LA! Additionally, ‘Twenties’ is semi-autobiographical, representing some of the issues creator Waithe herself faced when she entered the world of Hollywood. Thus, it makes sense to have the show produced in Los Angeles, the city that actually inspired the conception of its story.
In fact, the show often points out iconic places within the city in between scenes. Occasionally, the Hollywood sign is seen in the background. As Hattie and her friends drive around, we get a peek at elements of the city well-known from being shown in numerous movies and television shows over the decades — the green and white signs, large hillside mansions overlooking the city, and cozy drive-in theaters. The trio’s bold, passionate, and witty personalities encapsulate the spirit of a city that regularly sees hordes of individuals arrive at its gates with dreams and ambitions.
The show visits several well-known areas and spots. For example, Hattie’s love interest hails from the neighborhood of Silver Lake. Nia and Tristan go for a date to the Griffith Observatory at 2800 E Observatory Road. Hattie and Marie frequent Paramount Studios on Melrose Avenue. Since Hattie and Marie work in the entertainment industry, they spend their days within the big production houses that the city is known for. We, thus, get a peek at the huge buildings, golf cart-riddled lanes, and numerous cafes that the studios of Los Angeles are recognized by.
Los Angeles is the global hub for filming and production, having seen the birth of Hollywood itself. Its warm predictable climate, vast landscape, and beneficial tax incentive program ensure that films and television shows always have LA as a filming option. Waithe’s experiences as an artist are deeply rooted in the city; therefore, no other place but La La Land would have worked as the filming base for ‘Twenties’!
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