TV Shows That Recycled Sets into Entire New Worlds

Television production often requires creative solutions to manage budgets, and one of the most common tricks is repurposing existing sets for entirely different series. Studios frequently recycle structures, backlots, and interiors to save on the immense cost of construction. Eagle-eyed viewers may notice that a high school hallway in one sitcom looks identical to the one in a teen drama aired decades later. From science fiction command centers to suburban living rooms, these recycled environments help build new fictional worlds upon the foundations of old ones. The following series successfully utilized sets from other productions to create their own distinct atmospheres.

‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ (1987–1994)

The production design for the USS Enterprise-D heavily utilized existing assets from the ‘Star Trek’ feature films to maintain a cinematic quality on a television budget. The engineering set was a redress of the engine room originally built for ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ and subsequently modified for ‘The Wrath of Khan’. Corridors and crew quarters were also reconfigured from movie sets to serve the needs of the weekly series. This extensive recycling allowed the show to feature complex, high-quality interiors that would have been prohibitively expensive to build from scratch.

‘Desperate Housewives’ (2004–2012)

The iconic Wisteria Lane is actually Colonial Street, a famous backlot standing set at Universal Studios that has hosted numerous productions. The house belonging to the character Susan Mayer was originally built for the 1946 film ‘So Goes My Love’ and was later home to ‘The Munsters’. Another home on the block was the primary residence for the Cleaver family in ‘Leave It to Beaver’. By repainting facades and updating landscaping, the production team transformed a collection of mismatched historic sets into a cohesive suburban neighborhood.

‘The West Wing’ (1999–2006)

Aaron Sorkin’s political drama benefited greatly from sets originally constructed for the film ‘The American President’. The detailed Oval Office and West Wing interiors built for the movie were stored and later retrieved for the television series. This allowed the show to launch with a movie-quality presidential environment that communicated immediate authority and realism. Using these high-caliber sets helped establish the show’s visual identity without the initial burden of a massive construction budget.

‘Pretty Little Liars’ (2010–2017)

The fictional town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, shares its geography with the town of Stars Hollow from ‘Gilmore Girls’. Both shows were filmed on the Warner Bros. Midwest Street backlot, meaning the iconic town square and gazebo appear in both series. Luke’s Diner was transformed into the Apple Rose Grille, while Miss Patty’s dance studio became a local cinema. Viewers familiar with the earlier show can easily spot the same church spire and storefronts serving as the backdrop for the mystery thriller.

‘Stargate Atlantis’ (2004–2009)

The expansive control room and gate room of the Atlantis expedition were partially repurposed from the vampire facility in the film ‘Blade: Trinity’. The movie production had constructed a massive, multi-level glass and steel set that was slated for demolition. The ‘Stargate’ production team acquired the structure and modified it to fit the Ancient aesthetic of the spin-off series. This acquisition provided the show with a large-scale, intricate environment that added significant production value to the pilot episode.

‘Battlestar Galactica’ (2004–2009)

The Combat Information Center of the Battlestar Pegasus, introduced in the second season, was originally built for a pilot of a ‘Lost in Space’ reboot that never aired. When the pilot was not picked up, the expensive futuristic bridge set was purchased for use in the ‘Battlestar Galactica’ universe. The set required only minor modifications to fit the gritty, militaristic tone of the series. Its distinct layout provided a visual contrast to the Galactica’s own command center, emphasizing the differences between the two ships.

‘That’s So Raven’ (2003–2007)

The school hallways and classrooms frequented by Raven Baxter were originally the Bayside High sets from ‘Saved by the Bell’. After the latter show concluded, the sets remained on the lot and were eventually refreshed for the Disney Channel sitcom. The layout of the lockers, stairwells, and the main office remained largely unchanged despite the new coat of paint and modern props. This particular school set has proven to be incredibly versatile, hosting multiple generations of television students.

‘The Golden Girls’ (1985–1992)

The kitchen where Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia shared endless cheesecakes was originally built for a short-lived sitcom called ‘It Takes Two’. When that series was canceled, the set was retained and redecorated to serve as the heart of the Miami home. The layout of the island and the cooking areas remained consistent, though the wallpaper and appliances were updated to reflect the new characters’ tastes. This resourceful reuse created one of the most recognizable gathering spots in sitcom history.

‘Buck Rogers in the 25th Century’ (1979–1981)

To bring the 25th century to life, this series borrowed heavily from the props and models created for the original ‘Battlestar Galactica’. Detailed starship models, flight sticks, and even Colonial Viper pilot helmets were repurposed for the Earth Defense Directorate. The producers took advantage of the shared studio assets to populate their futuristic world without incurring redundant fabrication costs. This cross-pollination of props gives the two space operas a similar visual texture.

‘Star Trek’ (1966–1969)

In the episode ‘Miri’, the crew of the Enterprise beams down to a planet that looks exactly like 20th-century Earth. The streets they explore were the standing sets for the fictional town of Mayberry from ‘The Andy Griffith Show’. The familiar storefronts and layout provided a convenient and budget-friendly location for the away mission. Using the existing backlot allowed the science fiction series to shoot an outdoor episode without leaving the studio confines.

‘The Office’ (2005–2013)

When characters from Dunder Mifflin visited the hospital, they were actually walking through the halls of Sacred Heart Hospital from the comedy series ‘Scrubs’. The hospital set was a decommissioned medical center in North Hollywood that served as the primary filming location for ‘Scrubs’ for years. ‘The Office’ utilized this location to capture an authentic institutional feel without interrupting a real working hospital. The distinct layout of the nurses’ station and corridors is recognizable to fans of the medical sitcom.

‘Mannix’ (1967–1975)

The private investigator Joe Mannix frequently found himself visiting a house that was undeniably the home of ‘The Brady Bunch’. The instantly recognizable floating staircase and living room layout appeared in multiple episodes as the residence of various clients or suspects. Because both shows were produced by Paramount, the sets were easily accessible for cross-production use. The dramatic lighting and serious tone of the detective show attempted to disguise the otherwise cheerful and familiar family sitcom setting.

‘Smallville’ (2001–2011)

When the storyline required scenes in the White House, the production utilized the Oval Office set originally built for ‘The West Wing’. As the political drama concluded its run, the high-quality replica became available for other Warner Bros. productions. ‘Smallville’ took advantage of this authentic environment to depict the presidency of Lex Luthor in flash-forward sequences. The set’s accurate details helped ground the superhero drama in a recognizable political reality.

‘Ghost Whisperer’ (2005–2010)

The town square of Grandview, where Melinda Gordon runs her antique shop, is the famous Courthouse Square backlot at Universal Studios. This location is best known as Hill Valley from the ‘Back to the Future’ trilogy. The iconic clock tower building and the surrounding park were dressed to serve as the quaint center of the show’s supernatural activities. Despite cosmetic changes, the layout of the square remains a landmark of cinema history reused for television.

‘Gilmore Girls’ (2000–2007)

The exterior of the Dragonfly Inn, a central location in the later seasons, was the same structure used as the family home in ‘The Waltons’. Located on the Warner Bros. lot, the farmhouse was remodeled to serve as the charming New England inn run by Lorelai and Sookie. The structure’s rustic architecture fit perfectly with the show’s cozy aesthetic. This reuse demonstrates how a single building can define the visual legacy of two completely different generations of family dramas.

‘Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper’ (1992–1997)

The pilot episode of this sitcom was filmed using the living room set from the recently concluded series ‘Growing Pains’. The layout of the Seaver family home was repurposed to save money while the new show established its footing. Viewers familiar with the earlier hit could spot the staircase and kitchen positioning before the show eventually built its own unique sets. This kind of pilot-episode recycling was common practice to minimize financial risk before a full series order.

‘Mike & Molly’ (2010–2016)

The living room set used for the Flynn family home was a slightly modified version of the Conner residence from ‘Roseanne’. The structure of the room, including the placement of the front door and the archway to the kitchen, was retained for the new sitcom. Production designers updated the furniture, wallpaper, and decorations to differentiate the space for the new characters. Despite the cosmetic overhaul, the architectural bones of the working-class home remained intact.

‘Bewitched’ (1964–1972)

The Stephens family kitchen and living room borrowed heavily from the sets of ‘The Donna Reed Show’. Both series were produced by Screen Gems and filmed on the Columbia Ranch, making the sharing of assets a logistical convenience. The curved staircase and the general floor plan of the house were nearly identical between the two popular sitcoms. This efficiency allowed the studio to churn out episodes for both domestic comedies using the same basic physical resources.

‘Supernatural’ (2005–2020)

The Winchester brothers frequently visited towns that looked suspiciously like Stars Hollow from ‘Gilmore Girls’ because they were filming on the same Warner Bros. backlot. The town square gazebo and the church appeared in multiple episodes, often dressed to look like different locations across America. In one meta-instance, the characters even visit a movie studio tour that explicitly points out the ‘Gilmore Girls’ set. The versatility of the Midwest Street backlot allowed it to serve as a backdrop for horror just as well as drama.

‘The Nanny’ (1993–1999)

The subway station set seen in the series was the same one used for the subway scenes in ‘Seinfeld’. This standing set was a versatile asset for the studio, allowing multiple New York-based sitcoms to film transit scenes without location shooting. The tiled walls, turnstiles, and platform layout were generic enough to fit any storyline requiring public transportation. It later went on to appear in other shows, including ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’, proving the longevity of a well-built set.

Share your favorite example of a recycled TV set or a moment when you spotted a familiar location in the comments.