California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third most extensive (after Alaska and Texas). It is home to the nation's second- and sixth-largest census statistical areas (Los Angeles Metropolitan Area and San Francisco Bay Area), and eight of the nation's fifty most populated cities (Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach and Oakland). The capital city is Sacramento. California's diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast in the west, to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east – from the Redwood–Douglas-fir forests of the northwest, to the Mojave Desert areas in the southeast. The center of the state is dominated by Central Valley, a major agricultural area. California contains both the highest and lowest points in the contiguous United States (Mount Whitney and Death Valley), and has the third-longest coastline of all states (after Alaska and Florida). Earthquakes are a common occurrence due to the state's location along the Pacific Ring of Fire: about 37,000 are recorded annually.

Excluding New York, the state of California probably boasts the most amount of television programs that utilize it as their central settings. Many series take place in the city of Los Angeles, but some also take place in San Diego and San Francisco. The 1970s cop drama Adam-12 took place in Los Angeles, as did the supernatural action show Angel. One of Angel 's contemporaries, the supernatural fantasy series Charmed took place in San Francisco, as did the short-lived vampire series Kindred: The Embraced, both of which were produced by Aaron Spelling for Spelling Television. More modern shows that take place in California include The Big Bang Theory, which takes place in Pasadena and The Mentalist, which takes place in Sacramento. The USA Network television programs Psych and Monk likewise took place in California. Psych is based out of Santa Barbara, while Monk is based out of San Francisco.

Counties

 * Los Angeles County
 * Orange County

Major cities

 * Brentwood
 * Los Angeles
 * Bel Air
 * Encino
 * Sherman Oaks
 * Woodland Hills


 * Newport Beach
 * Oakland
 * Palm Desert
 * Palo Alto
 * Pasadena
 * Sacramento
 * San Diego
 * La Jolla


 * San Francisco
 * Santa Ana
 * Santa Barbara
 * Santa Cruz
 * Santa Monica

Fictional locales

 * Playa Del Toro

TV shows that take place in

 * Action
 * Adam-12
 * ALF
 * American Horror Story
 * Angel
 * Buffy the Vampire Slayer
 * Charmed
 * Dirt
 * Good Vibes
 * L.A. Law
 * L Word, The
 * Leverage (Seasons 1-2)
 * Mentalist, The
 * Monk
 * Psych

People who were born in

 * Benji Gregory
 * Christopher Bernau
 * Clarice Blackburn
 * David Ford
 * Denise Crosby
 * Drake Bell
 * Emily Deschanel
 * Eric Loomis
 * Hart Hanson
 * Humbert Allen Astredo
 * Jack Webb
 * James Burrows
 * Jason Segel
 * Joseph Gordon-Levitt
 * Kent McCord
 * Lyndsy Fonseca
 * Rockne S. O'Bannon
 * Ryan O'Neal
 * Steve Franks
 * Teri Hatcher
 * Wil Wheaton
 * Zooey Deschanel

People who died in

 * Anthony George
 * Boyd Kirkland
 * Corey Allen
 * Dan Curtis
 * DeForest Kelley
 * Dennis Patrick
 * Fred Freiberger
 * Gene Roddenberry
 * Herman S. Saunders
 * Jack Kirby
 * Jack Webb
 * Jerome H. Stanley
 * John Beal
 * Joseph Pevney
 * Margaret Armen
 * Marti Noxon