Whether you are stuck at home or just looking for something new to watch, one of these 12 shows that are set in Tampa Bay and Central Florida might be your new favorite guilty pleasure!
Cougar Town — Sarasota County
Where to watch: Hulu
Based in the fictional town of Gulf Haven located outside of Sarasota, a divorced mother (Courtney Cox) must face the harsh realities of dating and aging in a youth- and beauty-obsessed culture. Having spent her 20s tackling the responsibilities of marriage and motherhood, she finds that her 40s are a journey of self-discovery amid friends, family and an ex-husband who all offer advice. Members of her dysfunctional but supportive extended family, `the cul-de-sac crew', include sarcastic confidante Ellie, across-the-street neighbor Grayson, feisty protege Laurie and witty son Travis.
Homecoming — Tampa
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Heidi Bergman (Julia Roberts) is a caseworker at Homecoming, a facility located in Tampa that helps soldiers transition back to civilian life. She leaves Homecoming to start a new life living with her mother and working as a small-town waitress. Years later, the Department of Defense questions why she left, which makes Heidi realize that there's a whole other story behind the one that she's been telling herself. "Homecoming" is based a podcast of the same name.
Nightwatch (Season 4) — Tampa
Where to watch: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, A&E
The old saying "Nothing good happens after midnight" rings true in this nonfiction series. Hour-long episodes follow emergency responders in Tampa, Fla. (season 4), who work the busy, unpredictable 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. shift, battling time and circumstances while attempting to save lives. Responding to as many as a thousand calls a night are police officers, firefighters and EMTs who exhibit the skills, dedication and determination needed to properly serve their city.
Watch part of season 4 (and the previous 3 seasons in New Orleans) on A&E.com when you sign in with your cable service provider.
Siesta Key – Siesta Key
Where to watch: MTV
Siesta Key is the setting of this sultry series from the producers of Laguna Beach that follows a similar formula as that mid-2000s show. Siesta Key follows some young adults who confront issues of love, heartbreak, class and looming adulthood while spending the summer together in their sun-drenched hometown. Nothing is off-limits as the friends come of age and try to figure out who they are and who they want to become, which probably includes getting romantically involved with each other.
Catch part of season 1 and all of seasons 2 and 3 online at MTV.com when you login using your cable service provider.
Secrets of the Zoo: Tampa - Tampa
Where to watch: Hulu + Live, Disney+, National Geographic
Nat Geo Wild is taking viewers inside the grounds of ZooTampa and allowing them to experience what visitors can't: compelling, heartwarming stories, and behind-the-scenes moments and adventures. Secrets of the Zoo: Tampa introduces both the animals and the legions of workers who create unforgettable connections between people and wildlife. This is a spin-off of the Secrets of the Zoo series based at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio.
Watch season 1 on National Geographic's website when you login with a participating cable service provider.
Fresh Off the Boat – Orlando
Where to watch: Hulu
Based on chef Eddie Huang's best-selling memoir of the same name, this series takes a humorous look at the lives of immigrants in America. In the 1990s, Eddie, a hip-hop-loving 11-year-old, relocates with his parents (Constance Wu from Crazy Rich Asians and Randall Park from Always Be My Maybe) and two brothers to suburban Orlando from the Chinatown section of Washington, D.C. As Eddie's dad, Louis, pursues the American dream by opening a Western-themed restaurant named Cattleman's Ranch Steakhouse, Eddie and the rest of the family try to acclimate to their new, strange surroundings.
On Becoming God in Central Florida – Central Florida
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Showtime
This dark comedy stars award-winning actress Kirsten Dunst and takes place in a small town that is adjacent to Orlando in the early 1990s. Dunst plays Krystal Stubbs, a minimum wage employee at a waterpark who is looking for a better life. To reach her goal, she lies, cheats and cons her way up the ranks of Founders American Merchandise (FAM), a cultish pyramid scheme that ruined her family in the first place. As Krystal dives deeper into FAM, things take on a very serious turn as the business begins to affect everyone that is close to her.
Florida Girls – Clearwater
Where to watch: Hulu + Live TV
Having grown up in Florida, series creator and executive producer Laura Chinn draws upon her real-life experiences in the Clearwater for this comedy about four broke girls who are forced to take stock of their lives when their best friend moves out of their shared mobile home to start a career. Decidedly lowbrow and low-rent, the girls struggle to overcome the unfortunate cards they are dealt and find self-worth in a society that deems poor, uneducated women as valueless. Fortunately, the female foursome has a tight-knit, nonjudgmental and loving friendship to fall back upon while navigating life's endless barrage of comedic curveballs.
Watch the first two episodes for free on PopTV.com or watch the whole first season when you login with your cable service provider.
Claws – Palmetto
Where to watch: Hulu, YouTube TV
At the Nail Artisan of Manatee County salon in Central Florida, five diverse, hardworking manicurists try to make ends meet in a staid economy while managing perilous personal lives awash in drama. Amidst all the silk wraps, pedicures and polish treatments, salon owner Desna (Niecy Nash), who lives with and cares for her autistic brother, leads a staff that includes best friend Jennifer, now sober and raising two kids from a previous relationship; enigmatic Ann, who provides security for the salon; mild-mannered preppy and ex-convict Polly; and Virginia, who becomes easily bored and impatient with her job. Also hanging around the salon are shady redneck Roller; ambulance coach Bryce, Jennifer's husband who is also newly sober; and Uncle Daddy, a dangerous, deeply Catholic and actively bisexual crime boss.
Floribama Shore (Season 3) – St. Pete
Where to watch: MTV
The team behind pop-culture powerhouse Jersey Shore reignites MTV's franchise that celebrates youth culture, turning its cameras to the Florida Panhandle to profile a summer of fun for eight young adults. The most recent season takes place in St. Pete. Detailing hookup drama, the ending of relationships, tasting independence for the first time, or trying to escape the past, this incarnation tells a coming-of-age story 'Shore fans know and love.
Watch all of season 3 (and the previous two seasons in the Florida Panhandle) online at MTV.com when you login using your cable service provider.
Hotwives of Orlando — Orlando
Where to watch: Hulu
Meet Tawny, Shauna, Veronica, Phe Phe, Crystal and Amanda. Not your average housewives; they're not even on the level of Real Housewives stars. No, they are a notch above that. In this Hulu original—a scripted parody of the popular franchise—the six "hotwives" enjoy ultraglamorous lives in Orlando. They're the best of friends—except when they're not. They share a love of shoes, plastic surgery and spending their husbands' money; everything else they fight about.
Buying Naked – Pasco County
Where to watch: Hulu + Live TV, TLC
Real estate agent Jackie Youngblood never has to worry about her clients being too shy about themselves—at least physically. Youngblood works in Pasco County, Florida, which has the strongest concentration of nudist communities in the nation. Buying Naked follows Jackie and her team as they help uncover dream homes for their "in the buff" customers. Typically, that entails going beyond usual factors like location, layout and budget, and keeps in mind routine tasks such as cooking, cleaning and even strolling in a new home, all of which can present safety risks for the unclothed.
Watch part of season 1 on TLC.com when you login with your cable service provider.
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