The world of TV today is an exciting place. Series have become more compelling than ever and are seemingly capable of drawing in entire nations, as audiences become glued to their screens to see what happens next. Meanwhile, the arrival of online streaming such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other services provides viewers with a wide variety of options and also plenty of water cooler chat topics.
The western state of Colorado is one location that has been featured in several series that have been popular with the citizens of the state. In Colorado, success betting odds were really popular, but watching is as favored a leisure activity as betting on sports is, especially if a series takes place in the state. Below is a look at some series that have resonated with Colorado audiences, either on terrestrial TV or on a streaming service.
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Building Roots
“Building Roots” is a DIY and home renovation show broadcast on the HGTV network. The show follows husband and wife team Ben and Christi Dozier as they renovate homes around Colorado and live an outdoor-centric lifestyle. The couple hail from Texas and started their business, Root Design Company, there before moving to Pagoda Springs, Colorado. Their 100-year-old Victorian, situated on the water, gives a real glimpse into their personal lives.
Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules
The first series of “Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules,” took place in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and some might say it was something of a social experiment. This reality TV series on Hulu ripped the children of celebrities out of the glamour of a city setting and pitted them against the challenges of running a Colorado ranch and against each other. The mission was to reopen the ranch in the TV series following the pandemic, and tasks included everything from cooking simple meals to shoveling manure. Whether a second series will follow isn’t clear.
Unbelievable
“Unbelievable” is a miniseries on Netflix and had audiences in Colorado and the wider USA gasping in shock at the events that unfolded on their TV screens. The series, based on true events, tells the story of Marie Adler, a rape victim who reports her ordeal to the police but finds this force of law and order doesn’t believe her and accuses her of making it all up.
They’re not the only ones to disbelieve Marie: her friends and foster parents also had doubts about her story. It’s only three years later when two Colorado detectives investigate a series of assaults similar to the circumstances that Marie recounts of her own ordeal, they identify a serial rapist who has been on the loose and bring him to justice. Marie Adler is reported to have later taken legal action against the city of Lynwood and settled for $150,000.
American Murder: The Family Next Door
“American Murder: The Family Next Door” is another true-life shocker from Netflix, the location this time being Frederick, Colorado. The documentary once more draws the public’s attention to the disappearance of Shannon Watts, who was pregnant with her third child, and the two children of the Watts family Bella (aged four) and Celeste (aged three).
The case gained national awareness when the family, considered the quintessential Colorado family, went missing from their home near Denver, Colorado, without a trace. At the time, Mrs. Watt’s husband, Chris, seemed perplexed and bewildered by the disappearance and appeared publicly for them to come home. It later emerged, however, that the seemingly abandoned husband had been having an affair and murdered his wife and children. The show tells the story of the events leading up to the crime and outlines how, in the courtroom, the prosecution had argued the husband committed his heinous crimes so that he could start a new life.
Dynasty
When it comes to shows that resonate with Colorado audiences and are set in Colorado itself, there’s one that no list can omit: “Dynasty.” The series, which ran in the 1980s, revolved around the life and sins of the wealthy fictional family the Carringtons. During its time, the TV show explored a variety of themes, including rape and homosexuality. The show tried to push the boundaries of what was acceptable to audiences at the time, without completely crossing the line.
The first season of “Dynasty” never really caught on, but the second season of the show really helped the soap opera to take off before the series eventually came to an end. In 2017, the show was recreated, with the newer version being based still on the original and focusing on the rivalry between the Carringtons and the Colbys.
Audiences in Colorado love to watch good TV. If the action of the series is taking place in the state itself, this captivates them even more. Other popular shows that have been set in Colorado or filmed there include “Space Force” (season 2) and the classic “Mork and Mindy.”
