The best TV shows based in Chicago

One of the most popular sitcoms of the 1970s followed the life of the legendary comedian Bob Newhart's character, Dr. Bob Hartley, a noted Chicago psychologist, and the often bumbling cast of family, friends, co-workers and patients. Suzanne Pleshette shined as Bob's wife, and office receptionist Carol (Marcia Wallace) and neighbor Howard (Bill Daily) added to the hilarity. Who knew the show would have a memorable impact in the finale of the star's next series, "Newhart"?

This Norman Lear hit was as groundbreaking as it was funny. Led by young comedian Jimmie Walker (J.J.), "Good Times" was the first TV sitcom to feature an African American family with two parents. While James and Florida Evans were first introduced on "Maude," this project featured the couple raising their family in a Chicago housing project while trying to make ends meet. It even featured a young Janet Jackson. The show was "DY-NO-MITE!" with viewers.

"Webster," the show that made the diminutive Emmanuel Lewis a star, was set in Chicago. The ABC sitcom loosely followed in the footsteps of the NBC hit "Diff'rent Strokes," with a white couple adopting a black child following the death of his parents. However, Lewis' Webster often was the one guiding his new parents (Alex Karras and Susan Clark) through parenthood during the show's six-season run.

America fell in love with Soleil Moon Frye's quirky "Punky Brewster," and that relationship with television audiences lasted four seasons in the 1980s. The orphan, with dog Brandon and eventual guardian, the often crotchety Henry (George Gaynes), try to make it together through a number of comic situations with Chicago as a landscape. 

Eight seasons. That's how long Balki and Cousin Larry dealt with one comedic quandary after another while traipsing through the city of Chicago — though we're not sure if the show ever made coming up from an underground "L" station for a night at the theater wearing a tuxedo jacket and shorts fashionable?   

Was there a more dysfunctional, politically incorrect sitcom family on network television than the Bundys? Chicagoans probably can't look at Buckingham Fountain without hearing Frank Sinatra's version of "Love and Marriage" in their heads. Al, Peg and the gang helped Fox become a major player in the world of network television in the late 1980s.

A spin-off of "Perfect Strangers," where we first met elevator operator Harriette Winslow, "Family Matters" followed Winslow and police officer husband, Carl, and their Chicago family. However, it was neighbor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White), who stole the show and became one of the most popular characters in television history. The show ran for nine seasons and featured more than 200 episodes. 

This David E. Kelley creation lasted six seasons and produced Emmy winners in Mandy Patinkin, Hector Elizondo and Christine Lahti. Though the story about staffers at a fictional Chicago hospital also featured big-name stars like Barbara Hershey, Mark Harmon and Adam Arkin, this CBS drama didn't quite have the staying power of that other medical-drama juggernaut over on NBC.

Created by novelist Michael Crichton, ER will go down as one of the great novels of all time. For 15 seasons, the fictional account of Chicago-based hospital emergency room was appointment television. The roll call of cast members reads like a Who's Who of Hollywood - Clooney, Edwards, Wylie, Margulies, Tierney and La Salle. ER won 23 Primetime Emmy Awards, including ones for Julianna Margulies, and guest stars Ray Liotta and Sally Field. 

A hit with fans, "Early Edition" lasted only four seasons but remains somewhat of a cult favorite. The show follows Gary Hobson (Kyle Chandler), a regular man who gets a copy of the Chicago Sun-Times one day before it's published and tries to keep the bad news from happening. The show was filmed throughout Chicago and its surrounding suburbs.

Before Kenan Thompson became a star of Saturday Night Live, he and buddy Kel Mitchell were favorites within the Nickelodeon universe. It was your classic buddy comedy, complete with mischief, crazy situations and good, clean fun in the city of Chicago that the whole family could enjoy. Mitchell is actually a native of the Windy City.

An adaptation of the 1997 film of the same name, "Soul Food" follows the Joseph family as it deals with everyday life in Chicago. The show, which did well over five seasons on Showtime, won multiple NAACP Image Awards and eventually earned syndication on BET (Black Entertainment Television). 

Television fans might still be wondering how a guy like Jim Belushi was able to land a woman like Courtney Thorne-Smith. Then again, this ABC comedy lasted eight seasons, as Jim (Belushi) and Cheryl (Thorne-Smith) navigated their family through life and the Chicago area. Cheryl's brother, Andy, played by Larry Joe Campbell, stole many scenes during the show's run.

"Still Standing" is another sitcom where a middling man wins the heart of an attractive woman in the Chicago area. However, this one seemed to work quite well because the husband-wife team of Judy (Jami Gertz) and Bill (Mark Addy) had great chemistry as relatable parents trying to do what they think is best for their family. Judy's sister, Linda, portrayed by Jennifer Irwin, was one of the more underrated members of the cast.

The popular prison drama was actually set just outside of Chicago but offered various references to the big city. For five seasons, "Prison Break" was well-received but a somewhat underrated staple of Fox's lineup. The show featured strong character work from leads Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller and Robin Tunney.

It would seem hard to believe that a sitcom about fantasy football could be popular. But FX was glad it was, for seven seasons. The show revolved around six friends, led by Mark Duplass' Pete, a divorcee and fantasy football star. There were plenty of references to the Chicago Bears, which obviously fit with the theme.

Julianna Margulies traded in her "ER" scrubs for a litigator's briefcase, and the success followed. Margulies was again cited for her work with Emmy love as a former stay-at-home mom thrown back into the courtroom after her Cook County State's Attorney husband was jailed following a corruption and sex scandal. In total, "The Good Wife" was nominated for nearly 200 awards during its run.

Melissa McCarthy made a name for herself via a supporting role on "Gilmore Girls" but became a star, in part, because this CBS sitcom. McCarthy won an Emmy for her role as Molly, and she played well off Chicago police officer husband Mike (Billy Gardell). Co-stars Katy Mixon and Swoosie Kurtz also shined alongside one of America's most underrated sitcom couples.

Though Boss' star Kelsey Grammer won a Emmy for his role as ill Chicago mayor Tom Kane, the show on Starz lasted just two seasons. It even received consistent praise for the rest of the cast but apparently was not strong enough to remain part of the of the premium channel's lineup.

This Chicago-based sitcom about young adults trying to act like grown-ups lasted just three seasons but was probably worth more. Casey Wilson, Damon Wayans Jr. and Elisha Cuthbert headed a young a talented ensemble cast, in which little known members Eliza Coupe and Adam Pally actually shined brightest. ABC, however, was never able to settle on an appropriate time slot for one of the more underrated sitcoms of this decade. 

For as dysfunctional, obscene and inappropriate as the Gallagher family is, it's so hard for us to stop watching them. They are like a car wreck, which one usually can't turn away from. Set and often filmed throughout Chicago's near West and South Sides, "Shameless" has been a hit for Showtime since its debut thanks to stellar performances from Emmy Rossum and William H. Macy.

The first of Dick Wolf's "Chicago" story franchise, "Fire" remains one of the most popular dramas on television. The show takes viewers into lives of the firefighters and paramedics of Firehouse 51. It's also made stars of Jesse Spencer, Taylor Kinney and Monica Raymond. And not only is the show set in Chicago, but it's also filmed there.

Installment No. 2 of Wolf's "Chicago" franchise, "P.D." came out two years after "Chicago Fire" but is just as popular as its predecessor. What's made the show more of a hit is the cross-over storylines with characters sharing screen time with each other. Jon Seda's portrayal of detective Antonio Dawson continues to draw raves.

The most recent edition to the "Chicago" drama family takes us into another emergency room of a fictional hospital in the Windy City. Like Dick Wolf's other two shows in this series, there was not a lot of established star power, but they continue to strike it rich with viewers and remain a vital part of this collective juggernaut of a trifecta.  

"The Chi" has not been on the air long, but the Showtime drama is already a hit with both viewers and critics. The story of everyday life on Chicago's often rough South Side has been praised for the way it brings the audience in touch with its intriguing cast of characters in an emotional way.