Lights, camera, CBUS.
If you’re anything like us, you get a little more invested in a TV show when it references Columbus. So, we decided to look back through the footage. Here are a few of our favorite times Columbus made its big screen debut.
Movies
- “Teachers ” | Released: 1984 | Comedy + drama | Nick Nolte stars in this film that was shot and based in Columbus.
- “The Breakfast Club ” | Released: 1985 | Comedy + coming-of-age | This is a small Easter egg, but shout out to this Redditor for noticing the “OHIOST” license plate near the end of the film.
- “Zombieland ” | Released: 2009 | Action, comedy + horror | Jesse Eisenberg portrays a character attempting to get to Columbus alongside a star-studded cast.
- “Ready Player One ” | Released: 2018 | Action, adventure + sci-fi | Witness a cyberpunk-themed version of the city in this film about virtual reality.
Television
- “Family Ties ” | Released: 1982 | Sitcom | Michael J. Fox is “Alex Keaton” for seven seasons in this show set in suburban CBUS.
- “Unsolved Mysteries ” | Released: 2008 | True crime | Dive into the details of Michael Swango, a criminal and former intern at a local hospital.
- “The Simpsons ” | Released: 2017 | Cartoons + comedy | Principal Skinner visits The Ohio State University in Season 29, Episode 5.
- “Kidding ” | Released: 2018 | Drama + tragic comedy | Jim Carrey starred in this heart-wrenching show based in Columbus.
- “Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan ” | Released: 2021 | True crime | Listen to a twisted tale of this criminal that terrorized OSU’s campus in the 1970s (trigger warning: SA).
What movies and shows are a must-add to our list? Send us your suggestions, and we will continue to update this story.