I want to know if there is any clue as to what state "Benson" takes place in. There is an episode of "Soap" (of which "Benson"
is a spinoff) in which one character is the Governor of Connecticut
and he's clearly a different character from James Noble's Gover-
nor Gatling, so it must not be Connecticut.

At the time I was watching the show regularly (back in the mid 80s), I paid very close attention to that and tried to narrow it down, but the clues they gave were too vague. I think the idea was that we were NOT supposed to know what state it took place in. I always assumed it was California though, for some reason.

On a side note, the mansion they show on the outside is supposed to be a house (wonder who owns it!) in Pasadena, CA.

Originally posted by tomknibb
I want to know if there is any clue as to what state "Benson" takes place in. There is an episode of "Soap" (of which "Benson"
is a spinoff) in which one character is the Governor of Connecticut
and he's clearly a different character from James Noble's Gover-
nor Gatling, so it must not be Connecticut.

No, there is no episode of "Soap" that launches Benson.
Benson just started, and if the show didn't work out, they were supposed to have Benson resume his job with the Tates.

There are two episodes that are interrelated. When Jessica is about to die in a hospital, Benson arrives, and she says her goodbyes.

Then, there are two episodes of Benson with Jessica Tate. One is where she visits Benson and the other episode is where she returns as a ghost. In the ghost episode, it is explained what happens to her character. You see, Benson was cancelled after it's fourth season. In the episode, everyone entered either an ambush, or a life threatening situation.

They lived in a state that had blizzards in the winter. In the show where Benson and the governor had to fly to the white house, Benson said they flew 2000 miles. I think that would eliminate California. They mentioned the town of Springfield. It could have been in Illinois. I always felt it was in the mid west somewhere. That's just my opinion.

They lived in a state that had blizzards in the winter. In the show where Benson and the governor had to fly to the white house, Benson said they flew 2000 miles. I think that would eliminate California. They mentioned the town of Springfield. It could have been in Illinois. I always felt it was in the mid west somewhere. That's just my opinion.


Why was the setting always a secret?-LOL There is a Springfield in Massachussets which is near Connecticut so maybe that could have been the location.

They lived in a state that had blizzards in the winter. In the show where Benson and the governor had to fly to the white house, Benson said they flew 2000 miles. I think that would eliminate California. They mentioned the town of Springfield. It could have been in Illinois. I always felt it was in the mid west somewhere. That's just my opinion.

Nope..Illinois is not 2,000 miles away from D.C, nor is really anyplace in the Midwest. It could be Colorado or someplace in the Mountain Time Zone. I am not sure how many miles California is from D.C.

Anywhere from 2500 to 3000 thousands miles.

I just figured out the only answer that makes sense (at least distance-wise), and that would be New Mexico. In "The Oval Office", Benson tells Governor Gatling they flew "1900 miles for a couple of pens and some stale pastry." In looking at my atlas book, it shows that Albuquerque is close to 1900 miles from Washington, D.C. and Santa Fe (the capital of NM and where the Governor's mansion would subsequently have to be located) is not far from Albuquerque at all.

Anyway that's my story and I'm sticking with it. :D

I know that it was not in the west, In one episode, Bensons younger brother (Tim Reid) paid Benson an unexpected visit. He was a dentist from Phoenix,and had complained to Benson about how he was tired from traveling across all those time zones!...another obvious clue is the mansion they live in. That Mansion must be more than 100 years old and has a midwestern type of look to it. You dont see mansions like that in the west...also, if it was in Arizona or NewMex, the grass wouldnt be soo lush and green as it is! There would be tumbleweed, rocks and cactus on the lawn!!!...East wins!!!

I know that it was not in the west, In one episode, Bensons younger brother (Tim Reid) paid Benson an unexpected visit. He was a dentist from Phoenix,and had complained to Benson about how he was tired from traveling across all those time zones!...another obvious clue is the mansion they live in. That Mansion must be more than 100 years old and has a midwestern type of look to it. You dont see mansions like that in the west...also, if it was in Arizona or NewMex, the grass wouldnt be soo lush and green as it is! There would be tumbleweed, rocks and cactus on the lawn!!!...East wins!!!

Those are good points but don't forget what I mentioned in my post: when they were at the White House, Benson told the Governor they flew 1,900 miles to get there. Obviously, no place on the East Coast or in the Midwest is that far from D.C.

I guess we'll have to conclude that they did all this on purpose to drive us crazy, and that there is no real way to determine where they are because the evidence cancels every place in the U.S. out. ;) :D

There is a map of NJ behind Benson's desk.

I have to look for The Map when I watch Benson

There is a map of NJ behind Benson's desk.
do they have beavers in New Jersey? (as referenced in the first episode)

I don't think so. Maybe they are in the tri-state area...NJ, NY, CT (home of Soap)? Or maybe PA?

I don't think so. Maybe they are in the tri-state area...NJ, NY, CT (home of Soap)? Or maybe PA?

That Mansion looks like it's in Connecticut, defintely not Pennsylvania.

...the location of Governor Gatling's "home state" was supposed to be "ambiguous", and never clearly defined. It was up to the viewer to decide exactly WHICH state in was, although certain hints were dropped that it was supposed to be somewhere in the "East"......

:tv:

I think Benson took place in Connecticut

...the location of Governor Gatling's "home state" was supposed to be "ambiguous", and never clearly defined. It was up to the viewer to decide exactly WHICH state in was, although certain hints were dropped that it was supposed to be somewhere in the "East"......

:tv:


CONNECTICUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes I'd agree it was Connecticut because I remember the Tates home from SOAP was specifically in Connecticut. Not that Benson couldn't move, but it seems plausible that this was the location.

--->Rascilon<---

Yes I'd agree it was Connecticut because I remember the Tates home from SOAP was specifically in Connecticut. Not that Benson couldn't move, but it seems plausible that this was the location.

--->Rascilon<---


Plus it looks like a mansion I seen while living in Connecticut for 5 years in the 90's

No, there is no episode of "Soap" that launches Benson.
Benson just started
NO pilot episode. :eek:

I guess it's not a spinoff then.

No, there is no episode of "Soap" that launches Benson.
Benson just started, and if the show didn't work out, they were supposed to have Benson resume his job with the Tates.

There are two episodes that are interrelated. When Jessica is about to die in a hospital, Benson arrives, and she says her goodbyes.

Then, there are two episodes of Benson with Jessica Tate. One is where she visits Benson and the other episode is where she returns as a ghost. In the ghost episode, it is explained what happens to her character. You see, Benson was cancelled after it's fourth season. In the episode, everyone entered either an ambush, or a life threatening situation.

Benson was a Spin-off of Soap, and It lasted 7 seasons and ended with the election cliff hanger not a near death cliff hanger

Benson was a Spin-off of Soap, and It lasted 7 seasons and ended with the election cliff hanger not a near death cliff hanger
i think he meant that SOAP was cancelled after it's fourth season. In the last episode of SOAP, everyone was in some sort of life threatening situation and Jessica was somewhere in South America facing a firing squad, so the episode with "Jesicas's ghost" tries to explain something about what happened to her.

as for a "spin-off episode"/pilot, SOAP never really addressed Benson's departure when he left to work with the Governor, but he did return later when Jessica was sick. The pilot episode would be the first episode where he comes to the Governor's mansion to help out on a temporary basis - initially for one week, but the Governor asks him to stay after he saves the beavers. :D

NO pilot episode. :eek:

I guess it's not a spinoff then.


Wait a Minute, NEW DEBATE, Is Benson really a Spinoff of Soap????? I have to do some research!!!!!!-lol

Yes Benson is a spin-off from Soap