Colonial Street is one of the backlot street sets at the Universal Studios Lot in Universal City, California. The street set has a long history, spanning over 60 years of movies and television. From 2004 to 2012, it was used in the filming of the TV series Desperate Housewives, in which the street was known as Wisteria Lane. After the production of Desperate Housewives ended, the street underwent a small makeover to remove the essence of Wisteria Lane, so that it could be used in other productions. As of May 2012[update], most of the iconic white fencing and wisteria has been removed. Colonial Street has since been used for the NBC comedy About a Boy and the NBC series Telenovela, featuring Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria.
 Corner House (1936) | |
 | |
| Location | Universal Studios Lot, Universal City, United States |
|---|---|
History
edit
In 1988, Colonial Street was overhauled for Tom Hanks comedy The 'Burbs. The old Leave It to Beaver home was removed.[a] Following the movie, the homes were rearranged again so Circle Drive was connected once again.[b]
Among the most noticeable changes were the removals of a church facade, seen on Murder She Wrote, in order to make room for Edie's house,[1] and of the so-called Colonial Mansion, which was replaced by a park.[2]
Wisteria Lane
edit
Wisteria Lane is a fictional street, appearing in the American television series Desperate Housewives.
Buildings
edit| Colonial Street | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Number | Image | Name | Lifespan | Productions | ||
| Non Desperate Housewives | Desperate Housewives | |||||
| Address | Families | |||||
| BLDG #1 | 
|
Delta House[3] (originally Keller house) |
1950–present[4] |
|
4347 Wisteria Lane[5] | Ida Greenberg (?–2008) Karen McCluskey (2008) Mitzi Kinsky (2014–present) |
| BLDG #2 | 
|
Allison Home[6] | 1946–present |
|
4349 Wisteria Lane | Gabrielle Solis (2003–2018) Carlos Solis (2003–2006 and 2008–2018) |
| BLDG #3 | 
|
Munster Mansion[8] (originally Maxim house)[8] |
1946–present |
|
4351 Wisteria Lane[9] | Mullin family (?-2005) |
| Betty Applewhite (2005–2006) | ||||||
| Alma Hodge (2007) | ||||||
| Hunter/McDermott (2007–present) | ||||||
| BLDG #4 | 
|
Johnson Home[10] | 1955–present |
|
4353 Wisteria Lane | Susan Mayer (1992–2015 and 2016–2017) Paul Young (2015-2016) |
| BLDG #5 | 
|
Dana Home[12] | 1941–present[13] |
|
4355 Wisteria Lane | Scavo family (1998–2017) |
| BLDG #6 | 
|
McCluskey Home | 2007–present[14] |
|
4358 Wisteria Lane[15] | Karen McCluskey (1964–2017) |
| BLDG #7 | 
|
Walter's House | Around 1987–present |
|
4356 Wisteria Lane | Lilian Simms (?–2004) Katherine Davis (1994–1995) |
| Mike Delfino (2004–2007) | ||||||
| Carlos Solis (2006–2007) | ||||||
| Katherine Mayfair (2007–2015) | ||||||
| Felicia Tilman (2016) | ||||||
| Ben Faulkner (2016-2017) | ||||||
| BLDG #8 | 
|
The Klopek House[16] | around 1999–present |
|
4354 Wisteria Lane | Van de Kamp/Hodge family (1994–2019) (House modified since the Burbs) |
| BLDG #9 | 
|
Leave It To Beaver House[17] Morrison Home[18] |
1996–present |
|
4352 Wisteria Lane | Young family (1990–2006) |
| Shepherd family (2006) | ||||||
| Bolen family (2014–2015) | ||||||
| BLDG #10 | 
|
Cromwell Home |
|
4350 Wisteria Lane | Martha Huber (?-2004) | |
| Felicia Tilman (2004–06) | ||||||
| Alex Cominis (2014-2016) & Andrew Van de Kamp (2014-present) | ||||||
| BLDG #11 | 
|
Drew House | 1977–present |
|
4346 Wisteria Lane[19] | Rose Kemper (?-2014) on 5.20 |
| BLDG #12 | 
|
Corner House | 1936–present |
|
4346 Wisteria Lane | Mona Clarke (used as a security house to prevent unauthorised access to the street.) |
| BLDG #13 |
|
Seven Gables | 1940–present | 4344 Wisteria Lane | Unknown Occupants | |
| BLDG #14 | 
|
Chicken Ranch | 1982–present |
|
4345 Wisteria Lane | Has only been seen once throughout the entire series. |
| Circle Drive (the end of Colonial Street with the cul-de-sac) | ||||||
| BLDG #1 |
|
Colonial Mansion | 1927–2005 |
|
| |
| Park | 2005–present | Vacant lot |
| |||
| BLDG #2 |
|
Church | 1964–2005 |
|
| |
|
Edie Britt's Home | 2005–present |
|
4362 Wisteria Lane[22] |
| |
| BLDGS #3, 4, 5, 6 |
School Facades Store Facades |
unknown-2005 | Not known |
| ||
|
Buble House | 2005–present |
|
4360 Wisteria Lane | ||
Productions
editSeveral TV series and motion pictures have been filmed on Colonial Street, including:
- About a Boy (2014–2015)
- Adam-12
- Angie Tribeca
- Baby Daddy (Season 03, Episode 21)
- Bedtime for Bonzo[12]
- Beethoven[23]
- Best Little Whorehouse in Texas[24]
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer[23]
- The 'Burbs[23]
- Casper 1997 prequel[25]
- Deep Impact[10]
- Delta House[3]
- The Desperate Hours[3]
- Desperate Housewives[23] (2004-2012)
- Father's Day[24]
- The Ghost and Mr. Chicken[6]
- Get a Life (1990-1992)
- Ghost Whisperer[24]
- Gremlins[23]
- The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries[10]
- Harvey[6]
- House of 1000 Corpses[24]
- Kicking and Screaming[23]
- The Ladykillers (the 2004 remake)[23]
- Leave It to Beaver (the original series)[23]
- Leave It to Beaver (the 1997 remake)[26]
- Lucas Tanner[3]
- Malcolm in the Middle (Season 3, episode 3)
- Marcus Welby, M.D.
- Matlock[27]
- The Mick (S2E4)
- Mockingbird Lane (2012)
- The Munsters[28]
- Murder She Wrote[29]
- Never Have I Ever
- The New Lassie[10]
- Parenthood (2010 TV series) (S04e07)
- Providence[16]
- Psycho (the 1998 remake)[23]
- Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
- Send Me No Flowers
- The Shaggy Dog (1959 movie and 1994 TV movie remake)
- Sliders
- So Goes My Love[6]
- Superstore (TV series)
- Telenovela (2015-2016)
- The Thrill of It All[12]
- The Visitor (1997 TV movie)[24]
- Written on the Wind[25]
- Why Him?
In addition, some music videos have used the street to shoot scenes:[23]
- Melanie B. - "For Once in My Life"
- Smash Mouth - "All Star"
- The Offspring - "Why Don't You Get a Job?"
- Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland - "Dilemma"
- Diddy featuring Black Rob & Mark Curry - "Bad Boy for Life"
- Boxcar Racer - "There Is"
- Michael Bublé - "It's a Beautiful Day"
- Bring Me the Horizon - "Follow You"
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ see a 1988 map here
- ^ see a 1989-1996 map here
- ^ Known as the "Harvey House" for most of its history, the elements of this house had been replicated many times by Universal Studios. This allowed for quick construction of a cheap facade with high-quality design characteristics, when a production needed one. Elements of the "Harvey House" stock unit was used for the construction of the Bates House for the 1960 film Psycho, which has led many to assume that the "Psycho House" was erected on Colonial Street. The Bates House was erected on a hill off Laramie Street, a "Wild West" backlot street far to the south on the Universal lot.[7]
References
edit- ^ TheStudioTour.com: Colonial Street/Circle Drive - The Church, Retrieved August 3, 2007
- ^ TheStudioTour.com: Colonial Mansion, Retrieved August 16, 2007
- ^ a b c d e f g TheStudioTour.com: Colonial Street: Building #1 - Delta House, Retrieved August 19, 2007
- ^ "Colonial Street - Delta House".
- ^ Episode 3.06 - Sweetheart, I Have to Confess
- ^ a b c d e f g h i TheStudioTour.com: Colonial Street: Building #2 - Allison Home, Retrieved August 19, 2007
- ^ Rebello, Stephen (2012). Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of 'Psycho'. Berkeley, Calif.: Soft Skull Press. pp. 83–85. ISBN 9781593765118.
- ^ a b c d e TheStudioTour.com: Colonial Street - Building #3: "The Munsters" house, Retrieved August 3, 2007
- ^ Alfre Woodard has a secret, USA Today, 29 September 2005
- ^ a b c d e f g TheStudioTour.com: Colonial Street: Building #4 - Johnson Home, Retrieved August 19, 2007
- ^ "Fans Are Convinced Never Have I Ever Was Filmed on Desperate Housewives' Wisteria Lane". 12 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d e TheStudioTour.com: Colonial Street: Building #5 - Dana Home, Retrieved August 19, 2007
- ^ "Colonial Street - the Thrill of It All House".
- ^ new house old one destroyed in a Tornado that brings death to 'Desperate Housewives'; writers strike adds to the suspense - Associated Press, November 30, 2007
- ^ Episode 1.14 - Love Is in the Air
- ^ a b c TheStudioTour.com: Colonial Street: Providence (1999 - 2002) The Burbs (1987), Retrieved August 19, 2007
- ^ a b "Colonial Street / Wisteria Lane". thestudiotour.com. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ Stone Mason (10 July 2009). "Morrison House | Colonial Street 1988". Flickr.com. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ "Wisteria lane 2010". 19 March 2010.
- ^ Weaver, Brunas & Brunas 2007, p. 227.
- ^ Sandler 2006, p. 168.
- ^ Episode 2.21 - I Know Things Now
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j TheStudioTour.com: Colonial Street - 1989-1996, Retrieved August 19, 2007
- ^ a b c d e TheStudioTour.com: The Chicken Ranch, Retrieved August 19, 2007
- ^ a b TheStudioTour.com: Colonial Mansion, Retrieved August 19, 2007
- ^ TheStudioTour.com: Colonial Street: "Leave it to Beaver" house, Retrieved August 19, 2007
- ^ TheStudioTour.com: Building #12 - Corner House, Retrieved August 19, 2007
- ^ TheStudioTour.com: Colonial Street - Building #3: "The Munsters" house, Retrieved August 19, 2007
- ^ TheStudioTour.com: Colonial Street / Circle Drive: Church, Retrieved August 19, 2007
Bibliography
edit- Sandler, Corey (2006). Disneyland Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Other Major Southern California Attractions Including Disney's California Adventure. Guilford, Conn.: Globe Pequot. ISBN 9780762738724.
- Weaver, Tom; Brunas, Brunas; Brunas, John (2007). Universal Horrors: The Studio's Classic Films, 1931-1946. Jefferson, N.C.: Mcfarland & Co. ISBN 9780786491506.
External links
edit
Media related to Colonial Street at Wikimedia Commons
Maps
- 1988 map of Colonial Street (during the filming of the 'Burbs)
- 1989-1996 map of Colonial Street (hi-res version but church facade cut off)
- Overview photo of Colonial Street in 2004, before Colonial Mansion, the Church facade, and School and Stores facades were removed for Season Two of Desperate Housewives
Homes
- Building #1 - Delta House
- Building #2 - Allison Home
- Building #3 - Munsters House (originally known as the Maxim house)
- Building #4 - Johnson Home
- Building #5 - Dana Home
- Colonial Mansion
- Church (Facade was removed in 2005 to build Desperate Housewive character Edie Britt's house)
- Building #11 - Drew House
- Building #12 - Corner House
- Building #13 - Seven Gables
- Building #14 - Chicken Ranch Building
Movies
General