Frank writes:
Hello. I enjoyed your comments and I have a similar useless talent for spotting sets and backgrounds. It is not as developed as yours. One thing that has been bothering me is that I have wondered if the house on Judging Amy is the same as the Partridge Family house? What do you think?
Wow — good eye!
I took a look at the two houses, and decided that they’re not the same. Now, the Partridge family house, which is located on the Warner Ranch (a misnomer if ever there was one, the “Ranch” is a few square blocks in Burbank, not a huge plot of land out in the country), has undergone some changes since the original TV show, but I don’t think it’s been changed so much that it could be the one used on Judging Amy — I decided this on the basis of the foliage, especially the mature trees. Here are some pics for comparison.
The Partridge House (as seen in the 70s):
The Partridge House (as revised in 1999):
The Judging Amy House (from the pilot episode, 2000):
Still, it’s pretty similar and judging from the changes in the original Partridge house, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that it’s the same set — but it doesn’t seem likely.
This is a house that is located on Western Avenue in Washington, D.C. I took a picture of it for a documentary I’m working on about the surveying of Washington in 1791-1792, when boundary stones were laid around the 10-mile square of the District. This house has one of the stones in the front yard (which means that the house is in Maryland, but the yard is in D.C.). Anyway, I just realized that this house bears a striking resemblance to the Judging Amy house, as well!
One house I’m dying to learn about is the one from Picket Fences. I’ve seen the same house, and variations on it, in many tv shows and commercials, but I don’t know if it’s a real house or a set somewhere.
