TV Sets: Fantasy Blueprints of Classic TV Homes

by Mark Bennett

Provides floor plans for homes featured on television programs, including "Leave It to Beaver," "Mister Ed," "I Love Lucy," "The Beverley Hillbillies," "MASH," "The Flinstones," and "Gilligan's Island"

Genres: Nonfiction, Tv, Art, Pop Culture, Architecture, Design

144 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1998

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book may look a bit silly but I found it to be fascinating.

My favorite section was PERRY MASON'S OFFICE. Once you see the creative design of the office and you can understand how Perry could disappear a client out of his office as Lt. Tragg entered.
There was Gertie's office; then Della's office and then Perry's...so that's 3 rooms.
Running parallel to those was the Law Library. Now the Law Library had a door in Perry's office and one in Della's (or Gertie's sorry the book isn't nearby). So, a client could duck in the library and then exit out the other door without the police knowing they were there.

The door behind Perry's desk (to his right) usually led to a hallway which took you to Paul Drake's office.
[Though in one episode that door oddly enough went elsewhere....odd.]

Other designs are there. I think someone messed up because the designs in my edition I believe were made smaller but the scale in the designs was left the same so the scale of the homes/rooms
is off if your looking for exact size.
Still, a good time is had by all. For TV fans this is fun stuff.

[Jon Allanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from my father recently. It is a fun diversion, easily read in a short time. The nostalgia factor is high. The story of how the blueprints came about is ultimately more interesting than this book, however. Fun, but not essential.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Combines two of my favorite things: retro television and house plans. I couldn't love it more!

[Renee Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book that provided a short summary of some classic TV shows and a look at blueprints for these shows’ homes.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

"[…] I created these drawings over a 20–year period because 1) I wanted to, in some way, capture all the details of these television families, and 2) I figured if I could geographically, architecturally and chronologically record these imaginary houses and their inhabitants, then I would become part of these television families and they would become part of me" (Bennett, pg. xi).