Blueprints of Classic TV Homes by Mark Bennett
Ever since I did a post about the classic TV Dick Van Dyke Show I have wanted to share with you about author, artist Mark Bennett who spent years drawing blueprints of beloved Classic TV Shows. His book available for purchase is “TV Sets: Fantasy Blueprints of Classic TV Homes.” He has drawn blueprints of The Mike and Carol Brady House, Leave It To Beaver, The Patty Duke Show, The Jetsons, I Love Lucy, Family Affair, The Flintstones, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Laverne and Shirley to name a few.
Mark Bennett is not alone in this attempt to immortalize beloved TV shows. Brandi Roberts is an artist who has also been drawing exciting TV home blueprints called Fantasy Floorplans.
Mark Bennett’s famous detailed blueprint drawings of classic TV shows can also be found at the Los Angles County Museum of Art and The Museum of Modern Art and he has been “coined a master of nostalgia and social evaluation, acting as “the most earnest of his generation of West Coast artists drawing on popular culture.”
via Amazon
The back cover of the book shows the Ricardos’ address for the I Love Lucy Show was 623 E 68th Street, Apartment 30, but per IMDB.com, 68th Street in Manhattan only goes up to 600, which means the apartment was in the middle of the East River. Well, this is fantasy folks, but the blueprints of the TV Shows are for real and exact as seen in the shows with Mr. Bennett occasionally needing to take liberties drawing in rooms never seen on the shows to make a complete house.
Mark Bennett also wrote the book How to Live a Sitcom Life that is about how to solve daily problems in life using your favorite television personalities as your role model. Each section in the book offers helpful hints on issues like caring for a pet, buying a car, and domestic issues per the wit and wisdom of Mark Bennet, TV junkie style.
I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of the book and see my beloved TV Shows house floor plans come to life. There is another person that does this kind of TV Show blueprint drawing that I will be featuring in a future post, so stay tuned.
Sources: Mark Moore Gallery
See the Fantasy Floorplans too!
Thanks Vidya 🙂
Great post Sue. Love looking at blueprints.
I got a great giggle from your “watching the show just to see my lamp.” I do that too on many shows. Stay tuned to tomorrow for the Frazier Show blueprints Jenny as I did a post about where to get that blueprint.
I loved the Brady Bunch house! Those stairs in the living room were amazing. I would love to get my hands on this book. There are a few other favorite sitcoms houses I would love to see as well, Frazier is one that comes to mind. There was a lamp on that show, that I would love to get my hands on. I sometimes wondered if I was watching the show just to see my lamp. LOL
I am going to do another post about a woman who also does this too.
And I can’t wait to read your blog after you read the book. Blue print for TV show. So cool!
Thank you Miss Sue! I love peeking in windows- just ask my kids (I hope they don’t start a blog about ME! Uugh!!)
Thanks Michelle, I loved your wolf story today.
I would like to see the blue print for the Huxtable’s house too. Miss that show! Thanks for sharing!
The Graffiti of Time is awesome.
I will. Actually- I have a few already posted on my blog. I’ll have to back and send you those links.
I wonder if the other company I plan to do drew the Huxtable’s house. I will have to try to remember to check it out.
Hi Cheryl, so happy to meet you too actually. If you have a nice house story, let me know.
Hi Ruchica, the blueprint is from the book itself that is for sale on Amazon.
Well thank you for pinning me! So flattered. And, may I say I’ve found a kindred spirit in houseaboodle- I LOVE HOUSES!!!! ANd I’ve had so many. Some day I’m going to have to blog about that. In the meantime, I’m following you. Keep up the great posts!
This is cool. How did you get hold of this blue print?
I always imagine how creativity rolls when planning a show and then designing the floor plan with it.
Awesome!
I want to see his drawing of I Dream Of Jeanie bottle.
That is fascinating! Thanks for sharing – I love looking at floorplans, even for imaginary movie houses!