Depictions of San Francisco in popular culture can be found in many different media. San Francisco is frequently used with its iconic landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and cable cars; social change of the Asian immigration, Summer of Love and the economic California Dream of the Gold Rush and Silicon Valley.
Literature San Francisco's diversity, eccentric characters, and geographic scenery have provided a backdrop for many works of fiction, including:
1906 by James Dalessandro Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan Angels in America by Tony Kushner – in the play and the 2003 television miniseries, Heaven was described as "like San Francisco." Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne Bite Me: A Love Story by Christopher Moore Black Wind by F Paul Wilson Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story by Christopher Moore Bone by Fae Ng Bridge trilogy by William Gibson The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy Confessions of a Catnip Junkie by Allan Goldstein The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick The Golden Gate by Vikram Seth Holy Fire by Bruce Sterling The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Little Brother by Cory Doctorow Love Aaj Kal by Imtiaz Ali Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick Martin Eden by Jack London McTeague by Frank Norris Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan Nightwood by Djuna Barnes On the Road by Jack Kerouac Our Lady of Darkness (vignette) by Fritz Leiber Postsingular by Rudy Rucker SoMa by Kemble Scott Tales of the City (series) by Armistead Maupin The Spellman Files series by Lisa Lutz The Time of Your Life by William Saroyan (play) Valencia by Michelle Tea A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan Women's Murder Club series (e.g., 11th Hour) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
Non-fiction The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers The Mayor of Castro Street by Randy Shilts
Film As in the case of fiction novels, San Francisco has served as a backdrop to a large number of films, some of which show the Golden Gate Bridge. Films set in the city include:
10.5 (2004) 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002) 48 Hrs. (1982) After the Thin Man (1936) All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996) Always Be My Maybe (2019) Another 48 Hrs. (1990) Ant-Man (2015) Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018) Arachnophobia (1990) The Bachelor (1999) Barbary Coast (1935) Basic Instinct (1992) Beaches (1988) Beautiful Boy (2018 film) (2018) Bedazzled (2000) Bicentennial Man (1999) Big Eyes (2014) Big Hero 6 (2014) Big Trouble in Little China (1986) Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) The Birds (1963) Blue Jasmine (2013) The Book of Eli (2010) Born to Kill (1947) Boys and Girls (2000) Bullitt (1968) Bumblebee (2018) Burglar (1987) Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010) Cherish (2002) Cloud Atlas (2012) Contagion (2011) The Conversation (1974) Copycat (1995) The Core (2003) D.O.A. (1950) Dark Passage (1947) The Darwin Awards (2006) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) Days of Wine and Roses (1962) The Dead Pool (1988) Dirty Harry (1971) Dogfight (1991) Dopamine (2003) Double Harness (1933) Double Jeopardy (1999) Dragon Fight (1989) Dr. Dolittle (1998) Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001) EDtv (1999) The Enforcer (1976) Escape from Alcatraz (1979) Experiment in Terror (1962) Extraterrestrial (2014) Family Guy Presents: Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story (2005) The Fan (1996) Fearless (1993) Final Analysis (1992) The Five-Year Engagement (2012) Follow Me Home (1996) Foul Play (1978) Four Christmases (2008) Freebie and the Bean (1974) Funny People (2009) The Game (1997) A Gathering of Eagles (1963) Generation Now (2008) George of the Jungle (1997) Getting Even with Dad (1994) Godzilla (2014) Going the Distance (2010) Golden Gate (1994) Good Neighbor Sam (1964) The Graduate (1967) The Great Ziegfeld (1936) Greed (1924) Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) Haiku Tunnel (2001) Hardcore (1979) - third and final city Scott's character travels to Harold and Maude (1971) Heart and Souls (1993) The Heartbreak Kid (2007) Herbie Rides Again (1974) Hereafter (2010) High Crimes (2002) Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996) House of Sand and Fog (2003) The House on Telegraph Hill (1951) How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998) Hulk (2003) I Married a Communist (1949) I Remember Mama (1948) Impact (1949) The Impatient Years (1944) Innerspace (1987) Inside Out (2015) Interview with the Vampire (1994) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) The Invisible Man (2020) The Invite (2026) It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) Jagged Edge (1985) The Joy Luck Club (1993) Just Like Heaven (2005) Kuffs (1992) La Mission (2009) - starring Benjamin Bratt The Lady from Shanghai (1948) The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019) The Laughing Policeman (1973) The Lineup (1958) The Love Bug (1968) Magnum Force (1973) The Maltese Falcon (1931) The Maltese Falcon (1941) The Matrix Resurrections (2021) Maxie (1985) Medicine for Melancholy (2008) Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (2009) Megamind (2010) Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992) Meteor Storm (2010) Metro (1997) Milk (2008) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) More American Graffiti (1979) Mother (1996) Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) My Name Is Khan (2010) The Net (1995) Nine Months (1995) North Beach (2000) Old San Francisco (1926) The Other Sister (1999) Out of the Past (1947) Pacific Heights (1990) Pacific Rim (2013) Pal Joey (1957) Play It Again, Sam (1972) The Presidio (1988) The Princess Diaries (2001) Psych-Out (1968) The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) Quicksilver (1986) Race Street (1948) Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) The Rock (1996) Rollerball (2002) Romeo Must Die (2000) The Room (2003) San Andreas (2015) San Francisco (1936) Serendipity (2001) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) Sharknado: The 4th Awakens (2016) Shock (1946) Sister Act (1992) Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) The Sisters (1938) Skidoo (1968) Sneakers (1992) So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) The Social Network (2010) Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) Star Trek (2009) Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) Sucker Free City (2004) Sudden Fear (1952) Sudden Impact (1983) Superman (1978) Sweet November (2001) The Sweetest Thing (2002) Take the Money and Run (1969) Terminator Genisys (2015) Terminator Salvation (2009) Thieves' Highway (1949) Time After Time (1979) The Time of Your Life (1948) The Towering Inferno (1974) Twisted (2004) Una sull'altra (1969) Venom (2018) Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) Vertigo (1958) A View to a Kill (1985) The Wedding Planner (2001) What's Up, Doc? (1972) The Woman in Red (1984) Woman on the Run (1950) Woman on Top (2000) War (2007) X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) You Kill Me (2007) Yours, Mine and Ours (1968) Zodiac (2007)
Documentary 24 Hours on Craigslist (2004) The Bridge (2006) Crumb (1994) Fog City Mavericks (2007) Jonestown (2006) Klunkerz: A Film About Mountain Bikes (2007) Straight Outta Hunters Point (2003) Thoth (2001) The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) Where Have All the Flowers Gone? (2008) The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (2005)
Television
Although the city is a frequent backdrop for many television shows, many 80s sitcoms set in San Francisco (such as Full House) were actually shot in studios in the Los Angeles area. Since the mid-90s, many productions supposedly set in the City by the Bay are actually filmed in Canada, most notably in Vancouver, a frequent double for the cities of San Francisco and Seattle on the small screen. Canadian provinces often offer attractive tax incentives and more flexible union regulations for production companies.
Monk was shot in Vancouver before moving to Los Angeles, and only a few exterior shots involving San Francisco landmarks are actually filmed in the city. Similarly, recent short-lived series such as Presidio Med, The Evidence or Killer Instinct were actually shot in the Los Angeles or Vancouver areas. The city of San Francisco has tried to counter this trend over the past few years by reducing filming fees and streamlining the permit approval process.
San Francisco is also a vital part of the Star Trek science fiction media franchise. It hosts the headquarters and council chambers of the United Federation of Planets, as well as its military/exploration arm, Starfleet. In addition, the Presidio hosts Starfleet's primary service academy, Starfleet Academy. A major Federation shipyard named after the city, site of the construction and refit of several starships named Enterprise, resides in geosynchronous orbit of Earth.
The TV shows Trauma, Midnight Caller, The Streets of San Francisco and Nash Bridges were filmed entirely in the San Francisco Bay area. The Nash Bridges Reboot pilot started shooting in 2021, 20 years after the final episode of the original series aired.
Fiction Television programs that highlight the city and its people include:
Accidentally on Purpose The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Alcatraz All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series ANT Farm Big Hero 6: The Series The Californians Charmed Crazy Like a Fox Dharma & Greg The Division The Doris Day Show Eli Stone The Evidence Fairly Legal Falcon Crest First Years Full House Fuller House Girlboss Girls Club Half & Half Have Gun, Will Travel Hell on Wheels Hooperman Hotel Ironside Jackie Chan Adventures Journeyman Khan! Killer Instinct Kindred: The Embraced The Life and Times of Juniper Lee The Lineup (also known as San Francisco Beat) Looking Love Is a Many Splendored Thing Lucy, The Daughter of the Devil Mama The Man in the High Castle McMillan & Wife MDs Midnight Caller The Mighty B! Monk My Sister Sam Nash Bridges The Nine Lives of Chloe King The OA (part 2) Party of Five Pelswick Phyllis Poltergeist: The Legacy Presidio Med Robotboy San Francisco Beat Sense8 Sledge Hammer! Sliders Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Star Trek: Enterprise Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: Voyager The Streets of San Francisco Suddenly Susan That's So Raven Too Close for Comfort Touching Evil Trapper John, M.D. Trauma Twins We Bare Bears Wolf Women's Murder Club Young & Hungry Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist
Reality 30 Days "Straight Man in a Gay World" Animal Cops: San Francisco Bait Car Color Splash Dirty Jobs The Hills Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County MythBusters Oddities: San Francisco Real World: Ex-Plosion The Real World: San Francisco Top Chef: San Francisco What Makes it Tick on Fine Living
Miniseries, specials or individual episodes Angels in America Doctor Who Criminal Minds: "The Fight" Family Guy: "Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story" Psych: "Who Ya Gonna Call?" The Simpsons: "Bart Mangled Banner", "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can" South Park: "Smug Alert!" Tales of the City Warehouse 13: "Philosopher's Stone" Ben 10: "Framed" What's New, Scooby-Doo?: "The San Franpsycho" Xiaolin Showdown: "The Journey of a Thousand Miles" Transformers: The Headmasters: "Head On!! Fortress Maximus", "The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)" The Amazing Race: "Huger than Huge", "It's Just a Million Dollars, No Pressure" Danger Rangers: "Fires and Liars" Interview with the Vampire: “Don’t Be Afraid, Just Start the Tape”
Music
Video games In the Carmen Sandiego computer games, the headquarters of the ACME Detective Agency is always located in San Francisco.