In our last “On The Set” we took a trip north to the little hamlet of Fillmore, CA.  Fillmore is the tip of a production stronghold that includes Vasquez Rocks, the Antelope Valley, and the heart of the area, Santa Clarita.  While we will look at the city of Santa Clarita more in-depth in a future “On The Set,” today I wanted to concentrate on the city’s outskirts where two  of the most important outdoor sets in TV’s great history are located.  In particular, I am speaking of Melody Ranch and Disney Ranch.

Melody Ranch began life way back in 1915 as a studio for Monogram Pictures.  It is estimated over 700 films were shot there during that time, all westerns!  By 1952, Monogram was shutting down and the legendary Gene Autry swooped in to buy it up and Melody Ranch (as he called it being the “Singing Cowboy” and all) was born.  In addition to producing his own shows at Melody, Gene leased the property to TV programs like The Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke, Hopalong Cassidy, Wyatt Earp, and Red Rider.  In 1962, a fire destroyed much of the studio despite the efforts of Elvis Presley, who was on location at the ranch and helped fight the blaze.  Autry held on to Melody into the 90s when the current owners brought Melody Ranch back to life as a major hub of film and television production.

For modern TV viewers, Melody will invoke something other than Autry’s dulcet tones, mainly the image of Ian McShane cussing his brains out at the Gem Saloon.  For three seasons, Melody Ranch was HBO’s Deadwood.  Now, the production obviously built out a lot of their sets both physically and digitally, but a keen fan will notice plenty of sights from the show amongst Melody’s saloon, church, hotel, bank, and jailhouse buildings.  Considering the impact that Deadwood had on future fans of the genre, there could not be a more appropriate setting than the historical streets of Melody Ranch.

If you love westerns, a trip to Meoldy Ranch is essential and easier than ever.  Once a year, the Cowboy Poetry Festival (retitled last year as simply the Cowboy Festival) rolls into town (April 22nd to the 25th in 2010) allowing fans to wander the famous Western buildings and enjoy activities such as chuck wagon meals, dancing, trail rides, plenty of shopping, and of course lots of cowboy poetry and music.  It is truly an amazing experience, but if you can’t make the festival, then the newly opened museum on the ranch could be your ticket.  They offer tours, but you’ll need to phone ahead for reservations.

One place you won’t get into is right across the 14 Freeway at Disney’s Golden Oak Ranch.  Unless you’ve got a crew badge, these 900 acres (Disney Ranch dwarfs Melody’s modest 10 acre town) are off limits as well as unassuming.  Aside from a large patch of dirt visible from the freeway that often serves as crew parking, you’d never know such an important piece of Hollywood lay nestled in the Placerita Canyon.  The ranch features many fantastic shooting locations from a covered bridge, barns, a general store,  and the Golden Oak Hall to seemingly endless patches of rural road, tree groves, and plenty of fields.  There is even a waterfall!

With its expansive settings, the Golden Oak has seen hundreds of TV shows come around.  While just last year I spotted the back side of Merlotte’s from Tru Blood during a night shoot near the freeway.  While most of the hit vampire show is shot in Louisiana, Disney Ranch is so versatile it can double as pretty much anywhere.  Just take a look at this list of ranch alumni:

• Mad Men
• C.S.I.
• My Name Is Earl
• The X-Files
• Entourage
• Bones
• Sons of Anarchy
• Bonanza
• The Office
  
• Murder She Wrote
• Charmed and even
• American Idol

The most exciting days for the Disney Ranch are yet to come.  Announced last year, Disney and ABC are planning to begin construction in 2013 on a new 56 acre production facility at the ranch which will feature soundstages, offices, and everything a TV show could need.  The new facility will meld indoor and outdoor production like never before, but the most important aspect of this addition to Golden Oak is the commitment it shows from Disney to keep production local and create jobs in Los Angeles.  At little more than 30 minutes from Disney HQ in Burbank, the facility will also lie within the famed “thirty mile zone,” as made famous by the website and TV show TMZ.  While the new studio will mainly feature ABC and Disney content, it will still be a huge boon both financially and emotionally for the entertainment industry and the local economy.

There you have it, two amazing parcels of open land amongst the sea of buildings and freeways in Los Angeles.  Keep your eyes open during your favorite show and if you see the great outdoors, there is a good chance you’re looking at one of the Ranches.