There have been many creative works set in Charleston, South Carolina. In addition, Charleston is a popular filming location for movies and television, both in its own right and as a stand-in for Southern and/or historic settings.
Several books by
Citadel alumnus and novelist
Pat Conroy (d. 2016), such as The Lords of Discipline (1980) set from 1963–'67, and (based on Conroy's experiences as a
cadet at The Citadel) and South of Broad (a #1 2009 New York Times Best Seller).
A #1 New York Times Best Seller in 1991 (and the best selling novel of 1991) Scarlett, is the sequel to Gone with the Wind. In fact, the late
Alexandra Ripley, the author of Scarlett and a Charleston native, derived inspiration from the city for her novel Charleston (1981) and its sequel On Leaving Charleston.
The novel Werewolf Smackdown by Mario Acevedo is set in Charleston.[2]
The novels Dreams of Sleep, Rich in Love, and The Fireman's Fair were written by
Josephine Humphreys, a native of Charleston. All are set in Charleston and the Charleston area. Rich in Love (1993) was filmed on Mount Pleasant and in Charleston.
Virals, Seizure, Code, Exposure, and Terminal (2010-15) by
Kathy Reichs are set in Charleston.
Celia Garth, a Revolutionary era novel by
Gwen Bristow
Sue Monk Kidd's 2014 novel The Invention of Wings (a #1 New York Times Best Seller). The book's story is partially situated in Charleston, the birthplace of
Sarah Grimké, who also inspired the main characters of the novel.[3]
In the Netflix series House of Cards, the main character Congressman Frank Underwood (
Kevin Spacey) is an alumnus of The Sentinel, a fictional school based on the local Citadel, and returns to its campus in one episode upon the occasion of a new library building there being named for him. 2013–present
The 2010 film, Dear John, starring
Amanda Seyfried and
Channing Tatum, was filmed on Sullivans Island; set in early 2000s, it was the #1 film in U.S. [based on the novel (which was a #1 New York Times Best Seller in 2006) by North Carolina author Nicholas Sparks]
The College of Charleston's Randolph Hall is featured in the 2000
Mel Gibson and
Heath Ledger movie The Patriot. It serves as the meeting house where the South Carolinians decide to join the fight against the British. (set in 1776–1781)
The
Lifetime television show Army Wives (2007–2013) is set at a fictional Army post in Charleston and mostly filmed on location in the City of Charleston and in the City of North Charleston. A sound stage was built near the intersection of Dorchester Rd and Montague Ave in North Charleston and a small town at the old Naval Base in North Charleston and shot many scenes at the U.S. Air Force Base in North Charleston.
The
Bravo reality series titled Southern Charm (2014–present) follows the lives of a group of wealthy friends and socialites around Charleston, although only
Thomas Ravenel is an actual Charlestonian.
The
CBS television show Reckless (2014–15) was filmed and set in Charleston.
The WE Network television show South of Hell is filmed and takes place in Charleston.
North and South miniseries was partially set and filmed in Charleston. The wedding between George Hazard and Constance Flynn was held in Stella Maris Catholic Church, on Sullivans Island.
Opera
George Gershwin's controversial folk opera Porgy and Bess (1935), based on the novel Porgy, is set in Charleston and was partially written at
Folly Beach, near Charleston. A
film version was released in 1959.