Can You Guess Which Mid-Western City Fox's New Musical Dramedy 'The Big Leap' Was Filmed In?

Although many of us recognize Scott Foley from his roles in Felicity, Scandal, and Grey’s Anatomy, his Broadway background takes front and center in his latest lead role. Scott plays a reality TV producer named Nick Blackburn in Fox’s new musical dramedy, The Big Leap, which is set to premiere on Sept. 20.

Also starring Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly), Teri Polo (Meet the Parents), Mallory Jansen (Young & Hungry), and breakout actress Simone Recasner, showrunners tease that the series offers a new perspective on second chances by way of a group of musically inclined misfits who are desperate to make a way out of their hometown.

But where is The Big Leap filmed? The answer might surprise you.

While the plot of The Big Leap is set in Detroit, the series was actually filmed elsewhere. In several scenes, the cast makes reference to the Motor City and their home team, the Detroit Lions, but showrunners ultimately opted to shoot the series in Chicago.

In a previous interview, executive producer Liz Heldens explained that the show’s backdrop was “a big selling point” for the network, even though the show wasn’t actually shot in Detroit. Shooting locations for Season 1 of The Big Leap include the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet and Cinespace Chicago Film Studios.

Much like Ordinary Joe, the series was originally scheduled to begin filming in March of 2020, shortly before the nationwide lockdown went into effect due to COVID-19. Liz told Detroit Free Press, "We were in Chicago on the ground getting ready to shoot, then that week happened ... [when] Tom Hanks got coronavirus and the NBA shut down. I’m going to remember it for the rest of my life."

"Every morning, Jason Winer [the director] ... and I would look at each other and be like: 'Are we going to shoot? What’s happening?' ... That whole week was like this growing, terrible feeling of dread,” the series creator explained.

Although the cast and crew were able to begin filming the pilot episode of The Big Leap in late 2020, showrunners were forced to press pause on production, once again, after a COVID-19 outbreak on set. Showrunners were able to resume filming in February of 2021.

Despite the show’s delayed shooting schedule, Fox ordered 10 episodes of The Big Leap, which makes its onscreen debut on Sept. 20. But what is The Big Leap about?

According to the series synopsis, The Big Leap, which was inspired by the U.K.'s Big Ballet, details the lives of a diverse group of underdogs — including a bored housewife, a former teen mom, and an out-of-work NFL player — who compete to win a reality dance competition as their fearless leader, Nick, makes a last-ditch attempt to save his career.

Ahead of the series premiere, the series has a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, leading fans to believe they have plenty to look forward to in Season 1. You can tune into The Big Leap Mondays at 9 p.m. EST on Fox.