TV lovers have seen a lot of medical dramas come and go over the years, from Grey’s Anatomy and its Private Practice spinoff to General Hospital and ER. While these long-running programs mostly take place within the walls of medical centers, one of their competitors – Royal Pains – took its cast and crew to numerous cities in North America across its eight-season run. The Mark Feuerstein-led show made its way onto Netflix at the start of 2024; now that people have had a chance to watch it, there’s a desire to know where Royal Pains was filmed.
On-screen, Feuerstein plays Dr. Hank Lawson, a highly regarded diagnostic surgeon whose reputation is ruined when he’s wrongly accused of killing a patient. Rather than walk away from medicine altogether, our lead finds work as a concierge doctor in New York’s notoriously boujee Hamptons where he cares for the rich and famous. Along the way, we get to know Lawson more personally as he navigates moral problems and personal relationships.
The private medicine approach helps the USA Network program stand out among the competition, and Feuerstein certainly wasn’t complaining about his work conditions when the show was still filming. “While the people at CSI or NCIS are all shooting in abandoned warehouses and drug havens in the nether regions of urban sprawl, we find ourselves on golf courses and hotels and gorgeous homes and sitting by the pool,” he told TV Guide in 2010. So, where was Royal Pains filmed? Keep reading to find out!
Georgia’s Southern Beauty Used in Place of the Hamptons
Each of the 50 US states has a different sort of beauty to offer, but sometimes, film and TV crews manage to make one state’s landscapes resemble another. Such is the case with Royal Pains, in which Georgia’s Southern coastal charm is disguised as The Hamptons. In season three, producers Prospect Park Entertainment and Universal Cable Productions sought out permission to shoot in the City of St, Mary’s, visiting the St. Simons Island pier village and Neptune Park.
“The most interesting thing about this is that Coastal Georgia can represent The Hamptons. It’s a coup for us and will draw more interest to the area,” Coastal Georgia Film Alliance Vice Chairman Barbara Ryan told Jacksonville.com. As the site notes, Georgia is a desirable location for producers because of the potential tax credit, which is up to 30%.
Baseball Enthusiasts Might Recognize Grayson Stadium
While in Savannah, Georgia, the Royal Pains cast took over Daffin Park’s historic Grayson Stadium, which is home of the local Sand Gnats minor league baseball team. Over 600 local extras were hired, including baseball players and experienced massage therapists. This is the same number usually taken on to shoot a feature film, proving that it truly takes a village to make good TV.
‘Royal Pains’ Filming Locations Took Viewers Overseas to Puerto Rico
The stunning country of Puerto Rico is another Royal Pains filming destination to put on your bucket list, though you might not have recognized El Alambique Beach on the show, as it was supposed to be Cuba in the fictional world of Dr. Lawson. The dramatic plotline that takes him to the tropics takes place in season six; not only did it keep viewers on the edge of their seats, but it also did wonders for the local economy, reportedly contributing $2.2M. 80 local crewmembers helped out with special effects, casting, camera, grip, construction, electric, set decoration, wardrobe, locations and more. Elsewhere, 350 others took work as stand-ins or extras.
Like in Georgia, producers who shoot in Puerto Rico are entitled to partial reimbursement under the Commonwealth’s Production Tax Credit Program. Besides the monetary gains, Feuerstein told TV Guide that the weather in New York comes with its own set of issues. “To have good weather consistently in New York for six months is a great challenge, so we had to start shooting when there were no leaves on the trees,” the 52-year-old explained. “We literally jumped into our second season by shooting episodes four and five first, and in Puerto Rico. It was chaotic, to say the least, for the writers and actors to dive in headlong into the middle and in another city.”
‘Royal Pains’ Also Films In New York
In Long Island, the grandiose Oheka Castle (located at 135 W Gate Dr in Huntington) appears in one of Royal Pain‘s biggest moments. While attending a party at a mansion that belongs to Boris (Campbell Scott), a mysterious German nobleman, Dr. Lawson is introduced to the world of private medicine after unexpectedly saving the life of a party guest. Having thought his career was over not long before, the main character is “reborn” in New York’s biggest private residence.
Oheka Castle was built between 1914-1919, combining the elegance of a French chateau with modern American rustic charm. It contains 127 rooms, making it the third-largest private home in America, and it also boasts the OHK Bar & Restaurant. If you’re hoping to visit, you can take the Long Island Expressway (I-495) east for roughly 40 miles, or an hour and ten minutes.
Bellport
Among the season four Royal Pains filming locations is New York’s Bellport Village. The “Sand Legs” episode was shot in the area, and Feuerstein spoke with Patch about his love for the quiet community between takes. “I haven’t gotten an opportunity to walk around Bellport just yet but I can’t believe that we’ve never shot here. It is so beautiful. This is a classic and prototypical Royal Pains day of shooting – the sun, the blue sky, the boats in the background… I feel so grateful that we have such a beautiful day and such a beautiful town for basically one of the final scenes in our fourth season.”
Locals had plenty of praise for the team behind the hit USA Network series. “Working with the show has been fantastic. Everything has been kept really clean, they’re not wrecking anything and they’re keeping everything local. They’re using local businesses and they did a casting call for extras hired locally,” Porter’s on the Lane owner told Patch.
Pellegrini Vineyards
Finally, we have Pellegrini Vineyards to recommend to any Royal Pains fans who also happen to love delicious wine. In season two we see Dr. Lawson and his cohorts solving medical dilemmas here, and once again, Feuerstein had nothing but positives to say about the set location. “Our show does nothing if not address every industry and pastime that happens out here, and obviously the wineries are a huge part of the East End,” the actor told the Suffolk Times.
“It is absolutely God’s country out here – the beaches are the best in the world as far as I’m concerned. And the North Fork is sort of what the Hamptons once was if it had been untouched by the… cidiots. But, well, I’m one of them, so I insult myself when I say that,” he teased. Which of the Royal Pains filming destinations are you most likely to visit? Let us know in the comments.
