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Toledo takes the spotlight in memorable movies and TV shows
Over the years the Glass City has managed to find its way onto movie screens and television sets in some memorable ways. Some productions brought cameras and crews to town, while others have used Toledo as a setting, a hometown reference or even the punchline of a joke. From Tom Hanks walking through Toledo’s historic train station to a getaway driver making a run through Hollywood Casino Toledo, from MASH*’s beloved Corporal Klinger to the fictional newsroom of The Paper, Toledo has developed a surprisingly entertaining relationship with Hollywood.
Movies filmed in Toledo
Eenie Meanie (2025)
One recent production put Toledo in front of the cameras is Eenie Meanie, the action-comedy thriller starring Samara Weaving, Andy Garcia, Karl Glusman and Mike O’Malley. The film, about a former teenage getaway driver pulled back into her old life, was filmed throughout Northwest Ohio in 2024. Toledo received a significant share of the production, including approximately two weeks of filming at Hollywood Casino with a large crew working on the movie. Scenes were also filmed in Toledo’s Westmoreland neighborhood. Streaming on Hulu.
A Man Called Otto (2022)
Tom Hanks’ A Man Called Otto brought another recognizable Hollywood production to Toledo. The 2022 comedy-drama, filmed at Toledo’s historic Central Union Terminal train station, showcases a railroad setting, providing a chance to spot a familiar Toledo landmark in a major Hollywood production.
The movie stars Hanks as Otto Anderson, a widower whose carefully controlled life changes after a lively young family moves into his neighborhood. While much of the movie was filmed elsewhere in Ohio and in Pennsylvania, Toledo’s historic station became part of the finished film. Streaming on Hulu.
Home Run Showdown (2012)
Baseball fans may remember Home Run Showdown, an independent family sports comedy directed by Oz Scott and starring Matthew Lillard, Dean Cain, Annabeth Gish and Barry Bostwick.
The production filmed at Fifth Third Field in downtown Toledo, gave local baseball fans an opportunity to appear as extras while the cameras rolled. Former Major League Baseball players Jose and Ozzie Canseco were also among the names connected to the Toledo shoot. The movie follows two Little League teams caught in the middle of a rivalry between their coaches before the youngsters find themselves competing in a Home Run Derby. Streaming on Hoopla.
Toledo on TVÂ
The Paper (2025–Present)
Perhaps no television series has put Toledo more directly into its premise than The Paper. The Office spinoff follows a documentary crew that leaves the world of Dunder Mifflin behind and begins documenting the struggling Toledo Truth Teller, a fictional newspaper in Toledo.
The series is very much about Toledo but uses Los Angeles locations and soundstages to create the fictional Toledo newsroom and surrounding environment. A memorable mention, the show’s star, Domhnall Gleeson, spent time with the staff at The Toledo City Paper to get the run down on how it works! Streaming on Peacock.
A.P. Bio (2018–2021)
Toledo is the fictional home of A.P. Bio. Created by Toledo native Mike O’Brien, the NBC comedy stars Glenn Howerton as Jack Griffin, a disgraced Harvard philosophy scholar who ends up back in Toledo and teaching at the fictional Whitlock High School.
The series uses Toledo as the backdrop for its jokes, characters and storylines, including references to local communities and the city’s culture. Even episode titles and plots repeatedly bring Toledo into the story. Streaming on Peacock.
Supernatural: “Bloody Mary”
Toledo also became the setting for an early episode of the long-running drama Supernatural. In the Season 1 episode “Bloody Mary,” Sam and Dean Winchester travel to Toledo, to investigate a mysterious death after three teenage girls play the classic Bloody Mary mirror game.
The episode gives Toledo an unusual distinction: the city isn’t simply mentioned in dialogue, it is the actual setting for the story. The connection is based on Supernatural creator Eric Kripke’s Toledo-area roots. Streaming on Hulu.
One of television’s most famous Toledo characters
MASH* and Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger
One television character is responsible for putting Toledo into the living rooms of millions of Americans.  MASH* Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger, played by Toledo native Jamie Farr, was unmistakably proud of his hometown. Throughout the series, Toledo became part of his identity, with references to the Toledo Mud Hens and Tony Packo’s. Streaming on Hulu.
More TV shows that put Toledo into the story
Riverdale
Toledo gets a somewhat less glamorous role in Riverdale, but it is woven into the backstory of the Jones family. Jughead’s mother, Gladys Jones, moves to Toledo with his sister Jellybean after leaving Riverdale. At one point, Jughead even considers taking a bus to Toledo to see his family.Streaming on Netflix.
Melissa & Joey
Another sitcom with a Toledo connection is Melissa & Joey, which is set in Toledo.
The series, starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence, ran from 2010 through 2015. While Toledo is not the central focus of every episode, the city serves as the show’s fictional home and is part of its setting. Streaming on Hulu.
Promoting Toledo on screen and behind the scenes
Organizations such as FilmToledo have worked to attract productions and make it easier for filmmakers to use Northwest Ohio locations, including major Hollywood productions and independent filmmakers looking for recognizable streets and neighborhoods. The Glass City has made its mark on the screen.
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