"Las Vegas" is a 60-minute drama series, which airs on NBC, about a team of people working in a fictional Las Vegas casino called "The Montecito." "Las Vegas" first aired in September 2003 and has enjoyed a successful Monday-night run.
The show stars veteran actor James Caan (Ed Deline), Josh Duhamel (Danny McCoy), Nikki Cox (Mary Connell), James Lesure (Mike Cannon), Vanessa Marcil (Samantha Jane "Sam" Marquez), Molly Sims (Delinda Deline), Cheryl Ladd (Jillian Deline), Marsha Thomason (Nessa Holt), who, depending on her character’s fate, may or may not return, and newcomer to the show this season, Lara Flynn Boyle (Monica Mancuso).
The location of the Montecito has changed from season to season. Not only does the property bear some close resemblances to Mandalay Bay, but many of the show's visuals also place the Montecito at the far southern end of the Strip, though on the airport side of Las Vegas Boulevard, opposite the real Mandalay Bay. Other episodes apparently place the Montecito at the corner of Giles Street and Reno Avenue, about a half-mile away from Mandalay Bay. Then again, in the first season of the show, many of the Montecito’s suites overlooked parts of the center Strip, including the Venetian and Flamingo.
The show has used many of Mandalay Bay’s interior and exterior areas, including its wave pool. A few episodes of the show were clearly shot in the MBay casino, since you can actually see Mandalay Bay signage in the fly-through shots. All the interior shots are now filmed at a specially built Los Angeles set that is a replica of Mandalay Bay.
Las Vegas airs Monday nights at 9 pm on NBC.
The city has long been a popular context or backdrop for movies and TV shows and some of the other existing casinos that have been featured on the silver and the small screen include: Bally’s (Honeymoon in Vegas, also starring James Caan, and Rocky IV), Bellagio (Oceans Eleven and Oceans Twelve), Mirage (Vegas Vacation), Monte Carlo ("The X-Files"), Caesars Palace (Rain Man, Fools Rush In, Get Shorty, Rocky III, and "Friends"), Circus Circus (Diamonds are Forever), Fremont (Miss Congeniality 2), Binion's (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), Golden Gate (Pay It Forward), Las Vegas Hilton (Indecent Proposal), Paris ("Six Feet Under"), Plaza (Casino), Luxor (Mars Attacks! and Showgirls), Stardust (Fear and Loathing and Feeling Minnesota), Venetian (Get Carter, Rat Race, and "CSI"), and the Riviera (3000 Miles to Graceland, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Casino, Fear and Loathing, The Godfather, and the original Ocean's Eleven).
There was also a series called "Vega$" that aired from 1978 to 1981 on ABC that starred Robert Ulrich and was filmed at the Desert Inn.
Much of this information, which isn't a comprehensive list, but does include most of the well-known titles and featured properties, was kindly supplied by the Nevada Film Commission and is taken from a forthcoming book about filming locations in the state.
