Falls Church, Virginia – both the independent city and surrounding areas that use its name – has made numerous appearances in movies, TV shows, books, music, and other media. From spy dramas set in its suburban neighborhoods to songs and novels that name-drop the town, Falls Church has left its mark on pop culture. Below, we explore these references, noting when Falls Church is clearly identified and when it serves as a backdrop or inspiration. We also highlight major cultural events hosted in Falls Church and notable pop culture figures from the city (with any hometown shout-outs in their work).
Falls Church on Television
The Americans (FX, 2013–2018): This acclaimed Cold War spy drama centers on Elizabeth and Philip Jennings – outwardly a normal American couple raising two kids – who actually live as deep-cover KGB agents in suburban Falls Church, Virginia. Throughout the series, their Falls Church home is a primary setting, and even their FBI neighbor Stan Beeman lives next door in Falls Church. The show’s creator, a former CIA officer, chose the DC suburbs for authenticity, making Falls Church practically a character in the story.
JAG (NBC/CBS, 1995–2005): In the military legal drama JAG, the headquarters of the Navy’s Judge Advocate General Corps is located in Falls Church, VA. Several episodes show the JAG office with a Falls Church dateline, reflecting that the real Navy JAG Corps was based in Northern Virginia. By the later seasons, scenes routinely reference Falls Church as the base of operations for the main characters’ legal missions.
The X-Files (Fox, 1993–2002): Falls Church makes multiple appearances in this sci-fi series’ fictional FBI cases. In the Season 3 episode “Pusher,” Agents Mulder and Scully track a mind-controlling suspect to a golf course in Falls Church, Virginia – a pivotal scene that actually names the city. In later seasons, Agent John Doggett is depicted as living in Falls Church: one episode explicitly shows Agent Reyes dropping Doggett off “at his house in Falls Church” before a plot twist ensues.
Falls Church in Film
Spy Thrillers and Dramas: While Falls Church isn’t often name-checked within movie dialogue, it does appear as a filming location and story backdrop thanks to its proximity to Washington. The film Breach (2007), about FBI mole Robert Hanssen, shot many scenes around Northern Virginia. Likewise, Minority Report (2002) – though set in a futuristic DC – filmed a few sequences in NoVA; one memorable set was a parking structure near West Falls Church.
Local Landmarks on Camera: A notable pop culture cameo is Falls Church’s Eden Center, a Vietnamese shopping center. It’s the largest Asian mall on the U.S. East Coast and is actually considered Falls Church’s top tourist destination. Eden Center has been featured on food and travel shows – most famously by Anthony Bourdain. In a 2009 episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Bourdain visited Eden Center to sample Vietnamese bánh mì sandwiches.
Fiction and Literature
The Vampire Diaries (L.J. Smith’s novels): One of the most intriguing Falls Church references comes from this YA horror series. In the original Vampire Diaries novels (1991–92), author L.J. Smith set the story in the fictional town of “Fell’s Church,” Virginia – which was directly inspired by Falls Church. When the books were adapted into the hit CW TV show (2009–2017), producers changed the town’s name to “Mystic Falls” for the series.
Other Novels: A few modern books explicitly use Falls Church as a setting. J.T. Ellison’s crime thriller When Shadows Fall (2014) is one example – its protagonist receives a mysterious letter postmarked from Falls Church, VA, leading her into a deepening murder mystery. Historian James Robertson’s Tenting Tonight: The Soldier’s Life (1984) also references Falls Church in a Civil War context.
Music and Songs
“Falls Church, Virginia” by Ed’s Redeeming Qualities (1989): Indie folk band Ed’s Redeeming Qualities released a quirky track literally named “Falls Church, Virginia” on their 1989 album Guess Who This Is. The song’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics paint a not-so-flattering (but darkly funny) picture of living in Falls Church.
Other Musical Connections: A few bands have ties to Falls Church. The pop-punk band Crash Boom Bang was originally formed in Falls Church. And legendary rock drummer John Hartman of The Doobie Brothers was born in Falls Church – while he didn’t write songs about it, his emergence from Falls Church into rock fame is a point of local pride.
Notable Pop Culture Figures from Falls Church
Julianne Moore (Actress): The Oscar-winning actress spent her teen years in Falls Church. She attended Falls Church’s J.E.B. Stuart High School (now renamed Justice High School) and graduated in 1979. In 2017, Moore made headlines by co-leading the campaign to change her alma mater’s name, which honored a Confederate general.
Tom Shadyac (Director): A native of Falls Church, Shadyac became one of Hollywood’s top comedy directors in the 1990s. He directed hits like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Nutty Professor, Liar Liar, and Bruce Almighty. Shadyac often mentions his Falls Church upbringing in interviews.
Tatianna (Drag Performer): Real name Joey Santolini, Tatianna is a drag queen who gained national fame on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 2 (2010) and All Stars (2016). On Drag Race, she proudly represented Falls Church as her hometown (the show even labeled her on-screen as “Tatianna – Falls Church, VA”).
From Soviet spies in 1980s dramas to indie song lyrics and drag stage introductions, Falls Church has popped up in diverse corners of popular culture. These representations range from explicitly naming the city – as a home, filming site, or fictionalized town – to more subtle influences carried by people who lived there.