 Despite being set in Washington, D.C., the series is mainly filmed in the same Manhattan studio where Law & Order was filmed for 20 years. Producer Richard Heus said they chose to film specific Washington, D.C. locations for "Pilot" because they were "iconic American locations". These locations included the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the National Mall. In March 2013, NBC filmed the bridge action scene for "Pilot" on the Michael Valente Memorial Bridge in Long Beach. Since it took two days to film that scene, northbound traffic had to be diverted onto one lane of the southbound bridge. NBC covered all overtime costs and permit fees, as the scene involved numerous special effects, such as fire, smoke, and car collisions.
