Cupertino: A Silicon Valley Legal Drama Shines a Spotlight on Our City

I have to admit, as a longtime admirer of Cupertino and seasoned Bay Area REALTOR®, I’m thrilled to see our city take center stage in a new TV show. CBS is launching a series literally called “Cupertino,” and it’s putting my beloved Silicon Valley in the national limelight. How often does a smaller Silicon Valley city get its name on a prime-time TV drama? Not often – we’re joining a rarified club of California locales that have inspired show titles (think Beverly Hills 90210 or Santa Barbara). As someone deeply rooted here, I can’t help but feel a surge of local pride and curiosity about how this show will capture the essence of Cupertino, California.

A Silicon Valley David-vs-Goliath Legal Drama

So what is “Cupertino” about? In broad strokes (no spoilers, I promise!), the series is described as a “David vs. Goliath” legal drama set in the heart of Silicon Valley. It follows an intrepid lawyer who refuses to back down after being cheated out of his stock options by a former tech startup employer. Mike Colter – whom many might recognize from the supernatural drama Evil – stars as this ousted corporate attorney. His character gets fired in what’s essentially a “stock option theft scheme” at a startup, and then teams up with another recently fired attorney to take on the tech titans on behalf of the little guys. Picture a tenacious legal duo fighting for everyday people wronged by billion-dollar tech companies. This premise resonates strongly here in the Valley; it’s a modern twist on the classic underdog story, set against the backdrop of our tech industry giants.

The creative powerhouses behind “Cupertino” are Robert and Michelle King, the same married duo who created acclaimed legal dramas The Good Wife and The Good Fight. If you’ve seen those shows, you know the drill: sharp-witted lawyers, timely social issues, and courtroom showdowns. Cupertino is expected to follow a similar procedural format – each episode featuring a self-contained case – but with all the cases tied to the tech world and Silicon Valley culture. In fact, CBS first put together a writers’ room for the show with a 12-episode initial order, signaling confidence in its tech-legal focus. Being part of the 2026–2027 season lineup, the series is slated to premiere in fall 2026 , so filming and production will likely kick off soon (more on that local angle shortly).

What excites me is how authentic the storyline feels for our region. The idea of an employee being squeezed out of their stock just before a big payout – unfortunately, that kind of conflict isn’t unheard of in Silicon Valley. We’ve seen real-life lawsuits where founders or employees alleged they were cheated out of equity. Remember the Tinder case? A group of Tinder’s early team sued the parent company claiming they were shortchanged billions of dollars in options through a lowball valuation. Closer to home, a recent California case (Shah v. Skillz Inc., 2024) involved a startup employee arguing he was wrongfully terminated to prevent his stock from vesting. Over the years, I’ve observed that these stock-option showdowns are part of our local tech-law landscape. It’s fascinating (and validating) to see a major network drama taking on themes that echo real Silicon Valley power struggles.

Your Neighbor Sold their House too Cheap!

Local Pride and Reaction in Cupertino

When word got out about the Cupertino show, the reaction here was a mix of excitement and “finally, our turn!” The mayor of Cupertino, Liang Chao, even chimed in, saying she was “delighted” that it will be a legal drama in the spirit of The Good Wife (one of her favorite shows). It’s not every day our city’s name is in Hollywood headlines, so local officials and community leaders are buzzing about the potential spotlight. One article noted that Cupertino could soon gain national attention as the namesake of this new series. We’re known worldwide as the home of Apple, but being the setting for a network TV drama is a new kind of fame for us.

City leaders aren’t just idly celebrating – they’re preparing. In November 2025, our City Council discussed a new film permit ordinance to streamline the process for production crews coming to town. In fact, the city’s communications staff reported receiving over a dozen inquiries about filming in the past year, including interest from CBS. It’s a smart move: if the Cupertino producers want to shoot scenes around town, from our iconic sites to the quaint neighborhoods, we’ll be ready to roll out the red carpet (or at least not roll out any bureaucratic red tape!).

As a local, I’m particularly pleased to see this proactive approach. It signals that Cupertino welcomes the film industry, small as those productions might be. There’s even precedent: our city had a brush with Hollywood before. Back in 2015, parts of the Steve Jobs biopic were filmed at De Anza College’s Flint Center – Steve Jobs’ old stomping grounds for product launches – right here in Cupertino. (That building has since been demolished, but it was a proud moment seeing Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet depicting Apple history on Stevens Creek Boulevard at De Anza). Perhaps the new show will bring cameras to our streets again. Will we see Cupertino’s City Hall, our leafy Memorial Park, or the bustling new Main Street Cupertino development on screen? I certainly hope so, because those touches of authenticity can really make a show immersive for us locals.

Speaking of which, one local business leader expressed optimism that the show will raise the city’s profile beyond just being a tech hub. Claudio Bono, who runs a hotel in town, noted that while yes, we’re home to the world’s first trillion-dollar company (ahem, Apple), Cupertino also has rich history, culture, and natural beauty that often get overshadowed. I wholeheartedly agree. We have gorgeous rolling foothills, a diversity of residents and cuisines, and a tight-knit community vibe – none of which people necessarily know if they only think of Cupertino as “that place where Apple’s headquarters are.” Perhaps Cupertino the show will change that narrative a bit, showcasing our city’s character beyond the tech stereotype. Even if it’s a fictional story, the very name on TV invites viewers to see Cupertino as a real place with real people, not just a dot on the map of Silicon Valley.

Everyone wants to know…

Local Easter Eggs: Streets, History and Silicon Valley Lore

One thing I’ll be watching for in the show is local references – those little details that only we in the Bay Area might fully appreciate. The producers haven’t released many specifics yet, but I’m keeping my ears perked for any mention of familiar street names or landmarks. Will the protagonist talk about a case in San Jose’s courthouse or grab coffee on Stevens Creek? Maybe they’ll reference a big tech campus on Wolfe Road (we all know which one that would be!). Since the show is explicitly set in Silicon Valley – primarily in Cupertino with some San Francisco in the mix – I expect to hear the names of neighboring locales too. Perhaps Palo Alto, Mountain View, or Sunnyvale might get a shout-out if cases involve companies based there. It would only make sense in a story about taking on tech giants.

The very title of the show is an homage to our city, and intriguingly, Cupertino’s name itself has a local legal connection. Here’s a fun bit of history I love to share: the name “Cupertino” originally comes from a creek (Arroyo San José de Cupertino, named by Spanish explorers in the 1770s), but it entered common use when a San Francisco lawyer, John T. Doyle, named his winery “Cupertino” in the late 1800s. Yes – more than a century ago a lawyer literally put Cupertino on the map, christening his vineyard on McClellan Road with that name after leaving his law practice in the city.

Let’s not forget the other half of our identity: technology. The show’s creators are clearly keyed into Silicon Valley’s zeitgeist. In their previous series, the Kings often wove in ripped-from-the-headlines tech dilemmas. (The Good Wife, for example, introduced a fictional search engine called Chumhum as a stand-in for Google/Facebook and tackled cases about internet privacy and tech CEOs.) With Cupertino, I expect even more of this. In fact, one report notes we’ll likely see fictional versions of companies like OpenAI, “Xitter” (Twitter), Apple, Meta, maybe even Nvidia pop up in the plots. I’ll be keeping an eye out for those cheeky pseudonyms they invent – half the fun is figuring out which real company or CEO a storyline is satirizing.

In my mind, I’m already guessing what local tech-law issues might get dramatized on the show. A few possibilities come to mind:

• Whistleblowers and Ethics in Tech: Perhaps an episode where an employee exposes wrongdoing at a big TechCo (we’ve seen real cases of whistleblowers at companies like Facebook).
• Data Privacy & Social Media: Legal battles over user privacy or AI data misuse – very timely, especially with Bay Area firms at the center of such debates.
• Harassment or Discrimination in Startups: Unfortunately common headlines here; a storyline might follow someone standing up to a toxic “bro culture” CEO.
• Intellectual Property and Trade Secrets: Silicon Valley companies suing each other (or a David suing a Goliath) over stolen ideas – a classic theme.
• Gig Economy & Labor Rights: Given California’s focus on gig worker laws, maybe a case involving a rideshare or delivery app and its drivers could appear.

These are just my own speculations, but they’re grounded in the reality we know. Silicon Valley’s legal landscape has no shortage of David vs. Goliath tales – from garage startups challenging monopolies to residents fighting tech-driven policies. Cupertino has a rich vein of material to tap into, and as a lawyer who’s handled a fair share of local disputes, I’m excited to see these issues get the TV drama treatment. If nothing else, I’ll enjoy playing spot the inspiration – figuring out which real-world case or company might have sparked a plot.

Change Happens

Filming on Location: Will We See Cupertino on Screen?

One big question we’re all asking: How much of “Cupertino” will actually be filmed in Cupertino? It’s common for Hollywood to recreate locations on backlots or studios in Los Angeles, and indeed it’s unclear at this point if the production will shoot scenes here or stick to soundstages. But there are promising signs that we might see some authentic local scenery. The production team has already done “preliminary outreach” to the City of Cupertino , and the City is updating its film-friendly policies in response. That says to me they’re considering bringing cameras to our streets, even if only for some exterior shots or B-roll of real locations.

If I had to play location scout, I’d suggest a few picturesque spots around town that would look great on TV. For a modern Silicon Valley vibe, Main Street Cupertino (our stylish new downtown hub with shops and eateries) would be perfect – it “showcases a blend of modern amenities and local charm in the heart of Silicon Valley”. A scene shot at Main Street’s plaza or a café there could nicely establish that we’re in a vibrant, upscale community. For a dose of natural beauty, the production could head to Stevens Creek County Park, where oak-dotted hills and trails could serve as a tranquil backdrop if a character needs a reflective hiking moment. And of course, no depiction of Cupertino would be complete without a nod to Apple Park – even if they can’t film inside Apple’s spaceship campus, an aerial establishing shot of that stunning ring-shaped building off N. Wolfe Road would instantly scream “you’re in Cupertino.” As a local, I know that image alone – Apple’s gleaming headquarters against our sunny sky – is shorthand for our city’s global significance. (I’ll be crossing my fingers that CBS gets a drone shot of it!).

From a practical standpoint, if Cupertino wants authentic visuals, there’s plenty of cooperation to be had. Our city officials seem eager to accommodate responsible filming, and local businesses would likely welcome the exposure. We might even get the fun of spotting background extras or crew trucks on our streets soon. (If I see a film crew downtown, you bet I’ll stop and take a look – purely out of professional curiosity, of course!). And even if most of the show is shot in L.A., just knowing that the story is set here will make watching it a kick for those of us in the Bay Area. I’m already imagining the characters tossing around references to “traffic on the 280” or debating a case over lunch at a foothills winery – little nods only we’d catch.

Downsizing Done Right

Cupertino’s Close-Up – Final Thoughts

It’s still early days, and we’ll have to wait until late 2026 to finally watch Cupertino unfold on CBS. But as a Cupertino native and local professional, I already feel invested in this show. Not only does it promise sharp legal drama (which I love), but it’s also our legal drama, rooted in the unique tech-driven environment that I’ve lived and worked in for years. The Silicon Valley setting isn’t just window dressing – it’s integral to the conflicts and themes the series will explore. And that gives us, the people of Cupertino and the broader Bay Area, a special connection to the narrative.

I won’t be giving any plot spoilers – partly because none of us know them yet! – but I will say this: I’ll be watching to see how accurately and respectfully Cupertino portrays our community. Will it capture the spirit of Cupertino that we locals know – the blend of innovation and everyday life, the suburban calm intersecting with high-stakes tech drama? Shows and films often rely on stereotypes, but I’m hopeful this one, guided by the savvy Kings, will dig a bit deeper. After all, they chose Cupertino for a reason. As Robert King himself noted when naming the series, Cupertino is emblematic of where the Silicon Valley boom began, and even the city’s name carries that legacy of a lawyer’s vision and a community that grew around it.

From my perspective, this TV show is an opportunity for the rest of the country (and world) to get a peek into life in our corner of the Bay Area – albeit dramatized and fictionalized. I’m excited to cheer on the fictional attorneys as they take on the tech behemoths, and maybe chuckle knowingly at scenarios that hit close to home. And who knows? Perhaps “Cupertino” will inspire a new generation of legal eagles or civic-minded tech workers right here in town. At the very least, it will give us plenty to talk about at the local coffee shop on Stevens Creek Blvd. when it airs.

So here’s to Cupertino, the show – may it do justice to Cupertino, the city. I’ll be tuning in, ready to critique the courtroom scenes like the seasoned lawyer I am, and revel in every local reference that pops up. Our city is about to have its Hollywood moment, and as a proud Cupertino resident, I’m savoring it. Cupertino, we’re ready for our close-up!

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