A Series of Fortunate Events: All the best shows filming in Vancouver

Even though the Riverdale gang is as American as apple pie and as Twin Peaks as coffee and cherry pie, it may surprise you to know that it is not filmed in the US. Every year the entire cast and the show’s creators trek north to the city of Vancouver to film those eerie scenes in the darkest diner this side of the 49th parallel.

Riverdale is not the only show that calls Vancouver home – the city has a great relationship with TV going back as far as MacGyver. Here are some shows currently filming in the stunning British Columbian city.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Robert Aguirre-Sacasa (Carrie) is at the helm of yet another dark, edgy reboot of the Archie Comics universe based on his own comic reimagining of the teenage sorceress. The show has rightfully blown up after its first two seasons, filmed in Vancouver, starred Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men), Jaz Sinclair (Paper Towns), and five different cat actors playing Salem.

iZombie

The CW’s cherished cult show might be set in Seattle, but iZombie has actually used Vancouver for its shooting location ever since day one. The show is sadly wrapping up after S5, which means the next few times the iZombie squad solve a murder mystery or endure a brain-related flashback on the streets of Vancouver will be the last.

Say goodbye to Liv (Rose McIver), Ravi (Rahul Kohli), and Major (Robert Buckley) while you can Vancouver!

The Arrowverse

After the hit show Smallville wrapped, DC stayed behind. First it was the adventures of Oliver Queen a.k.a. Arrow – that masked billionaire who went missing for a while, only to come back donning a mask and cleaning up his city. Soon he was joined by a legion of other heroes all calling Canada’s Pearl of the Pacific home.

Vancouver is the backdrop for Arrow’s Star City, The Flash’s Central City, and Supergirl’s National City. Joining all those capes and masks are DC’s Legends of Tomorrow with a throng of heroes battling it out on sound stages in the lower mainland of British Columbia.

Fairytales and monsters

It’s not just heroes who call Vancouver home – for over seven seasons, Once Upon a Time has been a part of the Vancouver TV production industry. Snow, Hook, Rumpelstiltskin, and the Evil Queen have had their ups and downs in and around this fair city. It is also nice to know that if there is a vampire loose on any of those sets, Van Helsing is also filming close by to make sure no fanged freaks get a hold of our heroes and fairytale friends.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

S3 of the Netflix Originals show was shot in Vancouver aired and earlier this year, featuring all of Count Olaf’s (Neil Patrick Harris) and Lemony Snicket’s (Patrick Warburton) madness bounding through British Columbia once more – which is an absolute treat for every Canadian who loves to bear witness to a solid cartoonish gothic yarn.

Snowpiercer

Based on Bong Joon-ho’s cult dystopian film of the same name, the upcoming first season of the show is currently filming in Vancouver. Considering the story is set solely on a perpetually moving train that circles the globe, we can’t imagine there are many scenes being shot out on the street.

f you’re lucky, you might still catch a glimpse of stars Jennifer Connelly (Requiem for a Dream) & Daveed Diggs (Wonder) who will no doubt be thankful to get out of that damn train and soak up some of that fresh British Columbian air after a long day on set.

The Good Doctor

The second season of the critically acclaimed medical drama starring Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel) as a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome has returned to Vancouver to shoot.

The Good Doctor boasts a number of Canadian staff behind the scenes with line producer Shawn Williamson being a Vancouver native who told The Daily Hive he intends to keep The Good Doctor in his hometown. “If the numbers carry on the way they are, I hope that the show continues to build audience and hopefully becomes a Vancouver staple, with regards to high-end network television.”