I watch a lot of TV shows and one thing I always notice immediately is when New York is not New York on screen. Lots of TV shows have been doing that for ages – good examples are Friends and Castle, both of which are shot in LA. Most film companies just don’t want to invest in the authenticity of shooting in the real New York, so they stay in Hollywood. But in the last couple of years, even LA appears to have become too expensive – as more and more US shows are shot in Canada. The trick is an old one – overview shots of the supposed city (e.g. New York) are shown, and when we zoom in on the characters, we’re actually in some other city (e.g. Toronto).

Vancouver has long been a favorite of American TV show producers. Here, TV shows like Fringe, Arrow, Eureka and Battlestar Galactica have been filmed, usually with Vancouver modelling as some other city – New York and Boston in Fringe, the fictional Starling City in Arrow, the fictional Eureka in Eureka, and a variety of fictional planets and places in BSG. However, there is also a TV show that is filmed and Vancouver and actually takes place in Vancouver – the Canadian science fiction show Continuum. Yay for Vancouver!

Actually Vancouver (I assume) on Continuum

The situation is Toronto is very similar, but much more delightful for me on a personal level. I have been to Toronto last year in the summer, which now gives me the advantage of recognizing a lot of those filming locations instantly. Having recently watched Alphas, the interchange between overview shots of New York and close-ups of Toronto became more and more obvious. Especially in the very last episode (which ended with a huge cliffhanger and now the show has been cancelled – *sigh*), I immediately recognized Toronto’s Union Station as a cheap replacement for NY’s Grand Central Station. Union Station is impressive, but it’s just not as grand as Grand Central.

Toronto’s Union Station as NYC’s Grand Central on Alphas

Union Station has also appeared several times in the show Warehouse 13, which is another delightfully geeky science fiction show, full of steampunk and rewarding references to everything sci-fi. Warehouse 13 however does not take place in a single city, rather the characters travel all around the world in every other episode. So here, Toronto not only models as New York, but as pretty much any place in the world (however, in one episode Toronto actually got to be Toronto). A particular favorite of the producers is Toronto’s Distillery District. In real life it’s a bit of a artsy hipster shopping district, but in Warehouse 13 and Alphas it has been Moscow, Victorian London, New York and several other places I already forgot.

Toronto’s Distillery District as Moscow (with digital enhancements) on Warehouse 13

As with Vancouver, there’s also another great show which doesn’t hide the fact that it’s shot in Canada because it’s actually a Canadian show: Lost Girl. Here, however, the name of the city where it’s set is never actually mentioned. It could actually be Toronto, or it could be some fictional place – nobody knows. I think the producers to this to not alienate viewers in the US. But is it really that alienating for Americans to watch a Canadian TV show? I can’t really tell. Personally, I would welcome more TV shows that are actually set and filmed in Toronto, because it’s always a joy for me to watch something where I recognize places I have been to. So, TV producers: stop this exploitation of Canada and give it the credit it deserves!

Naturally I would also love to see more shows that are actually shot in New York – because New York is an absolutely unique place, and even Toronto with its similar architecture and relaxed charm can’t authentically portray it. I always immediately recognize the actual New York – as in the brilliantly bizarre comedy Bored to Death, which was mostly shot in Brooklyn or the likewise brilliant show Nurse Jackie, which is so not like other hospital shows. Recently I found another ‘actual NY’ show in Person of Interest. This show has the disadvantage of one incredibly wooden actor, but the beautiful shooting locations allover NYC definitely make up for that.

Actually Washington Square Park in New York on Person of Interest

I vote for TV shows that are actually set in the city they are shot in and I would love to see more Canadian cities. What do you think? What’s your opinion on low-budget locations in TV shows?