Cloverdale’s reputation as Hollywood North – the Fraser Valley Edition has gotten a boost in recent weeks, with two TV productions rolling in Surrey’s historic heart, and a third at a local park.
The first – a pilot called Frequency (based on the 2000 film of the same name, which starred Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel) – took over the 5600-block of 175 Street alleyway for an evening shoot on March 29.
Crews spent the day setting up, repainting the back exterior of a small, two-floor building at 5681 176 Street to look like a big city alley.
Frequency is by Supernatural showrunner Jeremy Carver, who is producing a show based on the movie for the CW network in the U.S. Directed by Brad Anderson.
And on Monday, a sizable crew from the TV comedy series Impastor filmed a dizzying number of scenes in and around 176A Street and 57 Avenue.
Crews for the North Vancouver-based production shot scenes the morning in Cloverdale before moving to the rear entrances of several other businesses over the course of the day: 5685 176A St., and 5641 176A Street.
A splinter unit was also filming at 16A St. and 58 Ave. during the morning on April 4.
Streets and buildings bore unmistakable clues that a TV crew had worked its magic. Along with the requisite U.S. flag, there were new landscaping features like hanging baskets on 176A Street and large, flower-filled planters on street corners. Several buildings underwent mini-makeovers, with the Cloverdale Library doing duty as the Ladner Credit Union and the popular Eversafe Ranch Thrift Store across the street reimagined as the Ladner Police Department.
Impastor is a comedy that airs in Canada on the Comedy Network.
According to IMDB.com, the show is in its second season and stars Michael Rosenbaum as Buddy Dobbs, a slacker on the run from loan sharks who steals a man’s identity, only to end up posing as a small town’s gay pastor.
Rosenbaum played Lex Luthor in Smallville, a TV series about Superman’s origins that frequently filmed in Cloverdale during its first seasons.
Aimee Garcia, Sara Rue, Mircea Monroe, Mike Kosinski and David Rasche also star in the series.
Bates Motel was also filming Monday at Cloverdale Athletic Park, according to a report.
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