Surrey has been exploding in popularity for filmmakers. In 2016 the city issues 170 film permits, which shattered the city’s previous record of 97 permits that it had set in 2015. In 2017 there 189 permits issued and 302 days of active film production in the city. That’s a 372 percent increase in film permits issued since 2009. The city is particularly attractive to television shows, which make up 46 percent of permits issued. If you’ve wondered how our city looks in these shows, you’ll find some examples below of how Guildford looks on screen.
Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)
The long-running Stargate SG-1 was nominated for 8 Emmys and amassed a dedicated fandom. The show spawned multiple spin-off series’ such as Stargate Universe, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Infinity. The cult following of the show allowed for the existence of Gatecon, a fan convention hosted annually in Vancouver during the shows’ run.
Stargate SG-1, “Point of No Return” / Showtime
Private residence / Google Streetview
The Flash (2014 – Ongoing)
A part of the CW version of the DC Comics Universe, most people from the lower mainland have stumbled across the set of The Flash at some point. The show has filmed all 5 of its seasons all over BC, just like its CW siblings. The show has been nominated for an Emmy, has won a People’s Choice Award, Teen Choice Award, and a TV Guide Award. Below is a still from the first season inside Guildford Town Centre, in which The Flash must defeat a villain named The Mist who controls toxic gas.
The Mist preparing to cause havoc / The CW
Guildford Town Centre
iZombie (2015 – Ongoing)
Airing on CW, the network that loves shooting in BC like no other, iZombie is based on a graphic novel of the same name. Featuring a zombie-psychic-crime fighting medical student, the show is never boring. In the shot below we see Guildford pretending to be Seattle, the city in which the show takes place.
iZombie, “Heaven Just Got a Little Bit Smoother” / Warner Bros. Television
108th Ave & 148th St / Google Streetview
The Magicians (2015 – Ongoing)
What if magic were real? That’s the question that SyFy explores with their hit show The Magicians. The show circles on characters who are recruited into a secretive magician academy in which they learn that mystical arts are real. Evidently, they found Green Timbers Urban Forest to be magical enough to use as “The Flying Forest,” home to many a mystical creature.
The Magicians, “The Flying Forest” / SyFy
Green Timbers Urban Forest / Michael Kiernan on Google Maps
Arrow (2012 – Ongoing)
The show that started it all, Arrow was The CW’s first foray into DC Universe adaptations. The show has built a strong following and has become a significant fixture at Comic Cons around North America. Torontonian Stephen Amell has embraced the role of the Green Arrow, sitting firmly atop the throne of DC Universe television adaptations. In the shot below, Arrow transforms a business centre in Guildford into the HQ of a nuclear arms corporation.
The Arrow, “The Recruits” / The CW
104th Avenue Centre / Google Streetview