ListNook

DCAbloob Apr 10, 2026 +56

Too many CW shows to count including almost every Arrowverse show were filmed in Vancouver to cut costs.

56

OCGamerboy Apr 11, 2026 +4

How expensive is it to film here in the US?

4

tazethegod Apr 11, 2026 +8

Filming in Canada is generally 25% to 30% cheaper than in the U.S. due to a weaker Canadian dollar, significant government tax incentives (up to 35-45% off labor/production), and lower overall costs for locations and services. Canada is very interested in promoting the Canadian film industry and Canadian produced content, so the government goes out of its way to help fund and provide tax breaks and other incentives to those who are interested in producing films or TV shows in Canada. Anyway, many US-based TV channels have partnerships with Canadian-equivalent TV channels. If they produce most of their content in Canada, they can show it on both the US and Canadian TV channels without a problem, however if most of the content is produced in the US, then only some of that content can be shown in Canada and a lot of new (Canadian) content will have to be produced specifically for the Canadian channel. This is why some US-based channels like HGTV show a lot of Canadian programming. Due to Canadian content rules, it ends up being more efficient and cost effective to produce most of the programming in Canada and then air it on both the US and Canadian stations. Like a lot of CW shows would air in Canada on Showcase, W Network, etc.

8

Toxicscrew Apr 11, 2026 +6

Good write up, however you forgot a pretty large reason: health care. In Canada it’s covered by taxes and not part of the movies budget. In the US not so much.

6

tazethegod Apr 11, 2026 +1

thank you my friend, I knew there was something I was forgetting on the labor side of things.

1

[deleted] Apr 11, 2026 -9

[deleted]

-9

Squiddlywinks Apr 11, 2026 +11

...which helps with costs.

11

purpletooth12 Apr 10, 2026 +16

Basically any hallmark movie. X-Files, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Expanse, Orphan Black to name a few. A ton.

16

shakana44 Apr 11, 2026 +7

orphan black wasn't set in the US

7

purpletooth12 Apr 11, 2026

It also wasn't specifically set in Canada either. If you're from Toronto you know it's not the US, but they don't ever say specifically say it. With that being said, I'm still on the first season. 😂

0

sxx Apr 11, 2026 +1

Since you're still on the first season I won't spoil anything specific, but they do mention being in Canada later on, plus Scarborough is a specific setting if I remember correctly. They also show Ontario drivers licenses and license plates, as well as Canadian money and plans tickets for Pearson.

1

shakana44 Apr 11, 2026 +1

Toronto was mentioned. Beth and Art were Toronto PD

1

fiveeasypieces5EZ Apr 10, 2026 +10

I thought a lot of those shows were shot in space

10

DoctorDrangle Apr 11, 2026 +1

Stargate. All the earth scenes take place in the US, but are filmed in canada. Same with the alien planets, basically all canada

1

Robey-Wan_Kenobi Apr 11, 2026 +1

Star Trek is set in space. The United States doesn't exist in the Star Trek future.

1

colintron Apr 11, 2026 +15

You're gonna have to exempt Canada from your question to get an interesting answer.

15

Chyvalri Apr 10, 2026 +30

Hundreds of US shows are shot in Vancouver and, to a lesser degree, Toronto and Montreal. Interestingly, Abstergo HQ in the Assassin's Creed universe is located in Montreal near Mel's studio by the Bonaventure Expressway.

30

Whitealroker1 Apr 11, 2026 +2

Fun? In Toronto?

2

Chyvalri Apr 11, 2026 +3

I never said fun.

3

mikrot Apr 11, 2026 +3

"I don't recall saying good luck."

3

Underwater_Karma Apr 11, 2026 +12

Star Trek Voyager was set in the Delta Quadrant of the galaxy, but was actually filmed in the Alpha quadrant to save money

12

MrCanoe Apr 10, 2026 +9

Supernatural was filmed mostly in BC

9

hughjayn1s Apr 10, 2026 +9

All Her Fault- filmed in aus, but everyone spoke American and acted like they were in Chicago

9

TheTresStateArea Apr 11, 2026 +1

I watched this with my sister and I was so confused so very often. I live in Chicago and I was watching everything like wait wait wait, that's not where that is supposed to be.

1

OCGamerboy Apr 11, 2026 +1

Wow

1

fieryone4 Apr 10, 2026 +7

How much time do you have?

7

OCGamerboy Apr 10, 2026 -2

For what?

-2

fieryone4 Apr 11, 2026 +3

To read the list of movies

3

OCGamerboy Apr 12, 2026 +1

Go for it

1

spencerlevey Apr 10, 2026 +5

A Million Little Things Drop Dead Diva The X Files

5

Lookslikeseen Apr 11, 2026 +7

Psych was filmed in Canada

7

frogstampede_9 Apr 10, 2026 +7

Suits is my favorite example: Toronto pretending to be New York so hard you start recognizing the same “Manhattan” street every episode. Spotting reused locations becomes a game.

7

tazethegod Apr 10, 2026 +3

Nancy Drew and a few other shows come to mind.

3

chimatt767 Apr 10, 2026 +3

All her fault was odd because it was supposed to be Chicago but was filmed in Australia. Had me very confused because I knew it wasn’t Chicago but didn’t look like Canada.

3

Simple_Froyo5676 Apr 10, 2026 +3

Hell on Wheels

3

Mr_Kinton Apr 10, 2026 +3

A ton, a recent example that comes to mind is The Last of Us. Takes place in Boston, Kansas City, then Colorado/Wyoming/Washington state but was filmed in Alberta, Canada.

3

monsieurxander Apr 11, 2026 +2

Second season moved production to British Columbia, with Vancouver doubling as Seattle. The only American filming the show has done so far are some exteriors (no actors) for Kansas City in S1, and one scene in S2 >!visiting a major character's grave!< was filmed in Montana.

2

OCGamerboy Apr 11, 2026 -1

Sheesh

-1

SteamedGamer Apr 11, 2026 +3

Outlander

3

crazywalls Apr 11, 2026 +3

Was gonna say this, it's all just Scotland.

3

drunkandy Apr 11, 2026 +3

"The Floor" is filmed in Ireland. They fly all of the American contestants to Ireland.

3

Tomhyde098 Apr 11, 2026 +2

I remember watching an episode of Supernatural and it was set in the same town that I live in Kansas. It was filmed in Canada so there were pine trees everywhere, I don’t think that there’s a single pine tree anywhere in my actual town

2

bolonomadic Apr 11, 2026 +2

Every show set in “New York” and “Chicago” and you can see a mountain range in the background. Hiiiii Vancouver!

2

FlashyG Apr 11, 2026 +2

Port Perry Ontario has been used to film episodes of Reacher, Handmaids Tale, American God's, The West Wing, Hemlock Grove and the movie's Welcome to Mooseport and Fly Away Home. Hallmark also films stuff there all the time.

2

WilliamEmmerson Apr 11, 2026 +1

Pretty much everything the CW ever made. Also, the first 5 seasons of The X-Files, The Last of Us, The Boys, Suits, Tracker and Umbrella Academy. Edit: Removed Schitts Creek because I thought it took place in NY

1

tazethegod Apr 11, 2026 +1

Only ones I can think of that werent are the TVD shows, Dynasty, Roswell NM. And we're not even counting the shows from the WB. Schitts Creek doesn't count that show was set and filmed in Canada.

1

QueasySpell1946 Apr 11, 2026 +1

A lot of syndication shows from the 90s were filmed in Canada or New Zealand.

1

HiTork Apr 11, 2026 +1

Not a show, but a movie; Novocaine takes place in San Diego, but was shot all the way in Cape Town, South Africa. The production even imported a fleet of US market vehicles to the country since South African models would stick out like a sore thumb.

1

KimberlyWexlersFoot Apr 11, 2026 +1

The killing was Vancouver playing Washington.

1

dukenny Apr 11, 2026 +2

Nearly half of them

2

BCCakes Apr 11, 2026 +1

X-Files. Filmed in Vancouver, Canada

1

AssCrackBanditHunter Apr 11, 2026 +2

A ton because of Canada so this isn't a very interesting question. A better question is what shows are supposed to be in North America but aren't filmed here

2

iLikeAza Apr 11, 2026 +1

FARGO It has the name of a US city but is based in Canada

1

All_Lightning879 Apr 11, 2026 +2

Take your pick of many network shows

2

LowBalance4404 Apr 11, 2026 +1

I'm pretty sure Suits was filmed in Canada.

1

VaguelyShingled Apr 10, 2026 +1

Hell on Wheels

1

dead_skeletor Apr 11, 2026 +1

The Killing (US Version) took place in Seattle but filmed in Vancouver, BC Canada

1

pamalamTX Apr 11, 2026 +1

Wasn't Schitts Creek based in the US but made in Canada? Not sure

1

tazethegod Apr 11, 2026 +4

Nope was based in Canada. A lot of people think it was based in the US because of it being on POP TV but it was a CBC show first

4

pamalamTX Apr 11, 2026 +2

Thank you!

2

tazethegod Apr 11, 2026 +1

ofc canadians need their respect where its due. 😁

1

PrizePreset Apr 11, 2026 +1

One of my fave examples of this is Man Seeking Woman, which is set in Chicago and brings it up quite frequently, but is filmed in Toronto and never really looks like Chicago

1

Maximum-Ingenuity Apr 11, 2026 +1

Americas culinary cup on cbs - - for some reason filmed in Canada

1

tazethegod Apr 11, 2026 +1

Probably on the basis that Canada is part of North America or something nonsense like that

1

Sitheref0874 Apr 11, 2026 +1

Psych

1

Toxicscrew Apr 11, 2026 +1

Many American game shows , including The Floor are filmed in Ireland. Cheaper to fly contestants over and film than to film in US. https://theankler.com/p/your-fave-us-game-show-is-probably-filmed-ireland

1

lazyf-inirishman Apr 11, 2026 +1

Fargo is basically shot in Calgary (or greater Alberta).

1

xstrike0 Apr 11, 2026 +1

Like most of the shows made in the last 15 years. Many of them are filmed in Canada or Australia or Czech Republic.

1

LostFan1981 Apr 11, 2026 +1

Virgin River

1

warlocktx Apr 11, 2026 +1

the Scrubs reboot is filmed in Canada

1

Comedeorologist Apr 11, 2026 +1

The Showtime/BBC series "Episodes" was set in LA but predominantly filmed (at least in season 1) in the UK.

1

phantombrick22 Apr 11, 2026 +1

School Spirits Set in Wisconsin, shot in Canada

1

Creative-Package6213 Apr 11, 2026 +1

How has no one mentioned Stargate SG-1...

1

What are some shows that are set in the US but weren’t actually filmed in the US?

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