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RENEWAL: FALLING SKIES Renewed for Fourth Season & Headed for Comic-Con

TNT ordered a fourth season of sci-fi summer hit Falling Skies today with [12] new episodes to be filmed in Vancouver under a new showrunner David Eick (Battlestar Galactica). Shot here since the second season, this series about a small band of insurgents fighting against an occupying alien force remains the top summer drama on basic cable in the U.S., averaging almost 6 million weekly viewers after DVR playback is counted.

It’s a family show in a post-apocalyptic setting featuring Tom Mason (Noah Wyle) and his three sons — the eldest Hal (heartthrob Drew Roy), once-harnassed middle son Ben (Connor Jessup) and youngest son Matt (Maxim Knight) — and now one baby daughter with pediatrician Anne Glass (Moon Bloodgood). Other surviving resistance fighters in the 2nd Mass (Boston insurgent group named after the 2nd Massachusetts of the American Revolution) include Captain Weaver (Will Patton), Maggie (Sarah Carter) and frenemy John Pope (Colin Cunningham).

Related: Noah Wyle & Will Patton Shoot Dream Sequence in Gastown

STUNTS: ARROW’s Top 20 Action Moments Countdown

Arrow does have the best fight scenes on TV right now – Ken Tucker, former EW TV critic.

No argument from me. Arrow has my favourite fight scenes and stunts on TV.

Arrow Fight Designer James “Bam Bam” Bamford recently presented a Top 20 Action Moments Countdown in three videos. Absent are any sequences from tonight’s season finale so there is no spoiler alert.

The Top 5 includes my personal favourite- the huge Parkour Sequence with Stephen Amell and stunt double Simon Burnett filmed in Gastown.

[sz-youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQQ7ke2FuJw&feature=player_embedded” /]

Related: Stephen Amell Jumps to Street, Slides over Cab and Runs Right at Me

Read More »STUNTS: ARROW’s Top 20 Action Moments Countdown

WEEK: May 6-12, 2013

GREEN LIT: FOX Orders Joel Wyman’s ALMOST HUMAN (formerly Human) to Series

Who is the human? And who is the android?

Karl Urban & Michael Ealy. ©2013 FOX BROADCASTING CO.

Human John Kennex (Karl Urban of Star Trek) and android Dorian (Michael Ealy) are police partners investigating crimes in Los Angeles 35 years from now. But in this partnership, the android displays more emotions than the human because John is shut down after getting seriously hurt on a mission. From J.J. Abrams and former Fringe showrunner Joel Wyman, this new series pays homage to Fringe in so many ways. The production used many of the former Vancouver Fringe crew as well as its production signs BELLY. Some of the set dressing looked familiar too, with futuristic kiosks like Quick Volt electric car stations and Quick Stands offering everything from Experience Enhancers to Intellect Expanders and Synthetic Pets on set. Almost Human filmed for three weeks in the Vancouver area in familiar Fringe locations from the downtown business district to Gastown’s Winters Hotel to under the Cambie Bridge to the Terminal City Ironworks complex dressed like a Blue Light district.

Related: TV pilot Almost Human Films Armoured Car Heist in Vancouver’s Business District

Related: Karl Urban & Minka Kelly film TV Pilot Almost Human in Vancouver’s Business District

 

Read More »GREEN LIT: FOX Orders Joel Wyman’s ALMOST HUMAN (formerly Human) to Series

WEEK: April 29 – May 5, 2013

SHOOT: Jon Tenney & Rebecca Romijn Film KING & MAXWELL Explosion Aftermath in Gastown

Secret service agents turned private investigators Sean King (Jon Tenney) and Michelle Maxwell (Rebecca Romijn) are the leads in the upcoming TNT series King & Maxwell, based on popular characters from best-selling author David Baldacci. In the episode filmed this week, the pair investigate an explosion at a Washington, D.C. eatery. One which impacts King nearby.

King & Maxwell crew spent five days at Incendio in Gastown this week either preparing or filming before-and-after-explosion scenes. They did everything but the SPFX explosion itself, which had been filmed two years before for the CW pilot Heavenly, which was not picked up to series. All King & Maxwell had to do is match the original set dressing on the patio.

And then distress the windows for the aftermath of this SPFX explosion and cover the pavement in debris.

In scenes filmed Monday, Sean King (Jon Tenney) drove up to the Italian restaurant just as it explodes.

Related: Jon Tenney Films King & Maxwell Explosion Scene in Gastown

And in yesterday’s scenes, an upset Michelle Maxwell (Rebecca Romijn) rushes to her partner.  “Sean,” she cries as she walks towards him standing in the debris. 

Read More »SHOOT: Jon Tenney & Rebecca Romijn Film KING & MAXWELL Explosion Aftermath in Gastown

SHOOT: Jon Tenney Films KING & MAXWELL Explosion in Gastown

Update: King & Maxwell bought footage of the SPFX explosion below. Glad a good blast won’t go to waste.

Two years ago TV pilot Heavenly blew out the windows of Gastown’s Incendio restaurant in a controlled explosion.

I hoped for a repeat performance today from upcoming TNT series King & Maxwell, but it was not to be. Instead I watched as Washington, D.C. secret-service-agent-turned-private-investigator Sean King (Jon Tenney) drove up in his Lexus to park opposite Incendio, got out of his car talking on his phone and then ducked on cue. I assume he ducked from an explosion that will be added because he did it in take after take and tomorrow crew will dress the street with  post-explosion debris to film on Wednesday.

Read More »SHOOT: Jon Tenney Films KING & MAXWELL Explosion in Gastown

WEEK: April 22-28, 2013

  • Sunday, April 28th – Vancouver cop-from-the -future series Continuum 2×02 airs on Showcase. Some of it filmed in Squamish with Rachel Nichols in a big helicopter scene. New York Times’s Neil Genzlinger wrote about his Squamish set visit in TV article praising the series.
  • Sunday, April 28th – Red Widow 1×07 The Coke airs on ABC. Marta (Radha Mitchell) learns new information about her husband’s killer. Photos of one of the deaths filmed in Downtown Eastside alley.
  • Sunday, April 28th – Once Upon a Time 2×20 The Evil Queen airs on ABC. Hook pretends to help Regina (Lana Parilla) with a plan to transport her and Henry (Jared Padalecki) back to Fairytale land. Big scene of Regina talking to Henry filmed in Steveston. And in flashbacks, the Evil Queen gets Rumplestiltskin to transform her into a peasant so she can kill Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin). Village scenes were filmed in Robert Burnaby Park in Burnaby in front of visiting #EvilRegals fans (one from Mozambique). Look for opening scene of The Dark one (Robert Carlyle) & The Tramp (Emilie de Ravin) staggering out of the “Rabbit Hole” pub in Steveston too.
  • Sunday, April 28th – Latest  buzz from Deadline’s Primetime Pilot Panic says Wonderland (Once Upon a Time spinoff) “penciled in” and Big Thunder a “major contender” at ABC; I Am a Victor with John Stamos has a shot at NBC;  Human with Karl Urban”still solid” at FOX; Intelligence with Josh Holloway and Backstrom with Rainn Wilson in the mix at CBS; The 100 still under consideration at The CW but no mention of Blink.
  • Sunday, April 28th – Upcoming TNT series King & Maxwell preps Incendio in Gastown for before and after explosion shoots next week.
  • Saturday, April 28th – Arrow‘s Colton Haynes attends the White House Correspondents Dinner. WHCD’s hilarious & apt hashtag is #nerdprom.
  • Saturday, April 27th – King & Maxwell films downtown at two locations, the last at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
  • Saturday, April 27th – ABC Christmas movie Christmas Bounty wraps three nights (April 25-27th) of overnight filming in holiday-decorated Coquitlam Centre mall.
  • Friday, April 26th – Vancouver director Jeff Renfroe’s new Ice Age thriller The Colony opens nationwide in Canada. YVRShoots series interview with Renfroe.
  • Friday, April 26th – Vancouver director Jesse James Miller’s endearing 1970s-set film Becoming Redwood premieres in Toronto at Cineplex Yonge & Dundas. YVRShoots series interview with Miller.
  • Friday, April 26th – Robert Redford’s Weather Underground film The Company You Keep starring Shia LaBeouf and Redford opens in theatres. Filmed at Vancouver Art Gallery, Georgia Hotel and other locations around Vancouver. 
  • Friday, April 26th – Continuum films inside CBC Vancouver.
  • Friday, April 26th – Arrow actors Byron Mann and Celina Jade featured in Vancouver Sun article about actors making it big in China.
  • Friday, April 26th – Entertainment Weekly scoop about season 3 of Falling Skies. 
  • Friday, April 26th – Entertainment Weekly’s excusive season 3 trailer for The Killing features Peter Sarsgaard as death-row inmate.
  • Thursday, April 25th – Joel Kinnaman & Mireille Enos film a walk-and-talk for  The Killing near Cobalt Hotel on Main Street. Then moved into parking lot behind for scene in car.
  • Thursday, April 25th – Continuum films inside CBC Vancouver and on Cambie Street.
  • Thursday, April 25th – Vancouver whydunit Motive 1×10 airs. Dustin Milligan guest-stars Read More »WEEK: April 22-28, 2013