As we already demonstrated with documenting the TV history of the popular Marine Building and Robson Square, Vancouver is very popular among TV producers.

For this article, we took a look at Downtown and some of the iconic buildings that appeared across TV shows and movies.

Battlestar Galactica

Did you know new Battlestar Galactica used to shoot in Vancouver? One of the very prominent Downtown buildings featured in the series is the Vancouver Public Library. It's a portrayal of Caprica in all its glory.

 

Another great place is the roof of Pub 340, where the colourful graffiti mural become a great background for some of the very dramatic scenes. We wouldn't advise climbing on the roof just to check if we're telling the truth. Have a look at our photos instead!

 

Neverending Story

Who doesn't love 90's family movies and their naive vibe? Neverending Story is one of those movies you can watch on repeat and discover something new every time. The story of Bastian reading a fairytale book where he ends up being the hero became a cult favourite. But did you ever notice the parts of the movie taking place in real life were filmed in Vancouver? You can clearly see the Dominion Building in the wide shot.

 

A good example is the mysterious Library where Bastian ends up hiding after a group of bullies chases him through the city. In real life, it's the Local Public Eatery. So no, you can't go there and hide in the attic to read a book, hoping you get to ride your own Luck Dragon.

 

Speaking of Falcor, the scene in the alley where Bastian gets back at the kids that bullied him is just down the street. Remember that red trash can? Sadly, it's not there anymore, so no more throwing kids into the garbage.

 

 

Arrow

You probably know that the American broadcaster The CW loves Vancouver, especially to use as their own personal DC universe. Arrow, Flash and Supergirl were all shot in Vancouver at some point and of course, they had to visit Downtown.

 

When Arrow was only taking its first steps to become the beloved TV show it is now, Oliver had a list of people he needs to eliminate. In the episode Salvation in the first season, this vigilante vengeance craze leads him to one of the buildings at 23rd & Myra only to find nothing. Oh yes, that's a friendly reminder that Mr Queen wasn't always the total superhero at the beginning. Such a throwback, right?

The Flash

Continuing with our exploration fo the DC universe, we have to mention The Flash. Back in the first season, when Iris decided she wants to be a reporter, the gang meats the lovely Linda Park, a reporter for Central City Picture News. Barry, being the dorky boy he is, falls for her and they end up dating briefly, which as we know more often than not results in a good chance of seeing double. Or rather seeing your double?

 

Yes, Linda is one of the few people in the Flash series that has an evil double. Actually as it seems, every girl Flash has ever dated has one. How convenient. Talk about revenge of the exes.

 

And since the charming person on Earth 2 nicknamed Dr. Light decides that the real Linda Parks is very inconvenient to her, she decides to get rid of her and storms Central City Picture News. Of course, Barry saves the day and everybody lives happily ever after until the next episode.

 

Conveniently, the Central City Picture News Building is located at Abbott Street here in Vancouver. Through the series, we get a few good shots of the building and we can see that they even left the original address 134 Abbott Street in the show.

 

21 Jump Street

This classic 80' procedural cop show aired on FOX and become a very popular piece of TV history. So much, that they decided to adapt and remake it into a (currently well-known) movie with the same name.

 

The story focused on a group of young-looking police officers posing as students in high schools and colleges to help investigate crimes happening on campuses. The name 21 Jump Street is also an address of their headquarters. One of the other addresses in the series is an apartment of one of the heroes - Officer Douglas "Doug" Penhall, with a Vancouver address 307 West Cordova Street.

 

In the episode The Dragon & The Angel, the whole team is seated in front of the familiar and very loved statue of John 'Gassy Jack' Deighton in Gastown. In the shot, you can clearly see only the pedestal and the oak barrel upon which the statue stands, but it's enough to recognize one of the most photographable landmarks in Gastown.

 

Meet The Photographer: Ricardo Vacas

Ricardo Vacas

Ricardo Vacas, owner of the firm Kerp Photography, always showed intense interest in many forms of creative arts. His professional photography career started in his home country, Spain, where he was the official photographer of several music bands, models and clothing brands. He decided to move to Wellington, New Zealand in 2012, knowing his real interest was fashion photography more than any other field. Currently living in Vancouver, Canada, he now combines his fashion, editorial and commercial photography projects with regular trips to Europe and USA.

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