Hilary Swank will star in the TV series Away.
Some recent trends in TV series have been superheroes, witches, and—babysitters?
Yes, the formidable sitter of babies and children is getting a lot of attention in screen projects as of late, with a new Netflix movie starting production this week.
Meanwhile, three TV series start up this week.
One is a sci-fi drama starring a two-time Oscar winner and embarking upon its first season.
Another is also a sci-fi drama, but this one is the polar opposite: it’s starting in on its final season.
Completely different from those two is a romance-drama set in a Western Canadian frontier town.
And there’s also a TV movie based upon a real-life scandal.
If any of this intrigues you, read on for what’s going on in Vancouver’s screen scene this week.
As we mentioned, babysitters are seem to be all the rage as of late—particularly in Vancouver.
To wit: there’s the current adaptation of The Babysitter’s Club, based on the young-adult book trilogy, in the city. There was also Gabby Duran and the Unsittables, based on a book series about a babysitter for aliens, which shot its first season until this past spring.
The Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting
Now here comes A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting, which shoots from Thursday (August 29) to November 8.
It’s directed by Vancouver-based filmmaker and UBC film professor Rachel Talalay (Riverdale).
Rachel Talalay
This family feature film follows a babysitter who, after her charge is kidnapped by monster, is recruited by a secret society of babysitters who are dedicated to protecting children whose destiny is to change the world.
The cast hasn’t been announced yet so stay tuned to see who stars in this one.
Elsewhere in the city, three TV series kick off their principal photography on their latest seasons today.
Away
One series that’s brand new is Away, which starts shooting 10 episodes for Season 1 from today (August 26) until February 5, 2020.
Hilary Swank
In this Netflix series, which is loosely based upon an Esquire article, Oscar-winning Hilary Swank stars as a U.S. astronaut who has to leave behind her husband and daughter as she takes command of an international space crew embarking upon a dangerous year-long mission.
Josh Charles
The cast includes Josh Charles, Talitha Bateman, Ato Essandoh, Mark Ivanir, Ray Panthaki, and Vivian Wu.
Vivian Wu
Meanwhile, another sci-fi series is blasting off today as well.
The 100
The 100 gets back on set to shoot 16 episodes for Season 7 as we speak and will keep going all the way until March 19, 2020.
But there’s some bittersweetness to this news as it’s also its final season. And it will be complete with 100 episodes by the end of Season 7.
The 100
This dystopian sci-fi drama focuses on a group of nuclear-apocalypse survivors who are sent back to Earth from a space station to determine if the planet is—but discover they’re not alone.
Henry Ian Cusick
The cast includes Eliza Taylor, Paige Turco, Bob Morley, Henry Ian Cusick, Marie Avgeropoulos, Tasya Teles, Lindsey Morgan, Richard Harmon, and Shannon Kook.
Tasya Teles
There’s also a new face in the mix as Chad Rook (Siren) joins the cast this season.
Season 7 will reportedly pick up directly after the events of the Season 6 season finale.
Chad Rook
The season premiere date hasn’t been announced yet but it’s one to look forward to.
When Calls the Heart
Also starting on its seventh season today is When Calls the Heart, which continues shooting until December 16 with production based in Burnaby.
Erin Krakow
This Canadian-American drama series follows the life (and loves) of teacher ElizabethThatcher (Erin Krakow) in the smalltown of Hope Valley, Alberta, during the early 1900s.
The cast includes Jack Wagner, Martin Cummins, Pascale Hutton, Kavan Smith, Paul Greene, and Andrea Brooks.
Andrea Brooks
Season 6 depicted Elizabeth raising her new baby Jack—whose father, Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing), died in Season 5—while she was caught in a love triangle with Lucas (Chris McNally) and the new Mountie in town, Nathan (Kevin McGarry).
When Calls the Heart
Unfortunately, the upcoming season will be without actress Lori Loughlin, who played Abigail Stanton, due to her alleged involvement in the college-admissions scandal.
Penelope Ann Miller
That whole subject—when over 50 wealthy families tried to bypass the college admissions system with bribes—is the focus of a TV movie shooting in Vancouver.
Operation Varsity Blues (also called The College Admissions Scandal) began back on August 7 and will call it a wrap on (Wednesday) 28.
Directed by Adam Salky, this TV movie will focus on two affluent mothers, an in-demand interior designer (Penelope Ann Miller) and a financial services company owner (Mia Kirshner), who want their children to get into the best colleges.
Mia Kirshner
When a college admissions consultant (played by Michael Shanks) offers them a covert way of getting their offspring into their post-secondary institutions of their choice, the mothers partake in the deal.
But when the consultant winds up cooperating with the FBI, the mothers wind up facing the consequences of their actions.
This Lifetime movie is set to premiere on October 12.
Michael Shanks
And that’s it for this week.
With September around the corner, there’s going to plenty to cover in the weeks to come so check back in with us again for more coverage of what’s filming in Vancouver.
Until next time, have fun spotting Vancouver on a screen near you!
