TV series shot in Maple Ridge studio hits Netflix

A TV series that was shot in a Maple Ridge studio now is available to view at Netflix. The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco was uploaded by the streaming giant on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019.

The show filmed key sets at The Ridge Studios, as well as outdoor locations around B.C., including Langley and New Westminster.

The plot goes like this: After wartime codebreaking in the United Kingdom, two Bletchley Circle sleuths head to America and join forces with an American and Canadian code breaker to unlock an unsolved mystery.

Despite being set in San Francisco, the drama series was locally owned and controlled in BC, the province said in a media release.

In fact, with the exception of two British actors, all the cast, writers, directors and on-set crew who brought the story of the original women who code to life were from British Columbia.

Much of the shooting took place in the 25,000 square-foot film studio of John Wittmayer. The Ridge studio was transformed into a 1950s jazz club, a cozy apartment kitchen, a fancy hotel and a police station with morgue to film the murder mystery series.

“We tend to cater to local, Canadian productions and so we were thrilled to host Bletchley Circle,” Wittmayer says. “That’s what is so exciting about running a film studio. The space can transform right before your eyes. On Bletchley Circle, it was amazing to observe how the production designers go through the creative process of building a believably vintage world.”

He is one among the 160 people who were involved with the production of Bletchley Circle.

“Bletchley Circle is an inspiring example of a high-profile dramatic series developed and produced by a local B.C.-owned company,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

“I’m thrilled they chose a studio in my community of Maple Ridge to film the series, and the world will get to see B.C. right in their homes.”

Now that The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco is launching on Netflix, the whole creative team – from writers to production crew – is excited about reaching a wider audience with B.C. content.

“B.C. has a lot to offer, especially when it comes to telling our own stories,” says Brian Hamilton, an executive producer at Omnifilm Entertainment.

“Not only was the entire crew from B.C., but revenue from worldwide sales of the series comes back to B.C. and is reinvested in creating local jobs and opportunities.”