Naman Shrestha
Created by Andrew Phung and Scott Townend, CBC’s ‘Run the Burbs’ is a sitcom that follows the Phams, a young and bold Vietnamese South Asian family that includes stay-at-home dad Andrew Pham, his free-spirited wife named Camille, their teenage daughter Khia, and clever young son Leo. Their different approach to life is bound to make us think in detail about contemporary family values and life in the suburbs. As the Phams are the instigators of community events, they are considered the heart and soul of their cul-de-sac. This doesn’t mean that they don’t face the challenges and stresses of day-to-day suburban life. It’s just that they work as a cohesive unit to go through them all.
Starring Andrew Phung, Rakhee Morzaria, Zoriah Wong, Roman Pesino, and Ali Hassan, the comedy series unfolds in the suburbs of the fictional city of Rockridge as much of the drama unfolds in the residence of the Phams and the street outside. This sparks some questions related to the filming sites of the show in the minds of many viewers. If you are in the same boat, allow us to get rid of your curiosity!
Run the Burbs: Where Was it Filmed?
‘Run the Burbs’ is filmed in Ontario, specifically in Hamilton and Toronto. The shooting for the inaugural iteration reportedly began in August 2021 and concluded in November 2021. As for the principal photography for the sophomore round, it commenced in September 2022 and wrapped up in November of the same year. Now, without wasting any time, let’s navigate through the suburbs and find out the specific locations that feature in the CBC series!
Hamilton, Ontario
In order to shoot most of the exterior portions of ‘Run the Burbs,’ the production team sets up camp in different neighborhoods and streets of the city of Hamilton. For instance, in September 2022, they were spotted recording some key scenes for season 2 in and around Immanuel Christian Reformed Church CRCNA at 61 Mohawk Road West in Hamilton. Furthermore, while a ranch-style home at 24 Leadale Place with a basketball hoop in the driveway is utilized as a filming site, a quiet street is transformed into a set for the production of the comedy series.
Toronto, Ontario
Several pivotal sequences for ‘Run the Burbs’ are also taped in and around Toronto. Mainly, the filming unit utilizes the facilities of a studio in the Scarborough district to lens a majority of the interior scenes for the Andrew Phung starrer. A few scenes are seemingly shot outdoors as well, in the backdrop of which you might be able to spot some popular landmarks. Some of them are the CN Tower, the Humber Bay Arch Bridge, the Toronto City Hall, and Casa Loma. Also known as Hollywood North, Toronto has hosted the production of a number of film projects, including ‘Mean Girls,’ ‘Police Academy,’ ‘Billy Madison,’ and ‘Schitt’s Creek.’
Run the Burbs: A Reflection of Writers’ Lives
‘Run the Burbs’ is somewhat based on a true story. To put it more accurately, the show is inspired by the life experiences of the screenwriters — Scott Townend, Andrew Phung, Nelu Handa, Shebli Zarghami, Anthony Q. Farrell, and Jessie Gabe — who have a creative discussion about them and dramatize it aptly to mold it into the characters’ lives. Andrew expanded on the same during a conversation with The Asian Cut in January 2023, “If someone shares a nugget of something, we add to it and attach it to ourselves. The ideas that rise up are the ones that resonate with most of the room.”
Modeled on Andrew Phung’s hometown Calgary, Alberta, the suburban show is inspired by his life as a father, in particular. In an early January 2023 interview with Toronto Life, Andrew was asked if his character in the show was based on himself or not. He replied, “It’s very much inspired by my life as a dad. I stayed home when my first child was born, and I loved it. Then he started school, and I had to figure out who I was again. Those experiences really informed Pham’s character. Parenting today is not like when I was growing up.”
By taking into consideration all the above-mentioned points, it would be fair to say that the best parts of the show do not emerge from a single writer’s personal experience. Instead, they pull inspiration from each other’s experiences and then conjure up something related to those experiences. So, in a way, ‘Run the Burbs’ is somewhat based on the amalgamation of different true stories.
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