Naman Shrestha
Created by Mark Critch and Tim McAuliffe, CBC’s ‘Son of a Critch’ is a coming-of-age comedy series set in the 1980s that gives us a detailed glimpse into the life of an adolescent boy named Mark, who is much older inside than his age and appearance. With the help of comedy and self-deprecating humor, he makes several friends and connections with the limited number of people in his junior high world.
As Mark navigates through his junior high school days, the viewers get invested in the journey due to the layers of realistic themes accommodated into the narrative. Moreover, the show unfolds in Newfoundland, which mainly includes the setting of his school and residence, making one wonder where ‘Son of a Critch’ is actually filmed.
Son of a Critch Filming Locations
‘Son of a Critch’ is filmed in Newfoundland and Labrador, specifically in St. John’s, Mount Pearl, Portugal Cove, and Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove. As per reports, the shooting for the inaugural iteration of the comedy series began in July 2021 and concluded around early October 2021. On the other hand, the principal photography for the sophomore round commenced in July 2022 and wrapped up in September of the same year. Now, without further ado, let’s traverse all the specific locations that appear in the CBC series!
St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
Most of the pivotal sequences for ‘Son of a Critch’ are lensed in the capital city of Newfoundland and Labrador — St. John’s — which serves as the primary production location for the show. The Critch residence is portrayed by an actual residential property at 510 Logy Bay Road in St. John’s, where a significant chunk of the drama unfolds. Apart from that, several key portions of the comedy series are recorded in and around St. Bonaventure’s College at 2A Bonaventure Avenue.
Located along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in southeast Newfoundland, St. John consists of numerous tourist attractions and heritage buildings, including Duckworth Street, the LSPU Hall, the Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Murray Premises, the Signal Hill, and Pippy Park. So, you might spot some of these spots in the backdrop of a few scenes.
Other Locations in Newfoundland and Labrador
The production team of ‘Son of a Critch’ also traveled to other locations across Newfoundland and Labrador to tape some prominent portions for the Mark Critch starrer. For instance, Mount Pearl is one of the filming sites that feature in several sequences of the show. Besides that, the filming unit also sets up camp in the rural seashore community of Portugal Cove–St. Philip’s and the town of Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove, making the most of the locales of the two sites for the show’s production.
Son of a Critch is Based on a Bestselling Memoir
Yes, ‘Son of a Critch’ is based on a true story. As a matter of fact, the show is based on the award-winning and bestselling eponymous memoir by Mark Critch, which chronicles the hilarious and true story of a young Mark living his life in the 1980s in Newfoundland. However, a few things are dramatized and modified for the TV adaptation for entertainment purposes.
In a January 2022 interview with CTV News, Mark Critch expanded on the same, “It’s a lot of truth. But the casting and creation of these characters are changed a lot for the TV version, and then took on a life of their own. It’s not a biopic, it’s not a documentary, but the spine of every episode is a true story.”For instance, the character of Fox, young Mark’s bully-turned-crush, is portrayed by a female in the series, while the character of his best friend and the only Black person at the school, Richie Perez, has a more fleshed-out story.
Talking more about the basis of ‘Son of a Critch,’ Mark Critch told CBC News in a January 2022 interview. He mentioned that 1980s Newfoundland was quite similar to the late 1960s elsewhere. “We always take a while to catch up, and it’s a small place, and there’s a strong sense of community, you know? And I think that that makes for very good characters, and it makes for an interesting place to tell a story,” he added in the same interview. Now, by considering all the factors mentioned above, we can conclude that ‘Son of a Critch’ is derived from the creator’s childhood experiences.
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