Superman show throws Cloverdale Rodeo a ‘lifeline’

CLOVERDALE (NEWS 1130) — Another Superman TV show is coming to the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, and just in time.

The City of Surrey is welcoming the production with open arms in the wake of the ongoing pandemic, and nearly 10 years after the original Smallville TV series was filmed in B.C., including parts of Cloverdale.

Mike McSorely, general manager of the Cloverdale Rodeo, said the TV show is an ambitious project, but could stick around for as long as five years.

“They’ve committed to building a back lot, all that entails, so they are basically building the town of Smallville, including a train station up there,” he said of the fairgrounds, located along the Pacific Highway.

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McSorely added COVID-19 has hit everyone hard, including the rodeo, which takes place annually on the Victoria Day long weekend, but was cancelled this year.

“Ya, it’s been an incredibly difficult time for the Cloverdale Rodeo in the past six months,” he said. “And this is a bit of a lifeline, so it really helps.”

He said the crews have already begun building sets for the show and shooting should get underway later this year.

Film and TV productions came to a near halt in B.C. due to the pandemic and border restrictions earlier this year. Film production resumed in Surrey in July.

A City of Surrey staff report recommends approval of a temporary use permit for the fairgrounds.

“The City and Fraser Valley Exhibition Society have been approached by Manly Shore Production Services Inc., a subsidiary of Warner Brothers Entertainment Inc. to lease a 7.6 acre portion of the Cloverdale Fairgrounds site, including the Cloverdale Fairground Show Barn, to allow the construction of a production set for the Superman and Lois Smallville production.”

The proposed agreement with Warner Brothers is initially for three years, with the potential for a further three years, subject to council approval.

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