Abhiroop Das
CBS’s ‘Sheriff Country’ follows in the footsteps of ‘Fire Country‘ in telling the story of Edgewater and its residents, mainly through the eyes of Sheriff’s Deputy Mickey Fox. As the half sister of Sharon Leone, who leads Firehouse 42, Mickey is plunged into responsibility and has to battle many obstacles to prove herself worthy of the position. However, things go downhill when her daughter, Skye, gets embroiled in a mysterious conspiracy. The protagonist is now forced to juggle questions of identity and community, while also navigating her daughter to safety. Throughout all of this, the town of Edgewater becomes more than a passive backdrop; it transforms into a character in itself, voicing the psychological effects rippling out due to these dilemmas.
Edgewater is a Fictional Town Inspired by Real Wildfire Prone Regions in Northern California
Edgewater is a fictional town in Northern California that was originally created as the setting for ‘Fire Country,’ brought to life by the show’s writing team, including Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, and Max Thieriot. Given that ‘Sheriff Country’ takes place in the same place as its predecessor, Edgewater’s identity has largely remained unchanged, with writers Mark Bruner, Safia M. Dirie, and Matt Lopez adding their own creative touches. The pool of inspirations for the town can be traced back to its nature as a story about wildfires, with Good Housekeeping confirming that the show uses some small towns from the Northern California region as reference points. While no one place has been named as the direct basis, towns and communities such as Magalia, Doyle, and Greenville might have served as reference points, given their close-knit population and history with wildfire tragedies. However, with no explicit mention of the towns, the linkage is circumstantial at best.
A significant chunk of the narrative also draws from writer Max Theiriot’s personal experience as a resident of Sonoma County, as he detailed in a conversation with Petaluma Argus-Courier. He spoke about the experience of his near and dear ones, particularly concerning the Tubbs and Nuns Canyon Fires that broke out in 2017, piercing through the regions of Santa Rosa and Sonoma Valley. Theiriot recalled that “It was chaos. It was so surreal and unbelievable that this fire was spreading where it was. People just couldn’t imagine this ever happening. And after it was all over, I was driving around, and it was just hard to digest … all over Mark West, and then to drive past and see (Cardinal) Newman (High School) and Coffey Park. My gosh, the devastation.” As such, it is possible that Edgewater’s characteristics are partially based on the writer’s lived experiences in Sonoma County.
In the interview, Tia Napolitano, the showrunner for ‘Fire Country,’ echoed Theiriot’s perspective by explaining that his collection of small-town stories, especially those set in Northern California and surrounding firefighting, helped inform every step of the storytelling process. Napolitano continued by stating, “We’re not just inventing the authenticity he brings to the table, whether it’s wardrobe or music. We’re really transporting the audience to a small town in Northern California.” While Edgewater is a common name for a geographical region, with states ranging from Maryland to Colorado featuring places with that name, the unique accounts borrowed from both Theiriot’s life and that of the firefighters and survivors in Northern California helped shape the show’s visual identity.
Edgewater is Primarily Shot Across Two Canadian Provinces
Notably, while Edgewater is set in Northern California, its filming locations paint an entirely different story. To bring the town to life, the crew set camp in the Greater Toronto Area, with the city of Toronto and the town of Milton providing the bulk of the exterior shots. The cities’ blend of rural and urban landscapes, combined with the significant green cover, makes them the perfect fit for the setting. Prior to ‘Sheriff Country,’ Edgewater was also the base for ‘Fire Country,’ with the village of Anmore, located at the heart of the Vancouver Metropolitan Region in British Columbia, doubling as the fictional town. With nearly a hundred parks and other natural landmarks, the place helped flesh out Edgewater’s green aesthetics. Many sequences showcasing the town across its previous iterations have also been shot in the historic Fort Langley region of Langley City in British Columbia, giving it a wide geographical palette to choose from.
Though the real filming locations of Edgewater stray away from the narrative’s setting, being in Northern California, Canada’s history with wildfire tragedies helps add a layer of authenticity to the narrative. Across the two shows, Edgewater presents itself in a collage of different locations, borrowing their unique characteristics to develop its own identity. Alongside the exterior shots, the locations within the town, such as its cafes, parks, and institutions, also deeply contribute to the show’s worldbuilding. As such, many of these scenes, especially the ones with Edgewater’s fictional Smokey Tavern restaurant, were reportedly taped in Vancouver Film Studios, with carefully designed sets giving the crew both flexibility and control. While Edgewater and its many constituents are invented in nature, their connections to reality ultimately result in an authentic rendition.
Read More: Where is Sheriff Country Filmed? All Shooting Locations
