Phony is a 2026 comedy mystery series from Hulu, made by 20th Television, Goddard Textiles and Charlie’s Production Company. It is created by Nick Paley, who wrote and directed the pilot. Connie Britton stars as Ellen, and Sam Nivola plays her son, Sonny. The cast also includes Meera Syal, Grace Brennan, Mahaela Park, Maliq Johnson and Colter Lee. It was filmed in British Columbia, Canada.
Sonny is a popular high school student who wakes up in the hospital after a car accident. He is sure his mother, Ellen, has been replaced by an impostor, and nobody believes him. The creators describe the tone as Freaks and Geeks trapped in The Twilight Zone. Paley has said the idea came from his own childhood fear of losing his mother.
Phony premiered on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, with two episodes. New mystery episodes then follow every Tuesday until the finale on December 1, 2026. It has eight half-hour episodes. It streams on Hulu in the US.
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When and Where Was Phony Filmed?
| Series Name | Phony |
|---|---|
| Genres | Comedy, Mystery, Coming-of-Age |
| Filming Locations | Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (including Burnaby and Hope) |
| Filming Dates | March 20, 2026 to May 22, 2026 (Season 1) |
| Cinematography by | Andy Rydzewski |
| Release Date | October 20, 2026 (Hulu) |
Hollywood North Buzz says the pilot was shot in Vancouver from December 5 to December 16, 2024, and that Season 1 filmed in Vancouver from March 20 to May 22, 2026.
The story is set in a small American town, but Primetimer notes that the show uses editing to join different locations into one fictional town. That means the places in a single scene may be far apart in real life. Andy Rydzewski handled the cinematography.
📍Edgar Residence, 6450 Deer Lake Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia
The crew filmed at the historic Edgar Residence on the shore of Deer Lake in Burnaby. Primetimer says the house was built in 1912, in a Craftsman style, and Sonny and Ellen’s home scenes use it. Vancouver Is Awesome reports that the filming dates were May 7 and 8, 2026. It adds that the scenes there were mostly dialogue, with some light driving work to and from the house. We could not confirm whether every Cooke house scene was shot there.
Visiting: The house is a heritage building in a public park setting, so please check access and any events before you go.
📍Deer Lake Park, 5435 Sperling Avenue, Burnaby
The Cinemaholic says the production used Deer Lake Park in May 2026, with the surrounding areas used for outdoor and driving scenes. We could not confirm which specific scenes were shot in the park.
Visiting: The park is a public lake and green space in Burnaby. Please keep to the public areas.
📍Hope, British Columbia
Hope is a small town in the Fraser Valley, about 150 km east of Vancouver. Primetimer says its streets and mountain surroundings help create the small-town setting, and the Bill Hartley Fraser-Hope Bridge (also called the Water Avenue Bridge) appears in the trailer.
The steel-truss bridge crosses the Fraser River and opened in 1915. The town is also known as a filming location for the 1982 film First Blood.
Visiting: Hope and the bridge are public, so you can see them on a day trip from Vancouver.
📍Other Areas of Metro Vancouver
The Cinemaholic reports that the production also filmed in Surrey, and used a few residential homes in Greater Vancouver for the houses of Sonny’s friends. A high school and a church in the region also appear in the series. We could not confirm the names or addresses of those places. The same site suggests some scenes were shot in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but the Vancouver reports cover the whole spring shoot, so we could not confirm any Winnipeg filming. We will update this guide as soon as more places are confirmed. Our British Columbia page lists more films and series shot in the province, such as Crew Girl.
Phony Behind the Scenes
To make your search for Phony filming even more interesting, here are a few details from the production. Nick Paley wrote the first two episodes and directed half of the first season, according to Disney+. He first set the show up at ABC Signature in 2022, and Hulu ordered a pilot in October 2024 and the full series in August 2025, according to Wikipedia. Five series regulars, including Meera Syal and Grace Brennan, were announced in April 2026. For another Hulu coming-of-age mystery, take a look at The Shards.
We will add more cast and crew Instagram posts and set photos here as soon as they are shared.
Is There Any Trailer Available for Phony?
Yes. Hulu released an official trailer before the October 20 premiere, and it is on Hulu’s YouTube channel. It shows Sonny after the accident, and it includes the Fraser-Hope Bridge in Hope, according to Primetimer.
Phony streams on Hulu in the US, and on Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers. Outside the US it is on Disney+, including in Canada. The first two episodes arrived on October 20, 2026, and one new episode follows every Tuesday until December 1, 2026. Episode titles so far include “Pilot”, “Crosby, Stills and Nash”, “Reverse Cuckoo Situation” and “Vibes Are Rancid”.
FAQs
Q1: Where was Phony filmed?
A1: It was filmed in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia. Named places include the Edgar Residence and Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, and the town of Hope.
Q2: When was Phony filmed?
A2: The pilot was filmed from December 5 to December 16, 2024, and Season 1 from March 20 to May 22, 2026.
Q3: Is the town in Phony real?
A3: No. The small American town is fictional, and the show builds it from several locations around British Columbia.
Q4: Who stars in Phony?
A4: Connie Britton plays Ellen and Sam Nivola plays Sonny. Meera Syal, Grace Brennan, Mahaela Park, Maliq Johnson and Colter Lee also star.
Q5: Who created Phony?
A5: Nick Paley created it. Anthony King is the co-showrunner.
Q6: Where can I watch Phony?
A6: It is on Hulu in the US, and on Disney+ in other countries.
Phony was filmed in Metro Vancouver in spring 2026, with the Edgar Residence, Deer Lake Park and the town of Hope as the named locations.
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