Private Eyes West Coast is a 2026 crime mystery series and a spinoff of the Canadian hit Private Eyes, which ran for five seasons from 2016 to 2021. Jason Priestley and Cindy Sampson return as Matt Shade and Angie Everett, along with David Kaye, Olivia Cheng and Khamisa Wilsher.
The show was created by Jennifer Kassabian and Sarah Dodd, and the pilot was directed by Shawn Piller. The couple has left Toronto for a fresh start, and the crew filmed the show in the real city where the story takes place: Victoria, British Columbia. If you like cozy mystery shows with a bit of humor, this one is a fun fit.
Matt Shade and Angie Everett are now married with a baby, and they move to Victoria, BC for a calmer life. Their plan for a quiet life ends in the first episode, when a man is murdered and his girlfriend is wrongly arrested.
Sure that she is innocent, the couple gives up their semi-retirement and opens a new private investigator firm to find the real killer. As the season goes on, they take new cases and meet a new circle of friends. If you remember the original, you can read about it on the Private Eyes page.
Private Eyes West Coast premiered on Global and STACKTV in Canada on September 30, 2026. In the U.S., it started on The CW on October 5, 2026. The first season has 10 episodes.
The series airs on The CW in the U.S. and on Global in Canada. It is made by Lionsgate Canada and Piller/Segan, with Corus Entertainment as the Canadian broadcaster and Lionsgate Television handling international sales.
Table of Contents
When and Where Was Private Eyes West Coast Filmed?
| Series Name | Private Eyes West Coast |
|---|---|
| Genres | Crime, Mystery, Comedy, Drama |
| Filming Locations | Victoria and Saanich, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada |
| Filming Dates | June 5, 2025 to September 10, 2025 |
| Cinematography by | Brad Creasser |
| Release Date | September 30, 2026 (Canada), October 5, 2026 (U.S.) |
Cameras started rolling in Victoria on June 5, 2025, and the shoot ran through the summer to a planned wrap on September 10, 2025, according to Hollywood North Buzz. That report also lists Brad Creasser as the director of photography.
One hotel-industry report says the city plays itself on screen, which is rare for a Canadian show, since many are shot in Vancouver. Victoria has been busy with cameras lately, since the thriller One Mile: Chapter One also started its shoot here. For more on this part of the country, see our British Columbia page.
📍Fairmont Empress, Victoria
The Fairmont Empress is the first big location in the premiere episode. Shade and Angie go there for a date night, but the evening takes a dark turn when they find a murder.
The hotel sits on Victoria’s Inner Harbour and opened in 1908 for the Canadian Pacific Railway, as described by La Revue des Hôtels. It is also known for its afternoon tea. The murder is only part of the story, of course, and the hotel is a real place you can visit.
📍Orca Spirit Adventures and the Inner Harbour, Victoria
Orca Spirit Adventures is a whale-watching company in Victoria Harbour, and it also appears in the first episode. The detectives get pulled into a case there and untangle some shady dealings, according to a Canadian Press report.
The same report says the first episode name-checks local businesses like Barb’s Fish and Chips, Harbour Air and the Victoria Butterfly Gardens. We could not confirm whether those places were filmed in person or only mentioned in the story. The busy waterfront gives the show a postcard-style West Coast look.
📍Pacific Institute for Sport Education, Saanich
For Episode 2, the crew used the Pacific Institute for Sport Education (PISE) in Saanich, a little north of central Victoria. The modern sports and training campus was dressed up to look like a university. It feels very different from the old buildings in downtown Victoria, which shows how many looks the area can offer.
📍Dallas Road and the Breakwater District, Victoria
Local residents spotted the cast filming along Dallas Road on July 8 during the summer shoot, and the Boundary Creek Times shared photos of Jason Priestley on set. This road runs along Victoria’s southern shoreline, close to Ogden Point and its long breakwater. We do not know which episode these scenes belong to.
📍Tofino and the BC Wilderness
The story also takes the detectives out of the city. One case involves a murder confession from a surfer in Tofino, and another is a search for a missing student in the BC wilderness. These are story details, and the crew has not said whether the scenes were shot at those exact places. If you hear more, we will update this section.
Private Eyes West Coast Behind the Scenes
Some of the first behind-the-scenes photos came out on July 8, 2025, when local news shared pictures of Jason Priestley filming along Dallas Road in Victoria. They show him on set near the breakwater during the summer shoot.
Priestley is an executive producer on the show, and he also directed two episodes. Shawn Piller directed the pilot, and the other directors include James Genn, Shannon Kohli and Alysse Leite-Rogers, as listed by TV, eh?.
Cindy Sampson has called Victoria “the most beautiful summer” she has ever had. She also remembers that production once stopped because a pod of orcas swam past, as she shared in a TV Insider interview. Priestley said coming back to Matt Shade felt “like putting on your favorite pair of slippers.”
Between shooting days, the cast and crew rode the Harbour Ferry water taxis, visited Fisherman’s Wharf and Boom + Batten, and took a seaplane trip to Salt Spring Island. The stars also joked about borrowing a story idea from the Empress Hotel’s marmot, Roger, according to the Canadian Press report.
We will add cast and crew Instagram posts and more set photos here as soon as they are shared.
Is There Any Trailer Available for Private Eyes West Coast?
Yes, a First Look trailer of about one minute and nine seconds is available, along with a longer premiere sneak peek of nearly five minutes. You can watch the trailer on The CW Network YouTube channel.
The series premiered on September 30, 2026 in Canada and on October 5, 2026 in the U.S., and it airs on Global and The CW.
FAQs
Q1: Where was Private Eyes West Coast filmed?
A1: Private Eyes West Coast was filmed in and around Victoria, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island. Places include the Fairmont Empress, Orca Spirit Adventures, PISE in Saanich and Dallas Road.
Q2: Was Private Eyes West Coast filmed in Toronto?
A2: No. The original Private Eyes was set in Toronto, but the spinoff is set and filmed in Victoria, BC.
Q3: Which hotel appears in Private Eyes West Coast?
A3: The Fairmont Empress appears in the premiere, where Shade and Angie’s date night leads them to a murder.
Q4: When was Private Eyes West Coast filmed?
A4: Filming began on June 5, 2025, and was planned to wrap on September 10, 2025.
Q5: Will there be a Season 2 of Private Eyes West Coast?
A5: Yes. Season 2 has been announced, with filming planned for Victoria in 2027.
Q6: Where can I watch Private Eyes West Coast?
A6: It premiered on Global and STACKTV in Canada on September 30, 2026, and it airs on The CW in the U.S. from October 5, 2026.
Private Eyes West Coast swaps Toronto for the sea views and old buildings of Victoria, and the real places like the Fairmont Empress, the harbour and the waterfront make it feel fresh. Seeing a city play itself on screen is a treat for fans of the first show. If you enjoy a good crime story, you can find more in our TV series section, or explore everything filmed across Canada. We will keep adding new filming-location guides, so check back soon.
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