Other than the >smash epic Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever (probably the first and only major Hollywood flick where Vancouver actually plays Vancouver) and then something like the Douglas Coupland scripted Everything’s Gone Green, there’s always been a lotta talk about Vancouver playing other cities on film. CHRIS HADDOCK‘s CBC show like DA VINCI’S INQUEST was obviously one tv show that was really about Vancouver but his more recent INTELLIGENCE was one of my fav tv series of all time. The show was the real deal slice of the Couv and I couldnt wait for it to air every Monday, even had my mom VHS tape it when I was gone for a month in India.

The show starred IAN TRACEY (who was also in Da Vinci) as Jimmy Reardon, the Vancouver Don of shippin the ol BC Chron southbound and his right hand man, Ronnie Delmonico (John Cassini who was also in the Vancouver set CBC movie Dragon Boys) who ran their hustle out of the Chick-a-Dee peeler joint (played by the Penthouse). Reardon makes a deal with the head of the Vancouver Organized Crime Unit (Mary Spalding who aspires to be the head of the Western division of CSIS) and they give each other bits of what’s going on in the other side. Nearly all of the characters the Reardon crew ran with, dealt with, had beef with, etc were pretty accurate depictions of real life Vancouver folk. The Rascalz’s Red1 had a bit role as Jimmy’s brother’s partner in crime. The show ran 2 seasons until March of 2008.

To Chris Haddock and the Intelligence crew: you guys ruled.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGYgq67meos&feature=channel_page&fmt=18