Getting ready to watch the first episodes of the new Netflix series Below, Lillian Carey â who grew up in Brigus South â said she’d be keeping an eye out for local landmarks, and appearances by her family members on the screen.
“It’s something I never thought I’d see in my day,” she said, recounting the number of people present during the show’s production in 2025, and the frenzy of activity in a place that she estimated otherwise has about 50 year-round residents.
The creative team transformed Brigus South into a fictional community called Snook’s Arm. The set design and changes made around the community took the place back in time, Carey said.
“For one thing, the church was gone out of here and they built a new church … the same as the old one, but an older version of it,” she said, explaining that the fake church was made out of an existing home, with a new facade built on.
Another home was made to look like a fish plant, and was a match for old stages and fishing sheds built “just like years ago,” Carey said.
She said the colour of some homes was changed, and reflected more of what would have been popular decades ago.
Brigus South resident Elizabeth Power stands in front of her home, ready to be re-painted after being dressed as part of the set of Below. (Laura Howells/CBC)
Elizabeth Power lives in Brigus South. She allowed her home to get a new look during filming. She spoke to CBC News while standing in front of the house as it was painted for the show: blue, with white edging and details to make it look more distressed and worn.
“Sometimes it was noisy, sometimes it wasn’t. It depended on what they were filming,” she said, adding it never bothered her. She said it was “eye-opening” to see all of the activity close up.
Alexis Rice also lives in Brigus South, and was in the middle of the production that brought thousands of people to the area.
“They were very respectful, I must say. A lot of the producers were French Canadians. They called me ma’am,” she said.
Rice explained that her home was made to look abandoned, with the crew asking her not to cut her grass all summer. She obliged, adding that the production team thankfully cut her lawn at the end of shooting.
There were some minor inconveniences, such as having to put up dark curtains to block out bright lights used when shooting nighttime scenes. However, Rice always knew the schedule, and the crew made sure her driveway wasn’t blocked.
Brigus South resident Alexis Rice said she was surprised by the lengths the production team went to in order to give a particular look to their fictional Snook’s Arm, but she says she didn’t mind the flurry of activity during production. (Danny Arsenault/CBC)
Some sights were odder than others, she acknowledged. That includes one day when she saw the crew creating a pothole in the road.
“I thought they were nuts. We’ve got enough potholes in Newfoundland as it is,” she said with a laugh.
A watch party held Thursday at the community hall gave locals their first look at the show. Below features actor Josh Hartnett as a fisherman named Calvin Penney. He has to deal with an unidentified sea creature that’s terrorizing the town.
The show’s cast includes actors from Newfoundland and Labrador, with the main cast including Willow Keane, originally from Labrador West, as Calvin’s sister Ruth Penney. The production team also includes Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
All six episodes are now streaming on Netflix.
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