With seven prisons dictating the state of a whole city, Mayor of Kingstown certainly seems dystopian. Indeed, Jeremy Renner’s Mike is kept on his toes as he tries to maintain peace between the prisoners, law enforcement, politicians, citizens, and others.
But you may be surprised to find out that cities like Kingstown actually exist! So is Kingstown a real place? Where exactly is the show filmed?
The city of Kingstown depicted in Mayor of Kingstown is not a real place. While the show is inspired by real-life places like Kingston, Ontario, it is actually filmed in Hamilton, Canada.
Mayor of Kingstown is definitely a unique show, which is why it is hyped up with great reviews. I’m sure you’d like more details about the real-life locations that inspired the show, so let’s get into those!
Mayor of Kingstown’s Filming Locations
The Mayor of Kingstown is primarily filmed in a post-industrial Canadian city called Hamilton (Toronto).
If you are a fan of visiting filming sites or would like to see it just because you happen to be in the vicinity here are some confirmed filming locations:
- The prison scenes are filmed in Kingston Penitentiary located in Kingston, Ontario.
- The Lakeview Restaurant is shot in the Red Carriage Diner, located on Dundas Street, Hamilton, Toronto.
- The prison school is filmed at The Art Deco building in RC Harris Water Treatment Plant, Scarborough.
When is Mayor of Kingstown set during?
While the show has not specified when exactly Mayor of Kingstown takes place, it depicts a very contemporary setting, indicating that it could be set in recent years (2020 onwards).
Mayor of Kingstown is not a period drama, so it isn’t set in the past. The show has never mentioned the year that the events are taking place, but it is safe to assume that it’s set during recent years as most contemporary shows depict.
What is Mayor of Kingstown inspired by?
Mayor of Kingstown is inspired by Kingston, Ontario, where co-creator Hugh Dillon grew up in. The show is also inspired by other cities that are financially supported by prison-led endeavors.
As you may have noticed above, some of the scenes are filmed in Kingston which is the city that inspired the setting of Kingstown itself. Dillon grew up in Kingston which has nine prisons that controlled its whole economy and politics. He has stated several times that such cities are really different and he wanted to highlight those narratives through the show.
Plenty of cities like Kingstown as found across the North-American continent and given that such cities run on such a unique ecosystem (that is, primarily prisons), it makes for some great grimy stories — Mayor of Kingstown is certainly proof of that!
About Mayor of Kingstown
Mayor of Kingstown is a Paramount+ series created by Taylor Sheridan of the Yellowstone fame. It’s also co-created by co-creator Hugh Dillon and directed by Antoine Fuqua.
A long list of people are executive producing the show – Sheridan, Fuqua, Dhillon, Jeremy Renner, David Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari and Michael Friedman.
The cast includes Jeremy Renner, Dianne Wiest, Emma Laird, Derek Webster, Taylor Handley and Tobi Bamtefa, among others.
Mayor of Kingstown revolves around the McLusky family and their attempt of bringing law and order to a town that doesn’t have it. It tackles real world issues such as systemic corruption, racism, and equality.
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