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Inside the BԪַfictional worldBԪַ of CBCBԪַs new Surrey-set police drama, out Feb. 7

BԪַAllegianceBԪַ creator says the new series has nothing to do with cityBԪַs recent policing transition mess
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Actors Supinder Wraich (Sabrina Sohal) and Enrico Colantoni (as Vince Brambilla) in CBCBԪַs new Surrey-set police drama, BԪַAllegiance,BԪַ to debut Wednesday, Feb. 7. (Photo: Darko Sikman via CBC/Lark Productions)

People will see and hear plenty of Surrey scenes and stories when they watch BԪַAllegiance,BԪַ the new CBC police drama that debuts next Wednesday, Feb. 7 on TV and the Gem streaming platform.

The series stars Supinder Wraich as BԪַSurrey girlBԪַ Sabrina Sohal, a star rookie police officer who grapples with the limits of the justice system while fighting to exonerate her politician father Ajeet Sohal, played by Stephen Lobo.

Sohal patrols Surrey alongside veteran training officer Vince Brambilla, played by Enrico Colantoni.

A trailer for BԪַAllegianceBԪַ shows aerial views of Surrey and a BԪַCanadian Federal Police CorpsBԪַ building, described as the largest detachment of the police force.

With a Surrey policing transition still a very hot topic in the news, the BԪַAllegianceBԪַ creative team says the timing of the series launch is coincidental.

BԪַThe CFP is a fictionalized police force and not meant to really represent the RCMP or the Surrey Police,BԪַ Wraich underlined during an interview on Zoom alongside Colantoni, series creator Anar Ali and co-showrunner Mark Ellis.

BԪַWe had officers from both forces on set BԪַ some days it was RCMP officers and others it was Surrey Police, and we liked them equally,BԪַ Wraich added.

BԪַOf course weBԪַve always been aware that this was happening with the RCMP and the police,BԪַ Ali chimed in, BԪַbut itBԪַs nothing that we necessarily address in our show, which is this fictional world.BԪַ

With BԪַLaw & OrderBԪַ-like vibes, the show focuses on BԪַidentity and belonging, policing and politics, and finding truth within the heart of a flawed justice system,BԪַ according to a news release posted to cbc.ca.

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Supinder Wraich (as the character Sabrina Sohal) salutes in a scene in CBCBԪַs new Surrey-set police drama, BԪַAllegiance,BԪַ to debut Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Photo: Darko Sikman via CBC/Lark Productions)

Last fall, until just before Christmas, the first season of BԪַAllegianceBԪַ was filmed in Surrey and parts of Langley.

BԪַIt was important that we try and capture as many of the key locations of Surrey as we could,BԪַ Ellis noted, BԪַso viewers will see Surrey Central Library, city hall, our cops will be driving down King George.

BԪַWe had a great creative team that went out and captured a lot of aerials and pass-bys along streets, so we see the gurdwaras, the Payal Business Centre, we see blueberry and cranberry farms next to the reality of condos being built and auto dealerships and strip malls.BԪַ

Some Surrey-specific stories also work their way into the series, according to Wraich.

BԪַWe have a storyline that centers around Whalley and the gentrification thatBԪַs happening there and we actively discuss it,BԪַ the actor explained.

BԪַWe have another storyline where someone has come to the country and was taken to Surrey and we sort of recreate that journey, you know, from the airport to the place where they were in Surrey. We try to figure it out as part of our police work, in terms of when they give us clues about what bridges were crossed and, you know, where were they exactly? We discuss the landscape actually a fair bit.BԪַ

Ali said she created the series with themes of restorative justice in mind, along with identity and the allegiances of immigrants, with the help of consultant Paul Dadwal, an ex-RCMP officer from Surrey.

BԪַI was really interested in exploring the idea of justice and the idea that our system is maybe a little bit broken right now,BԪַ Ali said.

BԪַSurrey as the setting evolved through the creative process because I always start with characters and specifically, I was starting with Sabrina and her family,BԪַ Ali added.

BԪַAnd so as I followed the characters, they took me to Surrey, and then I found out that it did have the, you know, largest diaspora of Sikh Punjabi people in the world. And I knew about the long history of the Sikh Punjabi community in B.C., and it was all those factors coming together. And Surrey is just so beautiful, so thatBԪַs not a bad thing either, and there are just so many rich stories of many communities there that I thought would be great to explore.BԪַ

The BԪַAllegianceBԪַ creative team and actors will return here for a kickoff screening of the show Tuesday, Feb. 6, at Surrey City Hall. The invite-only event, planned in partnership with Surrey-based , will involve a Q&A with cast and crew.

BԪַWhile we were shooting the show,BԪַ Wraich said, BԪַit was just such an arduous shoot that we didnBԪַt get to see as much of Surrey as we would like to. Going back, itBԪַll be nice to appreciate, you know, some of the restaurants as opposed to locations because I will say that our production design team did such a good job, sometimes I didnBԪַt realize the real place that we were at.

BԪַThe people of Surrey, whenever we were shooting, would stop and ask what we were doing,BԪַ the actor added. BԪַThere was a real pride to have a show based in Surrey and two, that it was about the Sikh Punjabi community that lives there. I think itBԪַs exciting to make a show thatBԪַs representative of that community.BԪַ



Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news for Surrey Now-Leader and Black Press Media
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