The idyllic scenes weren’t enough to keep this show going. The short-lived series, The Glades, was cancelled after only 4 seasons, but it was enough for us to get to know the characters really well. The small town of Palm Glade may forever be lost to us in that cliffhanger of a series finale, but the though of homicide detective Jim Longworth (Matt Passmore) can keep on coming back until we get our fill of the show–which is likely not to happen even now that the show is over. Here are 10 fact you probably didn’t know about The Glades:
The Surf Shack
This was an important location in the film, but even in real life, it wasn’t a true establishment. This surf shack was actually built by the construction department of the show. They assemble the shack at the beach each time there was a scene there. There was even a time when the crew put it too close to the water that they had to dig a drainage out by hand.
The Florida Panther
This show was full of elements that highlight the beauty of Florida, especially in places that are away from the bustling cities. One of those elements is the Florida panther, the state’s official animal. In season 3, there was a Florida panther featured in the show. That was Justice, a real panther that had been trained by her caretakers since she was just a small kitten.
The Courthouse
The Callie—Elkins courthouse might look familiar to some people, as it should. All scenes from the series that show the courthouse were filmed at the Broward County Court House. The location was not entirely the west coast like the Everglades, but it was the closest courthouse location to the show. In fact, the Broward County Courthouse sits right at the city’s downtown, something far from what the show was trying to depict it to be.
The Props
There were plenty of scenes in this show that involved some type of alcoholic beverage in one form or another. One in particular was a bar scene with Jim and Carlos. This was filmed on location at the Poor House in Fort Lauderdale. Interestingly, the beer served in this episode was an actual local beer brewed by The Native Brewing Company. The beer bottles were emptied and filled with water for the episode.
The Extra
In an episode on season 3, there was a corpse character that was vital to the story. A veteran actress did not play this corpse; in fact, an actual Broward Sheriff Deputy portrayed this character. The deputy was a fan of The Glades, and it must’ve been a cool opportunity to be part of the cast for one particular day.
The Green Screen
Watching shows or movies sometimes, you never really pay close enough attention to figure out what’s real and what’s not. These days, technology allows filmmakers to put characters in places that they can’t otherwise. There’s a large research lab that’s frequented by characters Jim and Carlos. It just so happens that the particular lab actually doesn’t exist in real life; it was produced via green screen.
The Golfing
Florida is known for its golf; and prior to the show, actor Matt Passmore, who played Jim Longworth, did not know any golf whatsoever. With the help of golf pros on set, Passmore developed his own swing and is now a legit golf player.
The Recreated Junk
In season 2, there was an episode that took place in a junkyard. This episode was shot on location at an actual junkyard in Davie, Florida. However, the junk that you saw on screen was actually recreated by the decorating department of the show.
The Shooting on Location
The show features many local businesses throughout South Florida. Some of these may be bars, restaurants, or hotels among many others. Some of the most famous locations used in the show include Cap’s Place Island Restaurant, Doris Italian Meat Market, Anglesea Pub, various colleges and universities, and many more.
The Apartment
One of the characters on the show, Cassandra, has an apartment that’s actually a hotel suite in real life. The hotel in question was the Hyatt Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. They crew decorated and filmed in the place strategically to make it look like a real apartment.
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