Take a tour through the set of Kim's Convenience (which is not an actual store)
Production designer John Dondertman shows us how the world of the award-winning series is created
With the second season of Kim's Convenience premiering on CBC tonight, viewers will once again be able to enter the store inhabited by Canada's favourite Korean Canadian family. But what some people might not know is that store they see on the show isn't an actual store. While the exteriors are shot on location in downtown Toronto, the interiors are shot in a sound studio on the other side of the city — and a lot of work goes into creating the authenticity you see on screen.
John Dondertman is one of Canada's most experienced production designers and has gone to extensive lengths to make Kim's Convenience as real as any family corner store. In this video, he gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the small details that you may not see in the show but that help colour the world of Canada's #1 comedy.
"As production designers, we're responsible for building a character into the set," Dondertman says. "So, the feel and the authenticity of the set really helps the actors' performances. We strive to make something that's inspiring not just for the cast but for the crew, for the director — for everybody."
Take a closer look at John's work when Kim's Convenience premieres its second season tonight at 9pm (9:30pm NT) on CBC-TV.