Just finished @thesociety on @Netflix. Really thoughtful exploration of community, the human condition, and mob rule- all while exploring teenage angst. Worth the watch. Interestingly enough- today I cast my ballot in my hometown- let’s see if these look familiar...

The @thesociety series begins with a shot of West Ham Town Hall. In reality, the building serves as the Town of Lancaster’s municipal offices. The show shot both interior and exterior scenes in this building.

Movie left; Today right

The teens in @thesociety use the “West Ham Congregational Church” as their main meeting location. In reality, this church is the First Church of Christ in Lancaster. Exterior shots on the show are of the church- interior are of a recreated soundstage.

Series left 2; today right

When the teens in @thesociety make their own prom- you’d hardly notice it was inside a town hall! The building used here is the “old” Lancaster Town Hall. It is still used for voting purposes

Left 1: series shot of exterior of building (background)
Left 2: prom
Right: today

**SPOILER**
In episode 3, we encounter a pivotal moment in the show. Despite being depicted as the entrance to the prom- this location is actually the back entrance to the Thayer Memorial Library in Lancaster.

Left: Series
Right: Today

**SPOILER**
When an important character meets her demise outside the prom, they lie on the sidewalk and bleed to death. While most of the show has left no trace in Lancaster- this scene remains present.

Left: Series
Right: today

**SPOILER**
After that character meets their demise- the burial takes place. In the show- the site isn’t clear. In reality- it’s directly next to the First Church.

Left 3: series
Right: today

While there are countless scenes filmed in Lancaster- these seem to be the most prominent. I’ll add this about @thesociety crew- they were extremely hospitable neighbors, and we were very proud to host them and share our rich architectual beauty with @Netflix viewers.

To put a local spin on this- the gazebo you see in many scenes is not original to the Town Green. It was added for the show- and was donated to the town. It still remains there today- but has faced months of heated debates.

Some residents vehemently oppose the Gazebo being permanently placed on the green- while others love the addition. It seems like it will be staying in place. You can see it in the picture below, versus the green without it last year.

On a more personal note having spent several days on the set and working with @thesociety cast and crew- the kids in this show are great. In particular- Sean Berdy was an extraordinarily warm young man- who spent a lot of time with local kids who came out to watch the filming.

I had never expected my hometown would be the central filming location of a major @Netflix series- but alas it was. And it was a remarkable experience. Residents are beaming with pride- and we look forward to welcoming @thesociety back for filming of season 2!