HBO to end 'Banshee' series, disappointing Vandergrift

Expected to film in Vandergrift for at least another year, HBO announced Wednesday instead that the Cinemax series “Banshee” is done.

The fourth — and final — season of “Banshee” is filming in Vandergrift and other regional locations, and those episodes will air next year.

The series is based on the fictional Pennsylvania town Banshee, where a thief assumed the identity of the town's sheriff. The series' first three seasons were filmed in North Carolina, then moved to Pennsylvania after North Carolina ended its film tax incentive.

“Banshee” co-creator and executive producer Jonathan Tropper wrote in a news release Wednesday that it was a “creative decision” to wrap things up. He did not say the show was canceled, but several show business publications described it that way.

“I always said that when the story was told, it would be time to move on, and that time has come,” he said.

For Vandergrift, some officials expected and hoped the show's run would last longer.

“The first time we had discussions, they said at least two seasons, and we were hopeful,” Borough Secretary Steve DelleDonne said. There are no contractual obligations beyond this year, he added.

The film company paid the borough about $200,000 for the eight episodes for use of the town.

“Having them here kind of brought a spark of hope,” said Julia Martin, chairwoman of the Vandergrift Improvement Program.

Indeed, town officials are grateful “Banshee” came to town to begin with.

Besides adding money to borough coffers, the show saved the J.C. Penney building — now known as the Banshee Sheriff's Department — from certain decay and demolition.

The film company rehabbed the building owned by VIP on Grant Avenue. According to Martin, they fixed the roof, cleaned out the asbestos, then gutted and rebuilt much of the interior.

“It's now a viable property when they are gone, and will be available to uses such as an office, a restaurant, even a micro brewery,” Martin said.

The film company used other buildings in the area, too.

But the presence of the film crew, director and actors caused excitement among local folks who took a shine to the movie people immediately.

Production people frequented the nostalgic soda and chocolate shop with a menu that includes the Banshee burger — raging with fresh jalapeno peppers, according to Nicole Basile, who owns Sweetlane Chocolate Shop with her husband, Peter.

But the milkshakes were apparently the favorite of the cast and crew. So Sweetlane came up with a custom shake for them: A Banshee-Amish dessert-apple-strudel shake, informally known as “the bad ass.”

Basile said the actors and crew personally helped shine the spotlight on Vandergrift.

“They gave us a lot of exposure,” Basile said. “The actors would tweet one of their photos or a photo of Sweetlane. It was a great thing to happen to the town.”

Mary Ann Thomas is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-226-4691 or mthomas@tribweb.com.