While entertainment production resumes cautiously amid COVID-19, two more TV series are relocating production to California thanks to its tax credit program. That’s the word from the California Film Commission.
The critically-acclaimed HBO drama In Treatment and the TBS anthology comedy Miracle Workers are among the TV projects (relocating and recurring) selected for the inaugural round of tax credits under California’s new Film and Television Tax Credit Program 3.0, which launched July 1st concurrent with the state’s new fiscal year. Program 3.0 succeeds the five-year Film and Television Tax Credit Program 2.0, which was launched in 2015.
In Treatment was filmed previously in New York, while Miracle Workers was filmed in the Czech Republic. Based on information provided with each tax credit application, the two projects are projected to spend a combined $40 million on below-the-line wages and other qualified expenditures during their first season in California. As with all California tax credit projects, their overall in-state spending will be significantly greater than “qualified” spending with the inclusion of above-the-line wages and other expenditures that do not qualify for incentives under the state’s very targeted tax credit program.
“Program 3.0 is off to a great start with the two relocating TV series announced today,” said California Film Commission executive director Colleen Bell. “As the industry adjusts to the circumstances presented by COVID-19, it’s encouraging to see projects reinvest here and bring new production jobs and spending to California.”
With the projects announced today, California has welcomed a total of 20 relocating TV series from other states and nations under Program 2.0, including American Horror Story which moved from Louisiana and now has five seasons in California, and Lucifer which left Vancouver to now tally four seasons in the Golden State. The list is led by New York (five series) and Canada/British Columbia (four series).
“We are very grateful for the relocation incentive and the opportunity to base more production in California,” said HBO Production EVP Janet Graham Borba. “The state’s ongoing efforts to promote film and TV production have a very significant impact.”
Due to the tax credit program’s ongoing success with long-term TV projects, the first TV application period for Program 3.0 (held June 22 – 24) was open only to relocating series and recurring series already accepted into the earlier Program 2.0. In addition to the two relocating series announced today, Program 3.0 currently has 25 recurring (legacy) TV series in various stages of production. To date, a total of 151 television projects–including new TV series, relocating TV series, pilots, MOWs and miniseries — have been selected for tax credits since Program 2.0 was launched in July 2015.
The current list of tax credit projects that are in production and eligible for tax credits is subject to change, as projects may withdraw and their reservation of tax credits is reassigned or rolled over into the pool of funds for the next TV allocation period.
The next tax credit application period for TV projects will take place September 28-30 (for relocating projects) and October 5-7 (for recurring projects). The first feature film application period for Program 3.0 was held July 13–15, with selected projects scheduled to be announced on August 17.
Relocating series In Treatment (HBO) and Miracle Workers (Turner North Center Productions, Inc.) are joined in the latest round of California tax credit recipients by 25 recurring/returning TV shows in the state: 13 Reasons Why (Paramount Television) American Crime Story, American Horror Story, Dropout, Snowfall and This is Us (all from Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.), Animal Kingdom, Special, and You (all from Horizon Scripted Television), Dream and Good Girls (both from Universal Television), Euphoria, Perry Mason, Westworld and an Untitled Showtime Lakers Project (all from HBO), Good Trouble (Disney ABC Cable Group), Grease (Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc.), Lucifer (WB Studio Enterprises), Mayans MC (Fox21 Television Studios), The Orville (Twentieth Century Fox Television), Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (Showtime), The Rookie (ABC Studios), and Star Trek: Picard, S.W.A.T. and Why Women Kill (all from CBS Studios, Inc.)
