Written by new-contact on Jun 19, 2015. Posted in Incentive News

Veep switches filming locations and follows incentives to California

Long-running political comedy Veep has confirmed it is switching its filming location to California after four years doubling Maryland for Washington, DC. The show takes a satirical look at the workings of the US government from the offices of the Vice President.

Earlier this month the California Film Commission announced it was offering Veep a filming incentive payment of nearly USD 7 million to relocate the new series to the West Coast, but it’s only now that HBO has confirmed the move.

California has more than tripled its annual film fund and has specifically set aside money to bring TV shows back that have already shot at least one season outside the state.

“After four years and a long deliberation we have decided to move the production of Veep to Los Angeles,” said Cecile Cross-Plummer, a spokesperson for HBO.

“Maryland has been home to many vital HBO projects, from The Corner to The Wire to Game Change, and the support has always been extraordinary. The producers and HBO would like to thank Maryland for making the last four seasons of Veep such a success. We look forward to returning with another production in the future.”

Nearly 40 TV productions applied for California’s boosted filming incentive this year and 11 have been granted initial approval.

The state has just under USD 50 million available for feature films this year under the boosted tax credit programme and will begin accepting applications in mid-July.

Losing the high-profile Veep is a blow for Maryland, which also faced lengthy negotiations last year to keep House of Cards filming in the state. Maryland offers a 27% filming incentive for TV, but has an annual film fund of just USD 7.5 million.