Tax Credits Bring More TV Shows to New York City

Entertainment: NYC gets it as its tax credit program brings in shows and revenue.

When the third season of “Ugly Betty” begins on Thursday, viewers who see the show’s star, America Ferrera, stumble past the Brooklyn Bridge or the Empire State Building will be seeing something new: New York. Until this season, the ABC show was produced in Los Angeles, where its exterior shots were frequently filmed in front of green screens, and the distinctive New York architecture was added later by computer. But thanks to tax discounts recently instituted by New York City and New York State, the show is now being filmed in New York, at sound stages in Long Island City and locations throughout the five boroughs. “Ugly Betty” was not the only series to take notice of these incentives. The city expects 19 prime-time television series (up from 12 last year) to be produced in New York for the 2008-9 season, according to the mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting. They include NBC’s “30 Rock,” whose creator and star, Tina Fey, gave thanks in an Emmy acceptance speech on Sunday night to the New York tax discounts that made it viable to shoot in New York; Fox’s “Fringe” which, without the tax breaks, would have been shot in Toronto; HBO’s “In Treatment,” another recent transplant from Los Angeles; as well as forthcoming pilots on ABC, Showtime and USA. The tax incentives have also been a financial boon to the city: the mayor’s office estimated that city-based shoots contributed $957 million in spending between April 23 and Sept. 23 of this year, an increase from $452 million during the same period last year.

On the other end you have the banana republic known as Miami running out shows because they are just too stupid for words.