Time-travel drama switches filming to California

Producers have secured conditional tax credits worth just under $10m to relocate and shoot the third season in California.

“Thanks to the tax credit programme, we are able to capitalise on California's vast talent pool of experienced crew and below-the-line support and infrastructure,” said Ed Lammi, executive vice-president of production for Sony Pictures Television.

“We know these assets will be a huge benefit for producing the second season of Timeless.”

Timeless is forecast to spend around $40m on production in California, with support from the state’s boosted tax credit programme, known colloquially as Program 2.0.

“We’re pleased to welcome Timeless to the growing list of TV series that have relocated from other locales, including Canada, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Louisiana, Florida and Texas,” said Amy Lemisch, executive director of the California Film Commission.

“Program 2.0 is creating long-term jobs while enabling such projects to take advantage of California’s unmatched production resources.”

California’s boosted filming incentive allocates considerable monetary resources to attracting TV productions to the state that have already shot seasons elsewhere in the US.

Lower-budget shoots and the production of online shorts is flourishing in Los Angeles, but the tax credit’s focus on TV means California is still struggling to bring big-budget features to the west coast.

For more on filming in California see our production guide.

Main page image: iStock.com/Trigger Photo. Article image: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC