Nellie Andreeva, writing at Deadline | Hollywood, offers a detailed account of how Canadian cities are losing out on pilot productions this year, in part because of increasingly lucrative tax credit incentives available in US states: PILOT SEASON LOCATIONS: New York Production Booming, Canada Loses Ground. As Andreeva notes,
Part of the reason for more TV studio executives to consider keeping drama pilot production in the U.S. is that the current currency exchange rate makes production in Canada less appealing than in years past. But also key are tax incentives offered in the states. On a standard hourlong pilot budget of $3 million, 10%-25% in tax rebates represents a nice saving. For instance, two of the three CW pilots shooting in the U.S., Hart of Dixie and Cooper & Stone, are being produced in states with tax incentives, North Carolina and Illinois. The locations also happen to fit the settings of the shows, which producers always wish for but only get when economics allow.
