‘The Flight Attendant’ and ‘Chad’ Relocate to California for Tax Credit
Two TV series are moving production to California to take advantage of the state’s 25% tax credit for relocating shows, the California Film Commission announced on Monday.
“The Flight Attendant,” on HBO Max, and TBS’s sitcom “Chad” will move to California for their second seasons. “The Flight Attendant” shot its first season in New York, while “Chad” is coming from Vancouver.
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“The Flight Attendant,” which stars Kaley Cuoco, is in line to receive an $11 million tax credit, based on projected qualified spending of $44 million. “Chad” is slated to receive $3.6 million on a qualified spend of $14.4 million.
The state sets aside $66 million per year to underwrite TV shows that relocate to California, or one fifth of the $330 million program. Luring TV production from rival states and from overseas is one of the California program’s highest priorities.
New or recurring shows are eligible for a 20% subsidy for qualified expenses — the same rate that applies to studio films. Relocating TV shows and independent films get an extra 5%.
That incentive was not enough, however, to save the Disney Plus show “The Right Stuff.” The show about the early years of the space program shot its first season in Florida. Last fall, the commission awarded the show a tax incentive to move production to the San Diego area. But Disney Plus canceled the show earlier this month, and the show’s producers withdrew it from the state program on April 15.
A total of 23 shows have now been awarded the relocation tax credit, including seven from New York and five from Vancouver. The program has also brought shows from Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland and New Jersey — as well as Ireland and the Czech Republic.
According to figures provided by the California Film Commission, “The Flight Attendant” will shoot its second season over 72 days, with a cast of 143 people and a crew of 242. “Chad” will shoot over 45 days, with a cast of 37 and a crew of 200.
The next application period for TV shows will be June 14-21.
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