US TV series are being filmed outside of California

More Jobs Flood Out of California

• Moronic Democrats play the game of taxing businesses out of California.
• But trendy Leftist film makers prove they are more anti-tax that the more hardcore Libertarian by moving productions out of the People's Republic.

Hollywood’s big-budget blockbuster movies have often been filmed overseas, particularly in England because of the tax incentives offered. Now television is following suit and more US series than ever before are filming outside North America. Why?

US TV networks are increasingly drawn by accommodating tax breaks, the easy availability of professional crews and the novelty of fresh scenery and different landscapes. This combination has greatly increased the attraction of shooting their shows overseas.
 

Smaller nations such as Sri Lanka have begun offering tax incentives, and others such as New Zealand have improved their own production infrastructures to make them state-of-the-art. Iceland recently lured the HBO series Game of Thrones as well as the feature films Noah and Prometheus.

 

In Japan, government and film industry officials are considering an incentive programme that would bring them in line with the more than 30 foreign countries trying to lure US TV series reports the UK Telegraph.
 

Even shows which are specifically set in California, such as the Fox TV series Alcatraz, have gone abroad. Alcatraz, whose story begins in the infamous prison in the San Franciso Bay, is in fact filmed in Vancouver, where now-cancelled series such as The X-Files were filmed in the past.

Joe Chianese, executive VP at showbusiness payroll giant Entertainment Partners Financial Solutions, says: “The US manufacturing industry has basically been lost to overseas and now we’re looking at the same sort of situation with the TV and film industry.

"You can't blame film-makers for taking their business elsewhere. They're taking their work overseas for the same reasons manufacturers are: it's cheaper."

There are drawbacks to filming in locations far from Hollywood, however. Cast and crew members have to change their lives and relocate to foreign locales for months at a time. Writers and Los Angeles-based executives have to deal with unfamiliar time differences.

Parks and Recreation filmed several episodes in London for tax reasons.

Here are some of the American TV series which have recently, or are currently, filming abroad:
 
NORTHERN IRELAND
Game of Thrones has been shooting there for four years because of varied terrains – rolling hills, mountains, rocks and castles. And of course, UK tax incentives. 

CROATIA
Game of Thrones' Second Unit has been filming there regularly because of the scenery, medieval architecture and rebates. 

ICELAND
Game of Thrones is also filming some episodes in Iceland this year, primarily for the country’s dramatically rugged coastline and scenery. “We’re fortunate now to have rebates from the UK, Croatia and Iceland,” says the series executive producer Bernie Caulfield. “Productions on our scale need these incentives to survive.”

SPAIN
Game of Thrones will film portions of its new season there despite the fact the country offers no financial incentives. “But,” says Caulfield, “they have been great at working with us to find alternate avenues of cost cutting.”

Homeland. The new series of the popular espionage drama, which
stars Claire Danes, has relocated to South Africa.

ENGLAND
Parks and Recreation filmed several episodes in London for tax reasons and to give the storyline a boost, allowing the characters to meet a British lord and film outside Buckingham Palace. Elementary filmed episodes in England for a storyline in which Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) and Joan (Lucy Liu) go to London to find missing Scotland Yard Inspector Lestrade. They also come in contact with MI6 and Sherlock meets up with his brother Mycroft who has moved into 221 B Baker Street. 24: Live Another Day. The entire series was filmed in London, accumulating rebates and giving a new location and twist to Jack Bauer’s adventures. 

IRELAND
The horror romp Penny Dreadful films in Ireland for its second season, as does Vikings, now starting its third season. For both series the advantages are the scenery, crews and tax incentives. 

SOUTH AFRICA
Homeland. The new series of the popular espionage drama, which stars Claire Danes, has relocated to South Africa, which is standing in for Kabul and Islamabad. 

ISRAEL
The Middle East drama Tyrant, which is set in the fictional country of Abbudin, began filming in Israel which meant avoiding the need to re-create exotic locations from scratch. Producers estimate they saved at least £500,000 an episode by not having to build the lavish sets essential for the story. The series was eventually forced to move to Turkey because of political unrest. 

COLOMBIA
Narcos, the new series based on the life of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, is filming in his native country because the producers believe authenticity has to be on the screen. “We not going to make the life of Pablo Escobar anywhere but Colombia,” says producer Ted Sarandos. 

SCOTLAND
The new science-fiction/romance series Outlander is shooting in Scotland to capture the setting of the popular Outlander book series by Diana Gabaldon on which it is based, and also to reap the benefits of tax incentives. 

AUSTRALIA
Modern Family filmed an episode Down Under last season for a storyline involving jellyfish and a kangaroo.

The TNT show Falling Skies was filmed in British Columbia.