California courts ‘Mistresses’ with new state film tax credits

California has lured “Mistresses” from British Columbia, Canada.

The ABC drama is relocating from Vancouver to film its fourth season in California to take advantage of the state’s expanded film and TV tax credit program. The drama was approved for a $5.7 million tax credit, the California Film Commission said Monday.

“We can’t wait to bring the ‘Mistresses’ series back to California where we have access to the best crews, the best talent and the best of everything we need,” Disney Senior Vice President of Production Gary French said in a statement. “Our goal is to get superior production and financial value for our investment, and we can get both here at home.”

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The series is the latest among several projects that have moved back to California since the state beefed up its incentives this year. Those include the HBO comedy “Veep,” which moved from Maryland; and FX’s “American Horror Story,” which previously filmed in Louisiana.

“Mistresses” is among 11 TV projects selected from 32 applications vying for $42 million available in the latest round of state tax credits. Applicants are selected in various categories according to how much they spend and how many crew members they hire.

Other TV shows approved for tax breaks include the CBS series “Code Black” from Touchstone ($3.7 million), and Fox’s “Rosewood” ($4.5 million). The largest credit went to Paramount TV’s “13 Reasons Why,” the miniseries with Selena Gomez ordered by Netflix ($6.4 million).

Based on data provided with each application, the 11 approved projects will generate an estimated $254 million in direct in-state spending, including $103 million in wages for below-the-line crew members, according to the film commission.

“The expanded tax credit program is working exactly as intended,” California Film Commission Executive Director Amy Lemisch said. “It’s making California more competitive for high-impact TV projects that provide long-term jobs for cast and crew members, while boosting spending at support vendors and service providers.”

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