Hollywood it ain’t, but New York now has 23 prime-time TV shows filming inside the city — a record for the Big Apple.
And it’s not just cop dramas: Even shows set in other cities are taping here, including HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” (Atlantic City) and CBS’ “The Good Wife” (Chicago).
The trick?
Producers have been pouring in since the state first offered a 30 percent tax credit to TV and film studios in 2004.
It’s a welcome twist in a city where high taxes have been driving residents and businesses away for decades.
True, TV sets can be intrusive and clog up streets, but new shows help ignite economic activity and constitute a vital piece of New York’s $5 billion entertainment industry, which employs 100,000 people.
And thousands more jobs are expected to be created in just the next two years.
The tax credit expires in 2014, but it’s a clear success in snaring shows and creating jobs. Keep it rolling, folks.