Superheroes Land in New York as TV Pilots Break Records

Since taking the helm as New York State Governor in 2011, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has applied aggressive out-of-the-box creative thinking to the reformation and revitalization of the state’s beleaguered economic infrastructure. In a heroic effort to sever sole financial reliance on the vilified Wall Street alliance, Cuomo has turned starry eyes to the entertainment industry for fiscal rescue, instead. In order to attract and entice out of-state TV and Film production companies to make magic in the metropolis of NY, Governor Cuomo set the bait with virtually impossible-to-refuse tax breaks and incentives. And he may have just pulled off a heroic coup. Only a few short weeks ago, the governor proudly announced that mega entertainment moguls Walt Disney and Marvel Entertainment have agreed to film four exciting new live-action TV series this coming summer, right here on the nitty, gritty streets of New York City. A projected 60 episodes will feature the four most popular superheroes from Marvel Comic’s beloved Defender series and will air on Netflix starting in 2015. This $200 million dollar venture, which the governor’s office deems “the largest film or television production project commitment in New York State history,” is expected to infuse millions of dollars into the local and state economy, generate thousands of full and part-time industry and non-industry related jobs and provide a substantial boost to New York’s hospitality and tourism industries. To put it this way, even the pizza delivery guy wins out. And as if this wasn’t reason enough to celebrate, New York had already surpassed L.A. this year in the number of new TV pilots filmed on location, with a grand total of 15 (including 10 dramas and 5 comedies) compared to L.A.’s current handful. As some Californians quake in the revelation that L.A. is no longer the end all, be all bedrock of TV and film, fingers and tongues have wagged at both coasts of the country. Some folks have accusingly called Governor Cuomo’s tax breaks pathetic lures and Hollywood handouts, while yet others have bemoaned and criticized California Governor Jerry Brown’s resistance to taking the same innovative initiative and incentivize. New York may be becoming Hollywood East instead of an entertainment epicenter in its own right, but Cuomo doesn't seem to mind. And what of The Tonight Show’s recent relocation from Burbank, CA to its swanky new studio at the infamous 30 Rock in NYC? Well, while the new contract did include a hefty $20+ million tax break for NBC, which could not have hurt in the final decision making process, it might also pay to remember that the show actually originated in the heart of the city in the 1950’s, pre-Johnny Carson. The move also makes sense for its new host, Jimmy Fallon, a devoted NY-native who has said he would feel “out of place” in L.A. Hey, if he’s happy, we are likely to be happy, too. And I bet if you asked Marvel Comics hero Daredevil how he feels about filming in New York, he’d remind you that he is Hell’s Kitchen born and raised.