‘Army Wives’ likely to stay in S.C.
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 4, 2007 14:51:38 EDT

CHARLESTON, S.C. — It looks like the cable TV series “Army Wives” is going to return for another tour of duty in South Carolina.

ABC Studios agreed to keep shooting the show in the Lowcountry after a meeting Thursday that included its executives and state Commerce Secretary Joe Taylor, whose agency oversees film incentives.

The makers of the Lifetime Television show, filmed in the Charleston area, had written Gov. Mark Sanford last month, threatening to switch locations after the state Commerce Department voted to cut the wage rebate for out-of-state residents working on productions.

The plan allowed production companies to get back 20 percent of the earnings for most employees who worked on set. But the agency has agreed to cut the rebates down to 10 percent for nonresidents, beginning this month.

The state has since clarified that the changes apply only to “transient” feature films and do not affect employees on TV series, including “Army Wives.”

“It was just a good meeting of the minds, to understand some of the intentions behind the legislation and to understand how that could fit in with how our business works,” said Bryan Noon, vice president for finance and planning for ABC Studios.

The producers of “Army Wives” are wrapping up a five-month shoot in the Charleston area, with much of the activity taking place on the old Navy base.

“Army Wives” is an ensemble drama about the lives of the women — and one man — left behind when their soldier spouses go off to war. It premiered last month to 3.5 million viewers, setting a record for Lifetime.

The cable network is expected to announce as early as next week that it is picking up the series for another season.

Ellie