Written by on Apr 23, 2015. Posted in On Location

New Kentucky-set drama series Outsiders uses Pennsylvania filming incentives

New US drama series Outsiders will use Pennsylvania’s filming incentives to shoot on location in the Pittsburgh area, using the region as a stand-in for Kentucky. Pittsburgh’s recent screen appearances include standing in for Gotham City in The Dark Knight Rises.

Outsiders will follow a family living ‘off the grid’ in a remote part of the Appalachian Mountains. The show comes from the creative team behind the acclaimed crime drama Justified, which filmed its pilot in Pennsylvania before relocating to California.

“Having been born and raised there (Pennsylvania) – and knowing the creative setting of this show is rural Kentucky and knowing Pittsburgh and its crews and the tax credits, that’s all part of the formula – I knew it would be a very good place to base it,” said Ed Lammi, an executive with Sony Pictures Television, in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“There are portions of the region that are mountainous, plus we had a very good experience with the Justified pilot as well.”

Outsiders is the second high-profile TV production so far this year to choose Pennsylvania as a filming location. Established crime drama Banshee relocated to Pittsburgh when North Carolina downgraded its filming incentive support in January.

“Television series are amazing in that they provide long-term employment for our local crew and ongoing business for our local vendors,” said Pittsburgh Film Office director Dawn Keezer in recent comments to the outlet.

Pennsylvania’s 25% filming incentive also makes it popular for features. Recent productions have included Will Smith’s NFL drama Concussion, Vin Diesel’s The Last Witch Hunter and Jake Gyllenhaal’s true-life boxing movie Southpaw.