Written by on Sep 15, 2014. Posted in On Location

Los Angeles could face fight to keep Late Late Show with James Corden

California may have to fight to keep CBS chat programme The Late Late Show filming in Los Angeles when long-time host Craig Ferguson leaves later this year. British actor and performer James Corden has been named as Ferguson’s successor but a filming location hasn’t yet been confirmed.

Earlier this year NBC’s iconic chat programme The Tonight Show relocated from Los Angeles to New York for the first time in a generation, when Jimmy Fallon took over from Jay Leno as host. New York appeared to tailor a facet of its TV tax credit specifically for the show, which was a blow for the California production industry.

In recent months, CBS programme the Late Show has also confirmed it will continue filming in New York when Stephen Colbert takes over from David Letterman. The Mayor of Los Angeles made a largely symbolic attempt to get the show relocated to California. However, New York secured the programme with the help of a filming incentive worth around USD 11 million and grants to support the maintenance of the show’s broadcasting venue.

Interest in California as a filming location is likely to get a boost when the state increases its annual film fund next year. Just two big-budget features – Star Trek Into Darkness and Captain America: The Winter Soldier – have been shot largely in California in the last few years, and state authorities are aiming to address this.

The state could even make a specific filming incentive offer to keep The Late Late Show in Los Angeles, rather than risk losing another entertainment show to the East Coast.