Political drama House of Cards has returned to Netflix and is likely to raise Maryland’s production profile as a double for Washington, DC. Baltimore doubles for the US capital in the popular drama and has now hosted the show for three seasons.
Maryland offers a filming tax credit of up to 27% for TV productions, although the state actually has a relatively small annual film fund of just USD7.5 million.
A special deal had to be made with House of Cards production company Media Rights Capital (MRC) last spring to ensure the series stayed in Baltimore. Filming was in fact postponed while the deal was made and MRC threatened to relocate the production before state authorities eventually agreed to provide tax credits worth nearly USD12 million.
Across the Potomac, lawmakers in Washington are trying to make the city more film-friendly, although they face a challenge tackling local bureaucracy as well as a lack of filming incentives. The street and pavement on the iconic Pennsylvania Avenue are controlled by separate city organisations, leading to a complex permissions process.
The multiple shows set in Washington routinely spend just a few days shooting establishing shots in the city, before using Baltimore or Los Angeles as their main filming locations.
Maryland has been home to many vital HBO projects, from The Corner to The Wire to Game Change, and the support has always been extraordinary. The producers and HBO would like to thank Maryland for making the last four seasons of Veep such a success.
HBO spokesperson
Much of Maryland’s regional climate is moderated by the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay, while altitude is also a factor in the weather. Summer temperatures can climb to 32C, while in January conditions can be as cold as -7C. July and August see lots of thunderstorm activity, making summer the wettest time of the year, while humidity can reach 75% between August and October.
Annual rainfall tends to be heaviest in the south-east of the state and western Maryland – the mountainous part of the state – can get heavy snowfall. Baltimore sees average temperatures of 13C.
