The high cost of shooting a TV series in Hawaii may cause the producers of “Lost” to seek a new home for the show.
The first-year ABC series, which has helped the network make a big ratings turnaround this season, films on a soundstage and several outdoor locations on the island of Oahu. It’s provided an economic boon to the state’s film industry and provided crew jobs to a number of locals.
But filming a movie or TV show in Hawaii typically costs 25 percent to 35 percent more than shooting in Los Angeles does, and that has “Lost’s” studio, Touchstone TV (which, like ABC, is owned by Disney), concerned.
“Nobody wants to move, but this is a business and we must consider options to cut expenses,” producer Jean Higgins tells the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
Touchstone spends between $2.5 million and $2.8 million per episode to make “Lost,” a high number for any series, and will likely lose money on the show this season despite its status as a top-10 show in the Nielsen rankings. The show’s reliance on location shooting — its soundstage contains only one major set — contributes to that cost.
State officials are working to come up with a plan, possibly involving tax credits and other incentives, to help keep the show in Hawaii. Ted Liu, director of the state’s economic development department, is hopeful that “Lost” will remain in Hawaii.
“[T]hey’ve been successful here, and the cast and crew are happy,” Liu tells the paper. “If I were a producer, I would say, ‘Why tinker with a model that’s worked?'”
Fast National ratings for Friday, Jan. 28, 2005.
After a football-aided boffo premiere on Sunday, “Numb3rs” moved into its own time period on Friday night and the math-dominated procedural proved it was more than just a flash in the pan.
Overall, CBS won the night with a 7.9 rating/13 share, followed by NBC’s 6.5/11. ABC was third with a 5.5/9. FOX was well off in fourth with a 2.6/4. On the netlet side, The WB was fifth with a 2.0/3, better than the 1.3/2 for UPN.
CBS also won among adults 18-49, doing a 3.6 rating in the demographic that flies advertisers to the moon. NBC was second with a 2.8 rating. ABC stayed in third with a 1.8 rating, though FOX’s 1.7 rating and the 1.3 rating for The WB were close behind. UPN trailed with a 0.7 rating.
NBC started the night in first the with 6.9/12 for “Dateline NBC.” CBS’ “Joan of Arcadia” was second, edging the 5.2/9 averaged by two episodes of “8 Simple Rules” on ABC. A pair of episodes of “The Bernie Mac Show” averaged a 2.9/5 for FOX, topping the 1.7/3 for “Enterprise” on UPN. The WB was sixth with “What I Like About You” and the unheralded series finale of “Grounded for Life.”
At 9 p.m., CBS moved into first with the 8.2/14 for a repeat of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” “Dateline NBC” dropped to second for the hour, still better than the 4.7/8 for “Hope & Faith” and “Less than Perfect” on ABC. FOX’s “Jonny Zero” had a 2.3/4 in its latest entry. The WB’s “Reba” and “Blue Collar TV” averaged a 2.4/4 for fifth. UPN was last with an encore of “The Road to Stardom with Missy Elliott.”
CBS closed the night with a strong 9.8/17 for “Numb3rs,” by far the evening’s most watched program. ABC’s “20/20” took second, as NBC’s “Medical Investigation” slumped to third with a 4.8/8.
Due to scheduling conflicts, Oscar winner Sissy Spacek has bailed on an upcoming episode of NBC’s “ER.” She’ll be replaced by Frances Fisher.
Fisher appears in the medical drama’s Thursday, Feb. 10 episode, titled “Shortness of Breath.” The cryptic people in NBC’s publicity department will only say that she plays “an important person from Weaver’s past.”
Scuttlebutt had Spacek playing the evangelical mother of Laura Innes’ Dr. Kerry Weaver. Spacek is 10 years older than Innes, while Fisher is only seven years older than the three-time Emmy nominee. Sparks are expected to fly between Weaver and her mother over the good doctor’s lesbian lifestyle.
Fisher’s long list of television credits include regular roles on “Titus,” “Glory Days” and “The Lyon’s Den,” as well as guest starring appearances on “Becker,” “The X Files” and, most recently, “Boston Legal.” She’s been seen on the big screen in films like “Unforgiven” (with one-time paramour Clint Eastwood) and “Titanic.”
Credit: Zap2It
