The Progress-Index
RICHMOND – Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that the AMC television series TURN: Washington’s Spies will be returning to central Virginia to film its third season.
“I am proud to welcome TURN: Washington’s Spies back to the Commonwealth for a third season of filming,” said Governor McAuliffe.
“We are proud to be associated with such a high-quality endeavor that also provides jobs and financial benefits for Virginia workers and businesses. On behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia, I want to thank AMC for telling such an important story and partnering in our efforts to build a new Virginia economy.”
The TV series starring actor Jamie Bell is an historical thriller based on Alexander Rose’s book Washington’s Spies that recounts the story of America’s first spy ring during the Revolutionary War. The series follows a band of revolutionaries that collaborated with George Washington during the Revolutionary War and, in the process, created espionage techniques still in use today.
“Filming TURN in Virginia has given the show important historical authenticity, a great partner along the way and many aesthetically beautiful locations from which to choose,” said Stefan Reinhardt, Co-Head of AMC Studios. “We look forward to another season of revolutionary television together.”
The show’s producers and Virginia tourism authorities say that viewers of the show will want to visit many of the locations where the show was filmed. In addition to filming scenes in Petersburg, TURN featured scenes shot in Colonial Williamsburg and at the College of William and Mary, and other locations throughout central Virginia.
The Virginia Tourism Corporation has also created a website that features locations from the filming of TURN, as well as other Colonial-era sites across the state. Locations from the series include Colonial Williamsburg, several historic estates and homes and Old Towne Petersburg.
Filming here is a benefit for the state’s production industry.
“We also worked with AMC to create a broadcast commercial promoting Virginia that was shown during each episode of TURN, thus shining a spotlight on the state’s exceptional tourism assets,”said Andy Edmunds, Director of the Virginia Film Office.
TURN Season 3 will begin filming this fall in the Richmond area and is eligible to receive a Virginia film tax credit and grant. The exact amount is based on the number of Virginia workers hired, Virginia goods and services purchased and deliverables including Virginia tourism promotions. Seasons 1 and 2 of TURN had an economic impact of more than $100,000,000 for Virginia for which the production received approximately $13 million in tax credits and grants.
AMC also broadcast over 60 commercials promoting Virginia and popular tourist destinations as part of the arrangement with the Commonwealth.
In 2013 the economic impact of the film and television industry in Virginia totaled $382.5 million and $50.5 million in state and local tax revenue for Virginia.