Television Production Will Favor Lower-Cost Soundstages
The filming of Boston Blue shows how productions prioritize regional soundstages to manage fixed costs.
Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Remote Work
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Should television shows prioritize filming in your local area despite higher production costs?
As the series Boston Blue premieres its second season on CBS on October 9, 2026, the production model highlights a reliance on Toronto-based soundstages to reduce overhead. This strategy enables the team to maintain a presence in Boston through the use of secondary units rather than full-scale location filming.
Why it matters
For entertainment and service-sector operators, managing production budgets requires a strategic split between expensive on-site filming and cost-efficient studio work. This approach allows productions to capture local atmosphere while controlling fixed expenses through remote soundstage operations.
The production team committed two weeks of filming to Boston locations during the first season, while relying on Toronto soundstages for the bulk of production to minimize costs. The exact budget savings realized by opting for the Toronto facility over local alternatives remain unknown.
The players
Donnie Wahlberg
A 57-year-old actor and producer who plays Danny Regan in the series.
CBS
A major American television network and production distributor.
The details
The production team maintains the show's setting through a split-unit strategy that utilizes Toronto soundstages for primary shooting and secondary units for exterior shots in Boston. This framework incorporates drone photography of landmarks such as the State House to establish local authenticity. By leveraging Toronto infrastructure, the production avoids the higher logistical costs associated with full-scale filming in the primary setting.
Timeline
August 2026: Production filming occurred on location in Boston.
October 9, 2026: The second season of Boston Blue premieres on CBS at 10 p.m.
Market Landscape
The production strategy for Boston Blue follows the established pattern of its predecessor, Blue Bloods, by utilizing regional soundstages to manage costs. This model reflects a broader industry trend of decentralizing production to optimize fixed-cost environments.
Operators should evaluate whether their service or content delivery models can be effectively bifurcated into high-cost local engagement and low-cost remote support. Assessing the cost-benefit of physical presence versus remote production remains a critical factor for maintaining operational margins.
The takeaway
The split-unit production model allows for geographical reach without incurring the full burden of on-location costs. Monitor regional filming trends and remote production efficiency as benchmarks for your own infrastructure utilization.
Further reading
For more on how companies navigate distributed production models, see Remote Work.
Live Poll
Should television shows prioritize filming in your local area despite higher production costs?
