Officials gathered in Old Bethpage to announce the continuation of production for HBO’s “The Gilded Age” for its fourth season.
“We’re incredibly excited. This has been a tremendous success for us,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said at a press conference held on Thursday, Oct. 23.
The award-winning show premiered in 2022, taking place in 1880s New York City, which in reality is the Old Bethpage Village Restoration on Round Swamp Road. The series explores the social and economic tensions during the fast-changing times after the American Civil War.
County officials said since filming began, the series has generated $38 million in economic activity in Nassau, including $13 million in local wages.
“This creates jobs, prosperity, and economic development in Nassau County, so it’s a wonderful thing for our economy, but more importantly, it puts us on the map for other people who want to film here in Nassau County,” Blakeman said.
Holly Ryman, co-executive producer for “The Gilded Age,” said the county has been an “engaged, committed partner.”
“In our business, where time is literally money and every dollar counts, we couldn’t ask for a more collaborative partnership,” she said.
“The Gilded Age” had an eight-episode third season that finished airing in August. Season two also had eight episodes, while the first season contained 10 episodes.
Nassau County initially approved “The Gilded Age’s” production in 2019, providing 6.25 acres of land in the village to HBO for filming. The agreement issued permits for 18 months with extension options.
The 2019 agreement said the county would receive $600,000 in annual permit fees while filming, with a 5% escalation for each one-year renewal. The county said in 2019 that the money earned from the permit would be put toward funding the restoration village.
The Old Bethpage Village Restoration has also been used as the backdrop for the Apple TV show “Dickinson.”
