M. Night Shyamalan's series Servant returns to Philadelphia

Apple TV + is set to return to Philadelphia from January 24 for season two of its popular, disturbing drama series, Servant.

The news was confirmed by the series’ production company, Uncle George Productions, in a flyer to local Philly residents. “The Rittenhouse neighborhood is iconic to Philadelphia, and our production is proud to showcase the beautiful surroundings and great architecture,” it reads.

Directed by horror specialist, M. Night Shyamalan, Servant follows a wealthy area couple who lose a newborn child and subsequently use a lifelike doll to help cope with the trauma amid more sinister, mysterious events. The series’ first season premiered on the Apple TV+ streaming service in November to positive reviews.

The Montgomery County-raised director has long filmed his projects at least partially in the Philly area, dating back to his 1998 comedy Wide Awake. However, he has also raised issues about the $70m cap on Pennsylvania’s film production tax credit.

There are currently only enough tax credits to accommodate about half-a -dozen large productions annualy, and the credits are usually allocated in the first months, so producers can’t count on the credit being there for them year after year. Shyamalan insisted last year that if the state were to remove the cap, investment “would explode”.

Other recent projects to shoot in Philadelphia include Ricky Staub’s Concrete Cowboys, starring Idris Elba and HBO show Mare of Easttown, starring Kate Winslet, which filmed around Chester and Delaware counties.