That's the name of a new teen drama in which the Charleston area will play a starring role. It'll also be the first TV series filmed in the Palmetto State.

Originally, "Palmetto Pointe" was to be filmed in North Carolina, but new state incentives helped lure the production to South Carolina.

Gov. Mark Sanford recently signed a bill that gives big tax breaks and rebates to companies that film movies, TV shows and commercials in the state.

"Palmetto Pointe" will follow six recent high school graduates heading off to college. Production company Sky Entertainment Group filmed the pilot in Myrtle Beach and Wilmington, N.C., and the show has since been picked up for 17 episodes. Filming starts July 15 and is expected to last at least six months -- possibly longer if a network decides to continue it.

The producers declined to name that network Monday, but said their show will start airing in August.

"Palmetto Pointe's" cast will feature what might be familiar faces to some, including Shawna Waldron, who played actor Michael Douglas' daughter in the 1995 movie "The American President," and Nina Repeta, who played actress Katie Holmes' sister in "Dawson's Creek."

The announcement of the series was made at Summerville-based ITS International Talent Studios, where some of the scenes will be filmed. The film and recording studio is owned by husband and wife Mindy McEntire and Tim Walsh.

Other scenes will be shot on location in various Lowcountry spots, which could include downtown Charleston, Folly Beach, the College of Charleston and Joe Riley Stadium, home of the Charleston RiverDogs baseball team. One of the show's main characters is a minor-league baseball player who is injured and returns to his hometown, the fictional Palmetto Pointe.

At least two of the series' stars, Tim Woodward and Brent Lovell, are South Carolina natives. Woodward, 22, was raised in Georgetown, while Lovell, 23, hails from Myrtle Beach.

The show's budget is expected to exceed $1 million.

Under the new incentive law, major productions will be exempt from local and state sales and use taxes. They also will receive a 15 percent rebate on spending in South Carolina, with a cap of about $7.7 million, and a 15 percent rebate on taxable wages, with a cap at $10 million.

Sky Entertainment hasn't applied for any of those perks yet, so exactly what kind of deal they'll get is unclear, said Jeff Monks, director of the South Carolina Film Commission.

Hollywood production has stayed at about 500 movies a year for decades. But since South Carolina opened its film office in 1980, the number of places that court location scouts has surged many times over.

In recent years, dollars have often trumped scenery and talent with regard to site selection. For instance, most of "Cold Mountain," a film depicting the Civil War, was shot in Romania, with some scenes shot in South Carolina and other Southern states. Canada is another hotbed of what Hollywood calls "runaway production."

The incentive race among states has been ongoing for several years, and for most of that time, South Carolina was far behind. Georgia recently passed a package of tax credits, and North Carolina lawmakers were weighing a proposal last month that is similar to South Carolina's.

Having a movie or television show filmed in South Carolina can be lucrative for the communities involved, Monks said.

The commission estimates that about a third of a film's budget is spent on location -- for everything from lodging to dry cleaning -- and the average wage for film-production jobs is more than $20 an hour.

What's more, productions filmed in South Carolina help promote tourism, the state's No. 1 industry, Monks said.

South Carolina has served as the backdrop for dozens of films, including "Radio," "The Prince of Tides" and "The Big Chill."

"Palmetto Pointe" follows in the footsteps of several popular teen dramas, including "The O.C.," "Dawson's Creek" and "One Tree Hill." But the producers say it will be different from its predecessors because of the lessons it will teach, as it tackles issues such as drinking, date rape and teen pregnancy.

"Our show has a lot of moral values in it," Woodward said.

The program will be family-friendly but not bland, he added. "It has spice to it as well."

Sky Entertainment plans to set up a casting company at the Summerville studio, where it will scout for extras.

EXTRAS WANTED

"Palmetto Pointe" will be hiring extras. The show's casting office is, for now, in Wilmington, N.C. For information, call (910) 762-7171.