TV shows are rushing to take advantage of expanded tax credits for filming in California.

A total of 37 television projects have applied to the California Film Commission for the first allocation of funding available under the new program, the Commission reported Tuesday.

That increased funding total is set at $55.2 million available for new series, miniseries, movies of the week and pilots, along with $27.6 million reserved specifically for series relocating production to California.

Replacing the old lottery system, the decision for selecting which applicants receive tax credits will be made by the commission based on a system that ranks projects based on job creation and other criteria. Applicants for tax credits will receive an update within the next week about their status, and the commission’s final selections will be announced in the next few weeks.

“Our first application period for the new program was smooth and very well received by the industry,” said Amy Lemisch, executive director of the California Film Commission. “Applicants responded positively to the new online application system, and our outreach to communicate how the application process works appears to have paid off.”

The television offering is just part of the state’s newly expanded Film and Television Tax Credit Program 2.0, which was signed into law last September by Gov. Jerry Brown to increase the state’s incentive program funding from $100 million to $330 million annually. It’s aimed at fighting to keep productions in California, which has been losing out to states offering more generous incentive packages.

The California Film Commission focuses on activities that stimulate and preserve production spending, jobs and tax revenues in California.