Two dozen television shows have paused production in Los Angeles county as COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly in the county. In December, health officials advised studios to pause production on Los Angeles based television shows. Case numbers continue to rise in the county, one of the hardest hit counties in the United States. Grim news comes out of the county everyday, as hospital beds are full and the county continues to report record amounts of cases numbers.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine and five other Universal shows already announced a hiatus, citing the rise in case numbers. Those other shows, including Ted Danson’s Mr. Mayor, Kenan, Good Girls, and Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, all paused production as well. While they all have already set restart dates, there’s no telling if that will be feasible as the virus is not likely to be curbed in just a few short weeks. With Universal studios making the first move, it looks like other studios have begun to follow suit.
According to Variety, around 24 Los Angeles based shows have paused production. The shows represent a slew of networks and production companies, including shows out of Netflix, HBO Max, FX, and all major networks. Shows like American Horror Story, American Crime Story: Impeachment, You, Shameless, Grey’s Anatomy, and This Is Us. Some have set production start dates on January 11, while others are opting for a restart date of January 18.
The pause is a stark reminder of what happened at the beginning of 2020 when film and television productions across the globe were shut down because of the rapid spread of the virus. Over the summer, productions began to resume with safety protocols in place to prevent the spread and, for the most part, it had been smooth sailing. With Los Angeles county being hit harder than ever now, the pause is an important step in curbing the spread of the virus. The center of the entertainment industry has had a hard time wrangling the virus, both because of people’s reticence to comply with safety protocols and because of the economic interest in keeping productions going.
Health officials advice to merely pause productions in December came off as weak and indecisive at a moment when leadership is vital. The city does not have a good track record – they nearly shut down a COVID-19 testing site for the She’s All That remake. That decision was reversed because of public backlash. The delays are a grim start to a year that many had hoped would bring positive change. Unfortunately, the clock striking midnight does not immediately reverse the effects of year’s past and the COVID-19 production delays are a grim reminder that we must stay vigilant and stay safe as we continue to fight the virus.
Source: Variety
Originally from https://screenrant.com/tv-show-production-los-angeles-coronavirus-covid-shutdown/