TV Productions in Flux Amid Coronavirus Concerns - Hollywood Reporter

ABC's 'Grey's Anatomy' and Apple's 'The Morning Show' have taken a two-week hiatus, multiple shows have canceled wrap parties as writers rooms mull remote operations and the industry weighs its response to the global pandemic.

The fate of scripted television production is very much in flux as the world grapples with the coronavirus.

On Thursday, Apple's The Morning Show halted production on season two for a two-week hiatus as a precaution. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that CBS' Big Bang Theory prequel Young Sheldon, fellow Chuck Lorre comedy Mom and the network's legal drama All Rise — all produced by Warner Bros. TV — have each canceled wrap parties that were set for next week. The news comes a day after The CW's Riverdale shut down after a team member on the WBTV drama's Vancouver set came in contact with a person who tested positive for the virus. ABC's Grey's Anatomy has also shut down production and postponed the remainder of work on season 16, effective immediately. Production on the Shondaland medical drama will be shut down for at least two weeks as a precaution. It's unclear if the production delay will affect on-air episodes. Showrunner Krista Vernoff and exec producers Debbie Allen and James Williams made the announcement in a memo to the show's cast and crew. (Read their note, below.) Production just wrapped on episode 21 of the show's 25-episode season.

TV studios, sources say, are in the midst of discussions about whether or not to suspend productions and those decisions are likely to be made on a case-by-case basis. It's worth noting that, given the time of year, many broadcast shows are either at or near the end of their seasons and at work on finales. Some series, like ABC's Modern Family and Black-ish, have already wrapped for the season.

Meanwhile, TV writers rooms are discussing ways in which they can break stories and work remotely. CBS' MacGyver, per sources, has already made the decision to work remotely. Other sources say Warner Bros. sent its writers rooms sign-ups for Zoom, a web-based video conferencing app. That is but one option that many rooms are mulling as they, too, look to limit social interaction. Warners, those sources say, is deferring to individual writers rooms to make decisions on if they want to allow their staffs to work remotely.

Multiple showrunners that The Hollywood Reporter spoke with — none of whom wanted to go on record, given the speed with which decisions are being made in the wake of the pandemic — say that remote rooms will pose a challenge for traditional comedies as well as dramas that are in the "blue sky" portion of breaking stories for new seasons. Still, other rooms are said to be staying open with some splitting in half in a bid to create additional social distancing. 

Postproduction appears unaffected — at least for the time being. For now, directors and actors are continuing to fly to sets. Casting directors, already taxed with the heavy burden of finding actors for the nearly 60 pilots in the works at the broadcast networks, were, as of Wednesday, still seeing actors on tape and in person. At the same time, many network and studio meetings are no longer being done in person, and several talent agencies are already requiring their staffs to work remotely. May's upfront presentations to Madison Avenue ad buyers are also being scrapped in favor of video presentations. 

Elsewhere, sources say some studio execs have handed down notes on scripts to avoid writing scenes that call for a large number of extras in a bid to mitigate the number of people coming to set or at one location. Other outlets, like Amazon and NBC's East Coast operations, are giving staffers the opportunity to work from home.

On the unscripted side, some global productions — including CBS' Survivor — have also halted production or been scrapped. Daytime talk shows, game shows and late-night shows have already made decisions to bypass live studio audiences (for the time being).

Further complicating matters is the possibility of a Writers Guild of America strike that could shut down all production should an agreement with the studios over streaming residuals (among other issues) not be resolved when the current deal expires May 1. That puts an added strain on decisions about whether or not production should be shut down now. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, a number of shows had been quietly stockpiling scripts at the studios' request.

THR will update this story as more information becomes available about how the coronavirus is impacting scripted series production. Here are the shows that have also been impacted:

• Production on Amazon's Carnival Row in Budapest has been shut down for the time being. Star Orlando Bloom announced the news in an Instagram video in which he noted he was returning to the U.S. 

• The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers have shut down production. The earliest both NBC late-night shows could resume is March 30. CBS' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has also postponed production on the three original episodes that were to air next week — without a live audience. That will lead into a previously scheduled hiatus. New episodes are currently slated to resume March 30.

• Syndicated daytime talk show The Wendy Williams Show has put production on hold indefinitely. The following memo was sent to staffers late Thursday afternoon: "The safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority. Considering the current escalation of the coronavirus, production will be put on hold, indefinitely. However, the office will remain open for you to pick up any materials or personal items. In place of live shows we will air repeats and we will continue to monitor the situation with the CDC and city officials to determine the best time to return and produce live shows again. Thank you for everything you do and please stay safe!"

• ABC's Grey's Anatomy has also been shut down for at least two weeks. "To Our Incredible Cast and Crew: Out of an abundance of caution, production is postponed on Grey’s Anatomy effective immediately.  We are going home now for at least two weeks and waiting to see how the coronavirus situation evolves. This decision was made to ensure the health and safety of the whole cast and crew and the safety of our loved ones outside of work, and it was made in accordance with Mayor Garcetti’s suggestion that we not gather in groups of more than 50. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay hydrated, stay home as much as possible, and wash your hands frequently.  Please take care of yourselves and each other. As updates come in, we will keep you informed. Thank you for all that you do! Krista, Debbie, & James" 

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TV Productions in Flux Amid Coronavirus Concerns - Hollywood Reporter
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