Meet You On The Other Side: TV After The Pandemic

[MissAlmond]

2 hours ago, supposebly said:

The creepiness would rather spoil my appetite.

I agree. That's a no from me.  It's creepier than CGI people.  It gives me all the feels of dining with E.J. Marshall's family in that Night Gallery episode with Desi Arnaz Jr.  

[merylinkid]

5 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

 

 

that was an episode of the Twilight Zone.   Although in a department store instead of a restaurant.

I get the concept, but the execution is off the scale on creepiness factor.

[BW Manilowe]

6 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

 

 

The Inn at Little Washington, in Virginia. My parents & brother have all eaten there.

[Guest]

Avatar is resuming production next week and filming in many areas of California could start soon. I believe some areas of Europe are already filming. Time will tell if this is being handled well or if it will lead to a even bigger delay long term. 

[Raja]

On 4/19/2020 at 5:48 AM, merylinkid said:

It would be nice if they address it, because our world will never be the same after this.   But, how many shows addressed  9-11.   Even the ones set in New York.   Third Watch had one episode of how the precinct handled it.   Law  & Order had one episode with a murder connected to making it look like someone died in the Towers when they were murdered the night before.  But that's all I can remember.   

I hate to say it, but I think if shows refer to it all, it will be a one off.   Most will act like it never happened.   On TV, the war in Afghanistan is not still going on unless one needs a very special episode about someone joining the military.

I think you are being too hard on Third Watch. While there was the one episode set the night before 9/11 when the off duty team hitched rides to go towards the towers at the end of the episode the next season had them working ground zero clean up and even drilled down to things like paramedic Carlos always wearing his FDNY turnout jacket because as a hero the women were friendly. As murder detectives in the Fontana era on Law & Order you did have the background of 9/11 like  the threats of rendition to Gitmo.

As far as Afghanistan we really do have a relatively small army there with the oft stated that  today's world is not WWII or Vietnam with the draft taking from all levels of society and few know someone serving is a thing. But since every show which has armed people/cops has an ex Navy SEAL or Ranger as a cast member they had to fight somewhere. And even if more troops went to Iraq it is almost always Afghanistan where the character served in order to hire a higher age range of actors. About the only time you had an Iraq story was when a regular character was killed off or back in 2005 villains went to Iraq and heroes went to Afghanistan.

[VCRTracking]

Gotta love the randy comments from the Brits, both male and female!

 

[VCRTracking]

 

 

[MissAlmond]

This is very long, includes additional links to the full document, and non-industry reader's eyes most likely will glaze over.  But if you're truly interested in what the post pandemic other side for the TV/film industry might be, here it is:  

https://deadline.com/2020/06/hollywood-white-paper-next-phase-union-negotiataions-production-restart-1202950528/

https://deadline.com/2020/06/hollywoods-unions-release-protocols-for-restarting-film-tv-production-joint-effort-by-dga-sag-aftra-iatse-teamsters-1202957613/

 

[anna0852]

That's a pretty interesting read. Thanks!

[janie jones]

On 6/13/2020 at 7:54 AM, MissAlmond said:

This is very long, includes additional links to the full document, and non-industry reader's eyes most likely will glaze over. 

 

 

On 6/13/2020 at 1:11 PM, anna0852 said:

That's a pretty interesting read. Thanks!

I love these two comments together. 😄

[anna0852]

In a lovely glimpse of the before times, Family Guy will premiere on schedule in September. 

[Trini]

Love In The Time Of Corona trailer:

 

And info on the storylines, etc. here: https://deadline.com/2020/07/love-in-the-time-of-corona-premiere-date-teaser-for-freeform-comedy-series-1202996136/

[Silver Raven]

On 4/19/2020 at 6:05 AM, Luckylyn said:

I’m curious about Soap Operas.  I know they shoot months in advance so they have tons of material for a while.  How long before they run out if episodes  since production is shut down? I wonder if they are going to start stretching things by editing in lot’s of flashbacks .  Maybe show some classic episodes.   

Days of Our Lives was shooting seven months in advance, so the last episode they shot before the shutdown was their Halloween episode.  But they're also running over two weeks ahead now because the interruptions for tennis and the Olympics didn't happen.

[kieyra]

For anyone looking for new content, Doom Patrol’s second season is airing, I think it will be abbreviated due to the pandemic but for now it’s fresh content. One of my fave shows currently. First three episodes of season one may still be up for free on YouTube, otherwise DC Universe or HBO Max.

A few other things that may have slipped under your radar during the pandemic:

Feel Good - Netflix: A lovely, bingeable lesbian dramedy. Dropped in March. 

Cheer - Netflix docuseries, can’t say enough good about this. Got some Emmy noms. It dropped on Netflix before the pandemic, but not too long before. 

Normal People - Hulu: Miniseries, YA romance and takes itself quite seriously, but incredibly well-done, groundbreaking intimacy scenes, and the lead actor, who was a prior unknown, just got the Emmy nom. (Paul Mescal, you’ll probably be hearing his name more.) Dropped in April. 

The Great - Hulu: Historical satire on Catherine the Great. Elle Fanning and Nick Hoult. Harlots meets Another Period. Completely bananas, vulgar, hilarious, and heartfelt. Dropped in the middle of May. 

[festivus]

29 minutes ago, kieyra said:

Normal People - Hulu: Miniseries, YA romance and takes itself quite seriously, but incredibly well-done, groundbreaking intimacy scenes, and the lead actor, who was a prior unknown, just got the Emmy nom. (Paul Mescal, you’ll probably be hearing his name more.) Dropped in April. 

Not the usual kind of thing I watch but I agree this show was very well done. Nom is well deserved, he was great.

 

We don't really have a topic here like in the movie section on pandemic watching so I think this thread works well enough for recommendations. I just finished watching Castlevania with my son and I highly recommend. The animation was gorgeous and the characters really interesting. My son looked it up when we were done and it is renewed for a 4th season which we may see in 2021.

[Dejana]

The "20+ episodes in 2 weeks" model probably isn't going to work for most dramas, but that's how Tyler Perry films all of his shows. So, the quality will probably be about the same? 

 

 

 

Tyler Perry on How He’s Managed to Safely Make TV During the Coronavirus Pandemic (Variety)

Tyler Perry Talks "Camp Quarantine" and Challenges of Filming Amid a Pandemic (Hollywood Reporter)

 

[OtterMommy]

21 hours ago, kieyra said:

For anyone looking for new content, Doom Patrol’s second season is airing, I think it will be abbreviated due to the pandemic but for now it’s fresh content. One of my fave shows currently. First three episodes of season one may still be up for free on YouTube, otherwise DC Universe or HBO Max.

A few other things that may have slipped under your radar during the pandemic:

Feel Good - Netflix: A lovely, bingeable lesbian dramedy. Dropped in March. 

Cheer - Netflix docuseries, can’t say enough good about this. Got some Emmy noms. It dropped on Netflix before the pandemic, but not too long before. 

Normal People - Hulu: Miniseries, YA romance and takes itself quite seriously, but incredibly well-done, groundbreaking intimacy scenes, and the lead actor, who was a prior unknown, just got the Emmy nom. (Paul Mescal, you’ll probably be hearing his name more.) Dropped in April. 

The Great - Hulu: Historical satire on Catherine the Great. Elle Fanning and Nick Hoult. Harlots meets Another Period. Completely bananas, vulgar, hilarious, and heartfelt. Dropped in the middle of May. 

Another strange and delightful new content: Jackson Galaxy is still filming My Cat From Hell, from his house and visiting cat families remotely.  Not only can he spy on them, but various members of his expansive menagerie make unscheduled appearances.

[angora]

I've been doing a mix of rewatching stuff (Supergirl, Doctor Who, various Jane Austen miniseries) and checking out stuff I haven't seen before (Parks and Rec (I KNOW, what have I been doing with my life until now?), Insecure, Ramy.) For me, the show that's best scratched the itch of "ideal program to watch in quarantine" is A Series of Unfortunate Events. Aside from just being an awesome show, they switch to a wild new locale every couple of episodes so I feel like I'm going places, it's fun but also melancholy which goes well with a lockdown mood, and if I need my spirits lifted, all I have to do is look at the baby/toddler who plays Sunny. That kid gives me life!

[xaxat]

From the Washington Post, The pandemic will make movies and TV shows look like nothing we’ve seen before

Quote

 Interviews with 12 executives, writers, agents and producers across the Hollywood spectrum suggest a dramatically transformed world of screen entertainment. Until a vaccine comes along, the coronavirus will change what Americans watch as dramatically as it has where they work, shop and learn. Forget the new normal — movies and TV are about to encounter the new austerity.

Crowd scenes are a no-go. Real-world locations will be limited. On-screen romance will be less common, sometimes restricted to actors who have off-screen relationships. And independent films — that tantalizing side dish in the U.S. entertainment meal — could be heavily scaled back.

“A lot of people believe this is just about getting back to work,” said Mark Gill, a producer and former head of Warner Independent Pictures, the studio unit responsible for independent hits such as “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Good Night, and Good Luck.” “They don’t realize the massive cultural impact we’re about to face.”

 

[Raja]

I don't see why independent films would face greater challenges. It does seem to be those hybrid sorta independent players that are going towards the bubble model and in production.

[orza]

6 minutes ago, Raja said:

I don't see why independent films would face greater challenges. It does seem to be those hybrid sorta independent players that are going towards the bubble model and in production.

Independent films operate with much smaller budgets than big studio productions. They cannot afford all the extra measures that need to be put in place to protect everyone's health and they can't get insurance to cover it. CGI is expensive. Any kind of bubble model is also expensive. Large studios will absorb the expenditures as the cost of doing business nowadays.

[merylinkid]

And where are we going to watch these movies?    Movie theaters are not open where I am.   Even if they were I am not stepping into an enclosed space with poor air circulation to sit in a chair other people have sat in before me any time soon.   

Sure they can right to streaming but I'm betting these more expensive movies to make (because of everything @orza noted) won't make their money back with streaming rights and ads.   Even big studios can only absorb so many costs.    They exist to make a profit, not absorb costs of doing business.   

[Dejana]

Wedding Every Weekend, the new Hallmark movie with the same-sex wedding, also filmed in June and July in Vancouver, under Covid restrictions. It featured at least four weddings/reception scenes, mostly outdoors and apparently with some mannequins padding out the attendee count (LOL, no time/budget for CGI crowds here). The weddings featured the couples kissing at the altar and I doubt all those actors are together in real life. It seems to me like there is a path forward for projects that film in a more limited time, like movies (or TV shows that want to film at warp Tyler Perry speed). Seeing a new movie tonight with multiple group scenes showed me that it's possible to film things right now that aren't just bottle episodes. The networks might want to revive the "Movie of the Week" model for the time being. 

[anna0852]

Call the Midwife has returned to filming and it looks like the Christmas Special will air on schedule. 

In a world run mad I'm now teary with happiness. 

 

[kieyra]

Random tidbit, but if anyone listens to the “This Week in Virology” podcast, their main frontline clinician in NY (Dr Daniel Griffith) mentioned in passing that his practice/network has been working with the entrainment industry, including Netflix, to provide rapid testing. I guess this implies some production is getting back under way.

I also like the TV’s Top 5 podcast with Dan Fienberg and Leslie Goldberg (Hollywood Reporter)—but I’ve always enjoyed any podcast Fienberg is on—and they talk every week about what’s going on with production in the time of coronavirus.

[ParadoxLost]

It just occurred to me that we are never going to have another Good Wife scandal where we can point to the lengths production will go to make sure the lead actresses don't film together and how they lie in the press about it.

[Silver Raven]

As I mentioned above, Days of Our Lives had episodes filmed up to their Halloween episode.  But because there was no French Open tennis championships and no Olympics, the episodes they're showing are about three weeks ahead of schedule (last week there was an episode where they were reminiscing on a dead character's death and the tombstone showed she died two weeks ahead of the remembrance episode).  So in order to catch up, as soon as they start filming, which they said was going to be next week, they're going to film filler episodes to pad out the schedule.

 

[Dejana]

Soap operas are back! The Bold and the Beautiful is carrying on with the kissing scenes by using the actors' real-life partners as stand-ins:

 

Or, barring that possibility, mannequins...

 

Edited September 10, 2020 by Dejana

[anna0852]

ABC, CBS and NBC have all started announcing premiere dates for their prime time lineups. Looks like late October and early November for most.

 

[VCRTracking]

 

 

[Shannon L.]

Now that tv and movies are being filmed again, I'm really interested to see how the look/feel and writing of these shows change.  I can imagine that even with safety bubbles, rapid testing and filming all episodes within a faster time frame, some things are going to have to be different. Crowd scenes, clubs and bars, love scenes, etc.  Will there be fewer of these scenes? Will crowds scenes be computer generated? Things like that. 

[Guest]

50 minutes ago, Shannon L. said:

Now that tv and movies are being filmed again, I'm really interested to see how the look/feel and writing of these shows change.  I can imagine that even with safety bubbles, rapid testing and filming all episodes within a faster time frame, some things are going to have to be different. Crowd scenes, clubs and bars, love scenes, etc.  Will there be fewer of these scenes? Will crowds scenes be computer generated? Things like that. 

Spot the Mannequin is a pretty entertaining game. 
How to Shoot a Sex Scene in a Pandemic: Cue the Mannequins

[Annber03]

3 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

Now that tv and movies are being filmed again, I'm really interested to see how the look/feel and writing of these shows change.  I can imagine that even with safety bubbles, rapid testing and filming all episodes within a faster time frame, some things are going to have to be different. Crowd scenes, clubs and bars, love scenes, etc.  Will there be fewer of these scenes? Will crowds scenes be computer generated? Things like that. 

This is one big reason why I find the "Keep COVID out of my TV shows!" argument kinda strange. I get the idea of wanting to escape any mention of the real life troubles for a while, but even if a show doesn't mention it, there's still going to be a lot of noticeable changes that will remind viewers that, "Oh, right, this is being filmed during a pandemic." There's still going to be echoes of the effects of this in a show even if there's no actual acknowledgement from the characters. And if there's all these weird changes going on and the character don't acknowledge it somehow, that's just going to look rather strange. 

[Shannon L.]

20 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

This is one big reason why I find the "Keep COVID out of my TV shows!" argument kinda strange. I get the idea of wanting to escape any mention of the real life troubles for a while, but even if a show doesn't mention it, there's still going to be a lot of noticeable changes that will remind viewers that, "Oh, right, this is being filmed during a pandemic." There's still going to be echoes of the effects of this in a show even if there's no actual acknowledgement from the characters. And if there's all these weird changes going on and the character don't acknowledge it somehow, that's just going to look rather strange. 

I think for me, it means I don't want to see the horror of what's happening on the hospital shows. I don't want to see a very special episode where they deal with filled ERs and not having enough PPE or ventilators and one of the doctors coming down with symptoms.  That part is way too raw right now and there are too many real time videos out there that are painful to watch.  Personally, I don't need Hollywood to remind me of that.  I don't care if the look and feel of my shows change because I'll know why, but I'll appreciate the effort to bring them back because I'm so looking forward to the new tv season.  Now, I did read that This is Us is going to tackle the pandemic head on, but since it's not a hospital show, I trust that they'll handle it well.  At least, I hope. 

[Ohiopirate02]

14 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

I think for me, it means I don't want to see the horror of what's happening on the hospital shows. I don't want to see a very special episode where they deal with filled ERs and not having enough PPE or ventilators and one of the doctors coming down with symptoms.  That part is way too raw right now and there are too many real time videos out there that are painful to watch.  Personally, I don't need Hollywood to remind me of that.  I don't care if the look and feel of my shows change because I'll know why, but I'll appreciate the effort to bring them back because I'm so looking forward to the new tv season.  Now, I did read that This is Us is going to tackle the pandemic head on, but since it's not a hospital show, I trust that they'll handle it well.  At least, I hope. 

I agree about the VSE episodes in medical shows.  Time needs to pass before anyone attempts to go down that road.  I'm not surprised to hear TIU is going to tackle the pandemic because the whole nature of the show demands it.  You really can't have a show where the timeline of the show uses very specific points in actual history and then just gloss over these last 6 months.  

[anna0852]

I've decided I'm gonna be OK with the pandemic cropping up in my shows, because it means that the actors can be on camera in masks when they wouldn't normally be. I'm all for everything they keeps everyone safe while working 

[Dejana]

I think it depends on the show/network, whether I want them to acknowledge Covid or not. Hallmark showed a movie last month that was made earlier in the summer. It had a lot of outdoor scenes and some of the extras were unusually inert (as they were mannequins) but it was not a world in a pandemic. I think that approach is fine for the sort of PG, escapist romantic comedy that is Hallmark's bread and butter, though they could have movies ending with cutesy Zoom weddings, too. 

 

I never thought a socially distanced awards show would mean traveling presenters in tuxedo hazmat suits to hand out the Emmys (or take them away, if you lose):

 

[biakbiak]

46 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

I've decided I'm gonna be OK with the pandemic cropping up in my shows, because it means that the actors can be on camera in masks when they wouldn't normally be. I'm all for everything they keeps everyone safe while working 

I think what I will mainly cut out of my viewing is reality shows because I don’t need months old hot takes about the virus from garbage people.

[anna0852]

Aaaaannnnndddd......we have a shut down 

https://www.tvguide.com/news/chicago-med-halts-production-season-6-positive-covid-19-test/

[Oreo2234]

According to Deadline many productions in Vancouver have suspended filming because of delays for Covid test results. 

[shapeshifter]

"...the biggest challenge right now for a lot of writers is how to even write even simple human behavior....Are people going to shake hands? What will a concert look like? What will a party look like? Is it going to just snap back to normal, or will there be, in effect, a new normal? That's really why working in the future and the past has its advantages." (Seth McFarlane (interviewed by Jessica Szohr), September 29, 2020, https://www.instagram.com/tv/CFsQBUthGVo, 17:08 ff.) 

[ParadoxLost]

I wonder how TV ratings  are doing in general.  Despite absolutely nothing being on for so long, despite new episodes starting to roll out I just can't seem to remember that some of these series are back with new episodes.

They say that OJ Simpson's trial killed the soap opera by changing viewer habits.  I wonder if covid is going to put the nail in the coffin of network TV prime time programming.

[shapeshifter]

13 hours ago, ParadoxLost said:

  I wonder if covid is going to put the nail in the coffin of network TV prime time programming.

I am probably not a typical viewer. Nevertheless, I could stand to watch only 20 minutes of the  season premieres of L&O: SVU and All Rise because the use of masks by main characters who are supposed to be rule followers (head of SVU and a judge) was random and not conforming to even the simplest of CDC guidelines. Instead, it seemed like a Bizarro version of the OG Star Trek, with extras/Red-shirts dutifully keeping their masks on and thereby protecting the main characters from any virus that the extras/Red-shirts might be spewing, while the heroines removed their own masks during their interior scene monologues, thereby potentially exposing anyone nearby to a life-threatening disease. 

Edited November 24, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Bort]

9 hours ago, ParadoxLost said:

They say that OJ Simpson's trial killed the soap opera by changing viewer habits.

I don’t think that’s true, though. Soaps didn’t really start dying out until about 10 years ago, long after the trial. What killed the soap opera was the change in how people watch. Smartphones, streaming... same thing that killed Blockbuster and all the other video stores.

i don’t WANT to see masks, is my problem. I watch for escapism, not to be reminded of the real world.

[shapeshifter]

Does anyone recall how long after 9/11 shows and films stopped showing scenes with unticketed characters running onto airplanes at the last minute, or even just kissing loved ones goodbye or hello at the gate?

Of course, incorporating mask-wearing is way more challenging than TSA protocols for a medium that heavily depends upon facial expressions. 

If they’re going to include masks at all, it should at least be done so that their misuse isn’t a distraction. IMO. 

[Irlandesa]

31 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

If they’re going to include masks at all, it should at least be done so that their misuse isn’t a distraction. IMO. 

I find myself on the opposite end of the spectrum.  I don't mind that they split the difference.  Superstore, for instance, usually has their workers in masks when they're out on the floor.  All Rise will have the workers wear them when they're in public spaces.  But when they're in one-one-one conversations mask use is less consistent but it allows for facial expressions. I think increased vigilance in public and a more relaxed attitude in real life is pretty realistic even if it's not even close to ideal.

 

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

If they’re going to include masks at all, it should at least be done so that their misuse isn’t a distraction. IMO. 

This is an irritation I'm working (not very successfully) to overcome with The Conners.  There are numerous situations where characters that should be masked have them down at their chin or in their hand, and it drives me batty.  I understand wanting to show/see actors' faces, and it doesn't keep me from enjoying the show, but I have to work to put myself back in the moment for that to be true, because the improper/inconsistent use of masks is distracting each week.  And if it wasn't a show I'd watched for so long (going back to the original run of Roseanne), I don't know that I'd put forth that effort. 

[Llywela]

On 11/24/2020 at 6:55 PM, shapeshifter said:

Does anyone recall how long after 9/11 shows and films stopped showing scenes with unticketed characters running onto airplanes at the last minute, or even just kissing loved ones goodbye or hello at the gate?

Of course, incorporating mask-wearing is way more challenging than TSA protocols for a medium that heavily depends upon facial expressions. 

If they’re going to include masks at all, it should at least be done so that their misuse isn’t a distraction. IMO. 

I mean, hospital dramas have historically managed to convey emotion in the operating theatre even with most of the characters' faces hidden behind surgical masks, caps and glasses, etc, so it can be done. But it does require a shift in approach, and the will for that may not be there.

The soaps here in the UK have resumed filming with covid-restrictions, and now show characters wearing masks in indoor scenes in shops, etc, so it can be done.

[shapeshifter]

43 minutes ago, Llywela said:

I mean, hospital dramas have historically managed to convey emotion in the operating theatre even with most of the characters' faces hidden behind surgical masks, caps and glasses, etc, so it can be done. But it does require a shift in approach, and the will for that may not be there.

The soaps here in the UK have resumed filming with covid-restrictions, and now show characters wearing masks in indoor scenes in shops, etc, so it can be done.

Good point about the history of dramatic scenes with surgical masks worn in doctor shows. I haven’t been a fan of doctor shows since my tween-age crush on Doctor Kildare, heh, so that didn’t occur to me. 
And thanks for your observations of more realistic mask-wearing characters on British shows.

I may watch another episode or 2 of L&O: SVU or All Rise or another show with seemingly random mask-wearing protocols to try to determine if the show’s protocols are for lead actors to remove masks when alone in a scene without extras. If so, assuming that the lead actors are part of a “pod” of people who test regularly and isolate from others (and probably never shop for themselves) that would indicate real-life reasons for the decisions of when to mask or not, which is certainly a responsible choice with regards to the health of the actors and I applaud (pun?) TPTB for it. 

But, in that case, the writers and directors need to do a better job of making those scenes believable. For instance, they could just declare that those speaking in close proximity without masks are isolating together. But what I observed was the lead character removing their mask to talk to a masked extra, which, in our current world is a demonstration of reckless disregard for the safety of employees by superiors —as well as risking the real-life extras lives. 

Of course, likely in the future, when these episodes rerun, the audience will be able to assume that the maskless character has been immunized and/or has been determined via an as-yet not available, accurate test to have achieved immunity and to not be a carrier/spreader of the virus. 

But for now, I will be home alone, watching through barely parted fingers covering my eyes, whining like the old ladies in that commercial at their friend who tapes pictures on the wall of her livingroom thinking she’s posting to a face-book, “But that’s not how it works!!” 
 

 

Edited November 26, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Raja]

 There seems to be two trains of thought. First 2020 sucks and entertainment should just time jump over it. Just as shows historically omitted partisan political seasons and kept real life political candidates out of the script. But then they have public health production problems, especially with extras on set. So we see some signs of PPEs that generally were not worn before this year, even in Asian societies public transportation in the background scenes.

Second if you do include COVID the demand that the entertainment double as education training films on how properly maintain social distance and don PPEs. Which then ignores that many on the real life streets do improperly wear PPEs as they had not been trained to scrub and enter a surgical theatre or a biowarfare lab. And many do wear the minimum to avoid public scorn.

 

Being set in a hospital it was only the choices on Chicago Med which really triggered a why unmask now thought to me. And that watching the premiere of the other two Chicago shows right afterward seemed as if they were no longer running concurrent to each other. In another franchise NCIS New Orleans seems to be in 2020 where as Los Angeles and the original DC area show don't.