Here’s How Coronavirus-Forced Production Delays Could Impact the TV Season

by Margeaux Sippell and Tim Baysinger | March 13, 2020 @ 6:44 PM

“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Law and Order: SVU” and countless other shows are pumping the brakes because of the pandemic

The current TV season has been thrown into disarray, as the coronavirus pandemic has forced Hollywood into a near-total shutdown and left networks and studios faced with the conundrum of how to move forward.

As of Friday, more than 30 broadcast series including “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Riverdale,” “Law & Order: SVU,” as well as the “Chicago” and “NCIS” franchises, have all halted production for the time being. With the 2019-2020 TV season initially set to wrap up in a couple of months, networks are left in a state of uncertainty as to just when they’ll be able to finish out their seasons.

Each network and studio is making its own decision about how to proceed with filming and production on current seasons on what many are calling a “case-by-case basis.” As one network insider put it: “This is all uncharted territory.”

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A network insider told TheWrap that a stoppage of only a few weeks — if it caps there — would create minimal noticeable changes for TV audiences. At this point in the season many shows are wrapped, especially sitcoms, shows with smaller episode orders, and alternative programming that tapes in bunches.

Of the shows that have not yet wrapped, only physical production has been shut down. That means that solitary endeavors like preproduction, which involves writing, and postproduction, which involves editing, are both still ongoing.

If two or three weeks were to turn into a month or a month and a half, however, then some May finales may get pushed to June — but not all, as many shows have already been wrapped for some time.

Another network insider said that in terms of series currently airing, those with shorter episode orders are in better shape than longer ones. “We’re in the very early stages,” the insider said.

Also Read: Do TV Upfronts Still Matter Anyway Now That Coronavirus Wiped Out This Year's Event?

A studio insider added that right now not much more is known beyond the fact that productions are delayed. Down the road, the studio will go through where each series is and determine how many episodes are ready to air. Before that, however, there are logistics, like whether production crew members need to return home have to be considered.

A third network insider added that plans are being actively discussed to lessen potential losses in original programming due to production delays. The hope is that shows that still haven’t wrapped production will be able to finish shooting remaining episodes in a few weeks and put post-production on a fast track to prevent delays in airing.

The effects of coronavirus pandemic on Hollywood spread across the entire industry. Many cable and streaming outlets have suspended pretty much all current series production. Film studios have pushed back major releases, some of them into next year, and all industry events including the TV upfronts have been scrapped, and sporting events are non-existent while the world tries to stop the spread of the disease.

You can find a full list of every show affected so far here.

Tony Maglio and Jennifer Maas contributed to this story.

13 Cursed Movies for Friday the 13th, From 'Poltergeist' to 'The Crow' (Photos)

Happy Friday the 13th. Making movies proves that Murphy's Law is a real and horrifying thing. These 13 films were struck by chaos, misfortune -- and in some cases even death, during their production. Some became massive blunders while others became cult favorites famous for their notorious development.
"Waterworld"

"Waterworld" was under stormy weather from the beginning. A hurricane destroyed one of the film's multi-million-dollar sets and nearly killed Kevin Costner, according to Yahoo. In an interview with A.V. Club, Joss Whedon called rewriting the script "seven weeks of hell." Still, this film's curse is tame compared to those of the rest on this list.
Universal
"Apocalypse Now"

The horror! Francis Ford Coppola was tempting fate when he decided to film "Apocalypse Now" during monsoon season. Big mistake. The monsoon destroyed multiple sets, Martin Sheen suffered a heart attack during filming, and Coppola was so stressed that he suffered a seizure, according to The Independent. "Apocalypse Now" turned out to be a masterpiece anyway, but the documentary "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse" about its making is just as engrossing.
Lionsgate
"The Exorcist"

"The Exorcist" is one of the most infamously cursed movies of all time. Nine people died during the shoot, and it is said that a fire destroyed large portions of the set, according to Entertainment Weekly. The story of the film's production became the subject of an "E! True Hollywood Story" episode.
Warner Bros.
"Fitzcarraldo"

Dysentery. Injuries. Fights among the crew. Nothing seemed to go right during the filming of "Fitzcarraldo." The story concerns hauling a boat over a hill, which the crew literally accomplished, but not without the same nightmarish difficulty as is depicted in the film. And in the end, director Werner Herzog looked as mad and overly driven as its hero. Check out the documentary "Burden of Dreams" for more.
Anchor Bay Films
"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"

Bad luck ran amok in Middle Earth during the filming of "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers." DVD interviews revealed that multiple actors and stuntmen suffered injuries while shooting the film's elaborate fight sequences. The worst was Viggo Mortensen, who broke his toe and chipped his tooth while filming.
New Line Cinema
"The Conqueror"

"The Conqueror" is a whitewashed 1956 film with John Wayne as Genghis Khan. The film was shot at a location downwind from a nuclear testing site, causing dozens of crew members to eventually die of cancer.
RKO
"The Omen"

No one was seriously hurt during filming of "The Omen," but chaos seemed to surround everyone involved. Star Gregory Peck and screenwriter David Seltzer had their flights struck by lightning on way to filming. Director Richard Donner's hotel was bombed by the IRA. And members of the crew were caught in a car crash.
Fox
"Twilight Zone: The Movie"

Vic Morrow and two child actors were killed during filming of "Twilight Zone: The Movie" when a helicopter crashed during a Vietnam flashback scene, leading to major changes in the way movies were made.
Warner Bros.
"Rosemary's Baby"

During the filming of "Rosemary's Baby," lead actress Mia Farrow received her divorce papers from Frank Sinatra. A few months after, director Roman Polanski lost his wife Sharon Tate when she was murdered by followers of Charles Manson.
Paramount
"Poltergeist"

Over the course of the original Poltergeist trilogy, several cast members died tragically. In 1982, 22-year-old Dominique Dunne was murdered by her boyfriend shortly after the release of the first film. Six years later, 12-year-old Heather O'Rourke died of septic shock before the third movie was released.
MGM
The Superman Curse

Comic book movie fans may know about the "Superman Curse," which is said to afflict multiple actors involved in Superman films. Christopher Reeve was paralyzed following a horse accident. And Margot Kidder, who played Lois opposite Reeve, suffered from bipolar disorder, according to TCM.
Warner Bros.
"The Crow"

Brandon Lee, the star of "The Crow," was killed during filming when a prop gun wasn't loaded properly, according to the Los Angeles Times. When the gun fired, a piece of shell casing struck his chest and killed him instantly.
Miramax
"Atuk"

"Atuk" is a movie so cursed that it never got made. It was supposed to be a movie about an Eskimo in New York and had four different men attached to play the lead while in development hell: John Belushi, Sam Kinison, John Candy and Chris Farley. All four died shortly after entering negotiations to be in the film.
Getty

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Chaos, misfortune and tragedy struck these films

Happy Friday the 13th. Making movies proves that Murphy's Law is a real and horrifying thing. These 13 films were struck by chaos, misfortune -- and in some cases even death, during their production. Some became massive blunders while others became cult favorites famous for their notorious development.

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