Our daily fix of daytime drama is at risk because of the coronavirus-related Hollywood production shutdown
Sand isn’t the only thing running through the hourglass during these scary days of our lives. Network soap operas shot before the coronavirus forced all Hollywood productions to shut down last month will soon run out of original episodes — and are scrambling for contingency plans.
This month, ABC’s “General Hospital” and CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” began airing repeat or “classic” episodes on Friday, a move intended to slow down the speeding train when they run out of original episodes as early as this month. And “General Hospital” is now interweaving flashbacks into new episodes to stretch out its stockpile of already-shot material, while also giving lapsed viewers a chance to catch up on current storylines.
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The two CBS shows run out of new material next week, with the last original episode to air Thursday, April 23. To keep soap fans engaged, “Y&R” and “B&B” are resurfacing vintage episodes (dating as far back as 1970 for the former) for “memorable theme weeks,” which will begin airing Monday, April 27. For “Y&R,” the first will be a tribute to the iconic character of Katherine Chancellor (played by the late Jeanne Cooper).
Also Read: 'General Hospital' to Air Repeats on Fridays to Stretch Out Remaining Episodes
In its first full week of reruns, “B&B” will feature episodes shot on location in the Mediterranean paradise of Monte Carlo between 2013-2017. It will also air two “Becoming Bold and Beautiful” documentary-style episodes with never-before-seen footage of the cast and crew at work in Monaco.
Meanwhile, NBC’s “Days of Our Lives” may be in the best shape of the four remaining daily soaps on the broadcast networks, with new shows in the can and prepared to air through mid-October. The show was very close to taping its Halloween episode before the pandemic forced the shutdown of all film and TV production in March, an insider said.
The coming drought of new episodes comes just as viewership for all four soaps has soared after years of steady decline, according to TV Line. (There’s one upside to all of those Americans sheltering at home all day.)
Also Read: Daytime Emmys Go to 'Young and the Restless,' Valerie Bertinelli: The Complete List of Winners
The week of March 23, “B&B” averaged 3.66 million viewers, up nearly a quarter-million compared to the same week last year and its best number in two years. “General Hospital” drew 2.574 million total viewers, up 103,000 from the week before (and up 286,000 from the same week in 2019) and, once again, its best number since 2018.
“Days” logged in 2.24 million, an increase of 152,000 from the week before (+134,000 from last year) and its best in more than a year. Although “Y&R” continues to have the highest ratings of the four soaps, it was the only soap that dropped 195,000 viewers from the same week in 2019 but drew an amazing 768,000 more viewers than the week of March 16 this year.
Earlier this week, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti extended the city’s “safer-at-home” orders to May 15, and there’s no guarantee that production could resume even then. Before Mayor Garcetti’s most recent order, the cast and crew of “GH” were scheduled to return to work on April 30, but actor William deVry (who plays Julian on the soap) told fans on Twitter that is “def not happening.” He added, “When [executive producer Frank Valentini] has something it will be shard [sic]. I doubt there are answers yet.”
These Celebrities Reached Into Their Pockets to Help Us Get Through the Pandemic (Photos)
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Getty ImagesAs the number of people sickened by COVID-19 continues to rise, there is certainly no shortage of kind acts from people helping others get through the pandemic. And that includes celebrities and Hollywood artists social distancing like the rest of us. These famous do-gooders are reaching into their own pockets to make life under quarantine just a little bit easier.
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Getty ImagesOprah Winfrey announced on social media that she is donating $10 million to relief efforts, with $1 million of that specifically helping people who are struggling to buy food during the pandemic.
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Rihanna’s charitable organization Clara Lionel Foundation made a commitment of $5 million that will go to U.S. food banks as well as to helping advance testing in at-risk communities both in the U.S. and in Haiti and Malawi. The foundation — along with Twitter's Jack Dorsey — also partnered with the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles and committed $2.1 million toward shelter, meals and counseling for victims of domestic violence. The fund, combined with Dorsey's contribution, totals $4.2 million.
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10-time Grammy-winner Taylor Swift has been quietly contacting people on social media who have said they've been struggling to pay bills during the pandemic. Those users then shared screenshots of Swift making donations to them of several thousand dollars each.
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TV host Kelly Ripa and husand Mark Consuelos donated $1 million to both the New York governor’s office, for the purchase of ventilators, and WIN, a New York-based organization that provides shelters to homeless women and children.
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Writer Roxane Gay has tweeted several times during the pandemic asking for those struggling to pay bills during the pandemic to share their mobile payment handle to receive personal donations from her.
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Ryan Reynolds and wife Blake Lively announced on social media that they donated $1 million to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada.
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Pop star Ariana Grande said in her Instagram Stories that she had made donations to several organizations, including Opportunity Fund, GiveDirectly, Feeding America, Croce Rossa Italiana and the World Health Organization.
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A physician in Los Angeles, Dr. Thais Aliabad, wrote on Instagram that Kylie Jenner, one of her patients, had "donated $1,000,000 to help us buy hundreds of thousands of masks, face shields, and other protective gear."
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NFL player Drew Brees told TMZ that he's donating $5 million to the state of Louisiana to help with the coronavirus relief efforts.
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Oscar-winning actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie donated $1 million to No Kid Hungry to help provide meals for children in low-income families, the organization said in a statement.
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Country music legend Dolly Parton said on Instagram that she donated $1 million to Vanderbilt's research for a COVID-19 cure.
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Jay-Z's Shawn Carter Foundation matched Rihanna's donation of $1 million to relief efforts.
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Bruno Mars, who has a residency in Las Vegas, donated $1 million to the MGM Resorts Foundation to help MGM employees in the city who lost work due to the pandemic, his representative said, according to E News.
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The players, coaches and owners of the Golden State Warriors announced they are donating $1 million to help employees at the Chase Center who lost work because of canceled NBC games.
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Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg partnered with a Silicon Valley food bank to put $5.5 million toward creating the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Feeding Families.
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Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey said on his platform that he is donating $1 billion in shares of his other company Square Inc. to help fund relief efforts. Dorsey said it is about 28% of his wealth. After "we disarm the pandemic," Dorsey said, the money will also help fund girls' health and education, as well as universal basic income.
Along with Rihanna's charitable foundation, committed $2.1 million toward shelter, meals and counseling for victims of domestic violence for a total $4.2 million grant.
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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said on Instagram that he is giving $100 million to Feeding America, an organization with more than 200 food banks across the country.
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Beyonce's BeyGOOD foundation also partnered with Jack Dorsey, teaming up with his #startsmall initiative to donate $6 million to local community organizations so they can provide necessities like food, cleaning supplies, protective gear, medicines and more.
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Greg Berlanti pledged $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds that will go directly to the 5,000 staffers working on the 17 series currently in play at Berlanti Productions, as well as others in the entertainment industry that have been affected by the shutdown. He announced the gesture in a company-wide memo on April 29
There is certainly no shortage of kind acts from people helping others get through the coronavirus pandemic, and that includes celebrities and Hollywood artists social distancing like the rest of us
As the number of people sickened by COVID-19 continues to rise, there is certainly no shortage of kind acts from people helping others get through the pandemic. And that includes celebrities and Hollywood artists social distancing like the rest of us. These famous do-gooders are reaching into their own pockets to make life under quarantine just a little bit easier.
Rosemary Rossi
News Editor • rosemary.rossi@thewrap.com • @RosemaryARossi