As more and people test positive for COVID-19, many studios are making the difficult but ultimately smart and appropriate decision to halt production on their TV shows.
Following The Flash unit manager Brent Crowell announcing on Friday morning that the show would stop filming and crew members were not meant to show up on set, both the Warner Bros. Television Group and Netflix announced their respective plans take similar precautions for a number of other shows. The CW’s Riverdale, Batwoman, and Supergirl, Epix’s Pennyworth, and Netflix’s Lucifer and Stranger Things have also all been put on hold. In its public statement, Warner Bros. explained that reasoning behind its decision was simple and rooted in a desire to protect its employees.
“With the rapidly changing events related to COVID-19, and out of an abundance of caution, Warner Bros. Television Group is halting production on some of our 70+ series and pilots currently filming or about to begin,” the statement reads. “The health and safety of our employees, casts and crews remains our top priority. During this time, we will continue to follow the guidance of the Centres for Disease Control as well as local officials and public health professionals in each city where our productions are based.”
It’s unclear exactly how long the series will be delayed because the halting is all tied to ongoing efforts to slow the spread of the virus, both in the U.S. and internationally. Because one of the best ways to mitigate its spread is for people to avoid large gatherings, it only makes sense that the studios would tell their employees to stay home.
Similarly, the productions of Apple+’s See, Servant, and For All Mankind, Amazon’s Wheel of Time and Carnival Row, and FX’s beleaguered Y: The Last Man are all being paused due to concerns about the outbreak. Because this is an ongoing situation, there’s no exact telling of when things things may change, but we’ll keep you updated as new development surface.