The temporary shut down of production affecting network TV shows like Grey's Anatomy and Supernatural due to the coronavirus pandemic may turn out to be not-so-temporary. Sources told Vulture that the cost of halting and re-starting production, and all the contracts that would have to be reworked, make it so it "doesn’t make sense to come back in a month for the last episode or two."
This is specific to network shows, which typically begin airing before they've wrapped production on a season, which means many are currently left stranded mid-plotline. While cable and streaming shows like Fargo and Stranger Things have also halted production, they typically don't air until the whole season has finished filming, which means that while there will likely be delays in releases, we should still expect to get the seasons in full.
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That's not the case for at least four anonymous shows, which already told cast and crew their seasons are over, per Vulture.
“Realistically, every show that shut production down is done,” an exec told the outlet.
Not all hope is lost for network TV. Modern Family and Carol’s Second Act already wrapped production, so we should still expect full seasons. And big-name shows, like Grey's Anatomy and Supernatural, won't go down without a fight. Vulture says nothing has been decided about the two series, the latter of which was ramping up to its series finale. It's unlikely they'd let the 15-year-running show end without a proper conclusion.
All in all, the sources told the outlet that TV shows aren't what we need to be most worried about during this pandemic.
“We work in fucking television,” a source said. “It’s not a brain surgery. We’ll be fine. This, too, shall pass."
Yes, but how can we pass this time without anything to watch?
COVID-19 has been declared a global pandemic. Go to the Public Health Agency of Canada website for the latest information on symptoms, prevention, and other resources.