Multiple American TV shows are shutting down production, with many more expected to halt filming for weeks, as the TV industry in the United States brace for the growing fallout and abrupt societal change forced by the rising spread of the novel coronavirus Covid-19 in that country and globally.
So far no South African TV productions have shut down although M-Net is considering whether to continue with filming and possibly changing the island location of the upcoming 8th season of Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island produced by Afrokaans.
On Friday morning MultiChoice and M-Net were still set to continue and go ahead with Saturday's 7th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards taking place in Lagos, Nigeria as well as the 2020 DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards taking place at The Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg with thousands set to attend the two live broadcast award shows.
The National Film and Video Foundation's (NFVF) 14th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) is also still on for 27 and 28 March at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
By late Thursday over 35 American TV shows seen in South Africa and counting - ranging from scripted drama series like Grey's Anatomy, NCIS and the variouos Chicago series; to reality series like The Amazing Race, to daytime talk shows like The Wendy Williams Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show and Ellen, and even late night shows like The Daily Show with Trevor Noah - have ceased production.
As the growing coronavirus pandemic is rapidly spreading in the United States following the same alarming trajectory as it has in Italy, American TV channels, studios and production companies are shutting down production to try and limit the spread of the virus.
On Thursday NBCUniversal ordered almost all of its vast range of shows from several studios and Universal Television to temporarily shut down, including Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med, F.B.I. and New Amsterdam all seen on M-Net (DStv 101) along with the daytime talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit seen on Universal TV (DStv 117) also shuttered.
"The safety and health of our cast, crew and employees is our top priority," says NBCUniversal in a statement. "Where possible, we are pausing production for two weeks as a precautionary measure, following which we will reassess and determine an appropriate start date. In some cases, we are accelerating plans to wrap up physical production."
The three NCIS series seen on M-Net and Universal TV are taking a production break as well, with CBS Television that has told the cast and crew of The Good Fight (also seen on M-Net) to stay home.
Survivor seen on SABC3 and M-Net have postponed production and filming of the upcoming 41st season that was supposed to start later this month.
Production on the second season of The Morning Show on Apple TV+ has shut down, as well as on its Isaac Asimov science fiction series Foundation produced by Skydance and currently filming in Ireland, with Riverdale seen on M-Net and filmed in Vancouver in Canada also shuttered after a crew member was in contact with someone who has the virus.
Amazon Studios has shuttered production on the second season of the fantasy series Carnival Row on Amazon Prime Video, currently filming in Budapest, Hungary.
The 16th season of Shondaland's Grey's Anatomy, also seen on M-Net, also ceased production on Thursday in America, while Netflix ended work for now on the final season of Grace and Frankie.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert seen on e.tv that on Wednesday said it's going without a live studio audience decided to rather shut down entirely, as did The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers which are not seen in South Africa.
The Wendy Williams Show on ViacomCBS Networks Africa's BET (DStv 129) also initially said on Wednesday it would continue without an in-studio audience in New York but also decided to shut down completely, saying "The safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority. Considering the current escalation of the coronavirus, production will be put on hold, indefinitely."
ViacomCBS also pulled the plug on its annual 2020 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards set for 22 March 2020 in Los Angeles.
