Sony Pictures Television is the latest TV studio to extend the production hiatus for its Los Angeles-based series amid an unprecedented increase in coronavirus infections and deaths from Covid-19 in LA County.
Production of the studio ABC comedy series The Goldbergs and Netflix Atypical, which was scheduled to resume next week, the week of January 4, has been postponed for a week, the week of January 11. Sony TV syndicated game programs Danger! and Wheel of FortuneWe are not scheduled to resume production until the week of January 11 and start recording as planned.
Sony TV is delaying the start of production of Los Angeles-based programs to accommodate additional testing. Keeping programs on a hiatus while testing resumes puts productions in compliance with the new Los Angeles County Department of Public Health guideline for those who have been quarantined for at least 10 days after non-essential travel.
With its decision, Sony TV joins CBS Studios, Warner Bros. TV, Universal TV and Disney TV Studios’ ABC Signature and 20th Television, which also extended the production gaps in its LA series.
The studios are responding to an appeal from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which urged the film and TV industry to consider pausing production for a few weeks during the steady increase in coronavirus cases across the county. The studios and streamers reviewed the logistics involved, including talent availability and whether the cast and crew would be paid for additional downtime.
On New Year’s Eve, Los Angeles County reported a third consecutive day of record coronavirus-related deaths. On Wednesday, the region recorded its 10,000th virus-related death. The ICU capacity of the municipality is 0%. Earlier this week, the regional request to stay home for Southern California was extended to Jan. 16.