The coronavirus pandemic has halted the production of many TV shows in recent weeks, meaning that some of the biggest series on the small screen won't be able to complete their full seasons. In the case of New Amsterdam, one episode that was actually completed won't hit the airwaves as scheduled. The episode would have focused on a deadly flu epidemic in New York City.
NBC explained the decision to pull the flu episode of New Amsterdam in a statement (via The Wrap):
‘New Amsterdam’ has an episode that was written some time ago that focuses on a flu epidemic in New York City. Being sensitive to the current climate, the producers, network and studio have decided that the episode will not air on NBC on April 7 as previously scheduled.
The episode, called "Our Doors Are Always Open," will reportedly air at a later date, presumably once the coronavirus pandemic dies down. New York City has been one of the most impacted places in the country by the virus, so a New Amsterdam deadly flu story set there might not have gone over well.
According to the episode description, "Our Doors Are Always Open" would have seen a deadly and unknown strain of the flu causing chaos at the hospital, while a new unorthodox doctor tests Sharpe's restraint. Interestingly, Daniel Dae Kim of Lost and The Good Doctor fame was set to guest star. Kim has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and he even shared the drugs he's on to combat the illness.
NBC pulling this episode of New Amsterdam from the schedule means that Season 2 will run even shorter than expected after the production halt. The medical drama had reportedly only finished 19 or 20 episodes out of its 22-episode order for Season 2; losing this flu-centric story may be a bummer for New Amsterdam fans who were hoping for as many episodes as possible before the early end.
Hopefully the episode that was pulled wasn't packed with major plot developments that will impact the episodes to follow. It would be a shame for fans if the next episode picks up with huge changes that they didn't see and won't get to see for a while. New Amsterdam could potentially go with a "Previously On" segment to open the next episode that just leaves out any mention of the flu.
Despite the shortened season and pulled episode, New Amsterdam fans still have a lot to look forward to. Well before the coronavirus and social distancing started forcing production shutdowns, NBC handed down a renewal order for a whopping three more seasons of the medical drama.
New Amsterdam will also have a schedule shift for its final episodes of Season 2, moving to 9 p.m. ET on NBC on March 31, April 7, and April 14. The April 14 broadcast will serve as the Season 2 finale. Broadcast television could begin running out of original content sooner rather than later due to the coronavirus shutdowns, so swing by our 2020 Netflix schedule for some streaming options.
