As crazy as it sounds, we haven't been dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for a year despite 2020 feeling like an entire decade. And because of everything going on in the world, some of us may have forgotten just how our favorite television shows and movies were affected by the initial charge of the Coronavirus as well as the lingering and continued shutdown of shooting locations around the world. During that time, no show has been safe. Shows on The CW like All American, The Flash, and Riverdale have all faced challenges, NBC staples like Law & Order: SVU were forced to shorten seasons, and those Marvel Disney+ shows have been met with delays.
So, to get everyone up to speed on their favorite shows, how they've been affected, and when we'll possibly get to see them again, we've put together a list that breaks down the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the television industry in 2020.
All American
After gaining a sizable audience after old episodes found their way to Netflix, The CW's All American looked like it was going to have a great run with its third season. But then filming was shut down just days into production when someone on set tested positive for COVID-19 in early October 2020. The suspension was only temporary, however, as Deadline reported cameras were rolling after only a couple of days. All American Season 3 is set to premiere on January 18, 2021.
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Wandavision, Loki
Everyone who was looking forward to catching the three live-action Marvel original series on Disney+ were given some unfortunate news in March 2020, when it was announced that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Wandavision, and Loki were all forced to suspend production at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The show about Captain America's two best friends halted production just as shooting got underway in Prague but was able to wrap things up in October. The mind-bending and genre-defying spectacle about two of the MCU's most powerful lovers initially wrapped in early March, but extra shooting was delayed until July because of the pandemic. And the God of Mischief's upcoming show was forced to halt production after only a few weeks on set earlier this year.
Stranger Things
There was a point in early 2020 when everyone couldn't get enough of that killer footage of David Harbour's Jim Hopper the Stranger Things Season 4 teaser, but a lot has changed since February. The hit Netflix series was not far into production when the plug was pulled in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Deadline, and didn't pick back up until the final week of September. There is currently no release date for the upcoming season.
Chicago Med, Chicago Fire
Two of Dick Wolf's Chicago dramas weren't immune to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic this year as Chicago Med and Chicago Fire were both forced to shut down production after positive tests were reported on the sets of each show. The positive test on the set of Chicago Med resulted in a two-week shutdown just seven days after production of the show's sixth season resumed after being shut down in March. In November, multiple positive cases were reported on the set of Chicago Fire, resulting in a two-week shutdown.
Law & Order: SVU
One of the shows that was affected the most by the COVID-19 pandemic was Law & Order: SVU, which ended up being four episodes shorter than expected after its producers were forced to suspend production on Season 21. The 20th episode ended up serving as the season finale and left fans wondering what could have been. The show has since returned for its 22nd season.
The Handmaid's Tale
The uber-popular Hulu dystopian drama series The Handmaid's Tale is yet another series that was forced to suspend production in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in March, Hulu and the show's producers (like everyone else in the industry) halted shooting on the set of The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 after only a couple of weeks on set. Production did not pick back up until September when star and producer Elisabeth Moss announced its return on her Instagram.
The Walking Dead
Production on The Walking Dead Season 11 hadn't even officially got underway when the AMC show's producers pressed paused in March. According to Deadline, the delay was originally supposed to only be three to four weeks, but the penultimate season continued to get pushed back until the point where it way delayed entirely, meaning there would be no new season in the fall for the first time since the show debuted in 2010, Variety reported. To make up for this, six additional episodes of The Walking Dead Season 10 were filmed and will debut in February 2021, with Season 11 coming that fall.
The Morning Show
The Apple TV+ original series The Morning Show was nearly a month into production of its second season when the show was forced to halt production because of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, per The Hollywood Reporter. After a break of more than seven months, The Morning Show picked up filming in mid October, as well as former Patriot Act host Hasan Minnaj who joined the cast as an up-and-coming member of the show's morning program, according to Deadline.
The Flash
No one was safe from COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020, not even The Flash, as The CW's hit superhero series was forced to cut its sixth season short when things initially shut down in March. After extensive delays throughout much of the year, production on The Flash Season 7 finally picked up over the summer. That would only last a few months, however, as filming was put on ice once again in late November when someone on the set tested positive. Despite this, the show is still set to return in February 2021.
CW Shows Where Production Was Halted Due To Delays In Testing
Speaking of hit shows from The CW being forced to shut down production due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Riverdale, Batwoman, Nancy Drew, and Charmed were all forced to halt filming in September 2020, but not because of a positive test. According to Variety, all four of those series were temporarily put on hold because of a delays in testing in Vancouver, British Columbia, where all four are produced.
The Amazing Race
The long-running CBS globe-trotting reality competition series The Amazing Race became one of the first major productions to shut down in February 2020 when the show's producers elected to suspend filming of Season 33. According to Variety, the decision was made by CBS as the Coronavirus began to spread around the world in the early months of the 2020. There is no word as to when The Amazing Race will pick up where it left off earlier this year.
Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills
With all the yelling and fighting that goes down on the set of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, a COVID-19 outbreak on the Bravo series was only a matter of time. Production on the show's 11th season was suspended in November 2020 after a positive test was reported. In December, Variety reported that three of the show's stars — Kyle Richards, Kathy Hilton, and Dorit Kemsley — all tested positive for the virus.
Floribama Shore
Another reality show that has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic is MTV's Floribama Shore, which was temporarily suspended in November. According to Deadline, the show was put on a two-week hiatus after a member of the production team tested positive.
This was just a small sampling of the shows that have been affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Make sure to check back for more updates and more shows as we continue to push forward in one of the worst public health crises in modern history.
