‘Monster Garage’ Reboot With Jesse James Delayed Due to Coronavirus Pandemic

The upcoming reboot of Monster Garage is one of the many shows currently on hiatus due to coronavirus. Speaking to In Depth with Graham Bensinger, the show’s host, Jesse James, said that they have one episode already filmed. However, they’re waiting until the state of Texas lifts its Stay-at-Home order before production can resume.

“We filmed one episode, but we’re on hold now until the 30th of April,” James explained. “Up until people can congregate more than 10 [at a time], because we have a crew of about 30 people behind the scenes, so we can’t have them all together. As soon as they give the green light, we’ve got seven more builds ready to go.” The reboot will also mark James’ return to the small screen after a 14-year hiatus.

Monster Garage’s return was first announced back in February, which was slated to air on the Discovery Channel at some point in 2020. “It’s crazy to think my relationship with Discovery Channel started exactly 20 years ago,” James said in a statement. “After all this time I’m still excited to step into the Monster Garage. Excited to work hard and push the limits again. Showing people what you can do with teamwork, skills, and a refusal to quit.”

Since March, a number of TV series have been shelved temporarily as networks and studios worked to comply with social distancing guidelines. Even as some states begin to ease restrictions, which were put in place to help slow the spread of coronavirus, certain local governments have stated that they will keep certain restrictions in place out of caution — regardless if Tomi Lahren agrees or not.

Given the situation, it’s unclear exactly what it means for the TV landscape on a whole. While there are a few network series slated for summer and into fall, it has already led to some creative decision making as more will likely rely on reruns, movie nights, or where possible, pulling content from streaming libraries to air. Also, reality TV content is, generally speaking, easier to produce, so it’s possible that certain shows will be fast-tracked to help fill holes in various schedules.

In the interim, people have relied heavily on streaming services to help pass the time at home. While Netflix has seen record numbers thanks to shows like Tiger King, it’s also seen a rising interest in pandemic-themed content.