NBCUniversal Halting Production of More Than 30 Shows Over Coronavirus Has Fans Sounding Off

NBCUniversal put the brakes on production for more than 30 shows due to the coronavirus outbreak. The decision affects the production schedule for most shows airing on NBC, from talk shows taped in front of audiences like The Kelly Clarkson Show to the Dick Wolf dramas Chicago Fire and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The news has the show’s biggest fans worried, especially those looking forward to new programming while staying at home.

The decision late Thursday was the single most sweeping move to postpone production among the networks and studios. All NBCUniversal productions under its entertainment units, including Universal Television, UCP, Universal Television Alternative Studios and First Run Syndication have been halted, notes Deadline.

All of Wolf’s Chicago shows – Chicago P.D., Chicago Med and Chicago Fire – and SVU are halting production. The shows are all made by Universal Television, which also produces Wolf’s CBS show FBI. The medical drama New Amsterdam, another Universal TV production, is on hold as well. Filming on The Kelly Clarkson Show, produced by UCP, will also be suspended. The last new episode filmed before the unexpected break aired Friday.

Many of the shows are expected to resume production, but Wolf’s shows will likely end their seasons early. They were already close to finishing their seasons. Every one of them has been renewed for the 2020-2021 TV season, so any cliffhangers could be finished in the following season.

​

“The safety and health of our cast, crew and employees is our top priority,” an NBCU spokesperson said 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.”

​

While SVU and FBI are filmed in New York, the Chicago shows are produced on location in Chicago. The city had the first known case of a television production employee testing positive for coronavirus, although the employee did not work on Wolf’s shows. The staffer was working on Fox’s new drama NeXt.

​

Other shows affected by NBCUniversal’s sweeping decision include Netflix’s Russian Doll, and Apple’s Little America and Rutherford Falls. Angelyne, a miniseries Emmy Rossum is filming for NBCUniversal’s upcoming Peacock streaming service, also saw production paused.

​

NBCUniversal and its competitors CBS, The CW, WarnerMedia, Disney and Discovery also canceled in-person upfront events in New York on May. These events are used by studios to make presentations to advertisers and to announce schedules for the upcoming television season.

​

“At this moment in time, we can embrace a new future that puts our audiences and our partners first,” Linda Yaccarino, Chairman of Advertising & Partnerships, NBCUniversal, said, according to The Wrap. “This year’s Upfront Presentation will ensure everyone’s safety, while allowing us to give fans and marketers a preview of the upcoming season.”

​

“Our fav actors need to be safe too! Everyone stay safe, be well, we ll see you on the other side very soon! Thanks for your continued [entertainment],” one fan wrote on Facebook.

“This makes me sooo sad but I get it!” another wrote.

“Reruns it is. I watch them everyday,” another typed. “I don’t mind.”

​

“Great now we will be stuck at home and have to watch reruns!! Ha ha,” one Facebook user joked.

“WTF am I gonna do with two kids and no new shows??” another wrote.

“Omg NOOOOOOOO why have they done that,” another commented.

Photo credit: Adam Christopher/NBCUniversal/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images