L.A.-Based Series Return To Production After Wildfires-Related Shutdown – Update
UPDATE Jan. 13 PM: The last remaining Los Angeles-based scripted series whose production had been on pause in the wake of the devastating wildfires are set to resume production tomorrow, Jan. 14. That includes 20th Television’s Grey’s Anatomy, 9-1-1 and Doctor Odyssey, who all will film indoors. The only show that will remain dark is the studio’s All’s Fair, which has no interiors left to shoot.
UPDATE Jan. 13 AM: All of 20th Television’s LA-based series, including Grey’s Anatomy, 9-1-1 and Doctor Odyssey, remain dark today, January 13, with the exception of multi-camera comedies Mid-Century Modern, which is in prep, and Shifting Gears, which will rehearse. They were among a number of scripted series filming in the Los Angeles area that suspended production last week as wildfires were raging through multiple neighborhoods, including Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
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Most of the other shows which were on hold have resumed filming today. That includes Warner Bros TV’s Abbott Elementary, All American and The Pitt, with the studio’s multi-camera sitcoms Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage and the upcoming Leanne Morgan project, slated to follow Wednesday.
Filming has also resumed on Universal Studio Group’s Hacks, which lost one of its high-profile locations, Deborah Vance’s L.A. Mansion, in the Altadena fire, Happy’s Place, Loot, Suits LA and Ted. They were paused after NBCUniversal closed the lower lot at Universal Studios last week.
Also back today after being cleared by Security, Health and Safety are CBS Studios’ NCIS, which films in Santa Clarita, and NCIS: Origins, which shoots on the Paramount lot, along with sitcoms The Neighborhood and Poppa’s House. The series will be shooting on closed sound stages, with the productions closely monitored by Security, Health and Safety throughout the day.
Cast or crew impacted by the fires who are not able to safely make it to set will receive their regular pay. Studio catering teams from some of the L.A. series have been preparing boxed meals for first responders, and clothing from those series in Los Angeles has been collected for donations.
Also resuming production today indoors are Sony Pictures TV’s S.W.A.T. and Spider-Noir.
Additionally, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live resumes tapings today after suspending production last Wednesday. After Midnight, hosted by Taylor Tomlinson, remains on hold until at least Wednesday.
UPDATE Jan. 9: Sony Pictures Television’s dramas S.W.A.T. and Spider-Noir are the latest Los Angeles-based TV series to temporarily shut down production as wildfires continue to ravage areas of the city. All series, which paused production yesterday, including Warner Bros. TV’s Abbott Elementary, 20th Television’s Grey’s Anatomy, CBS Studios’ NCIS and Universal Television’s Hacks, as well as late-night shows Jimmy Kimmel Live! and After Midnight, remain dark today. At least one studio is prepping its LA shows for return to production in the next couple of days.
PREVIOUS Jan 8: As the Hollywood community and the rest of Los Angeles are waking up to post-apocalyptic skies, images of utter devastation from the ongoing wind-driven wildfires, more evacuation orders and school closures, scripted TV series are suspending production for the day Wednesday in impacted areas.
Warner Bros. has closed production on its Burbank-located lot for Wednesday amid strong winds and fires not too far from the Los Angeles suburb. That affects the Warner Bros. TV series Abbott Elementary, All American and The Pitt, which were shooting today, as well as multi-camera sitcoms Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage and the upcoming Leanne Morgan project, which had table reads/rehearsals scheduled.
The sets of 20th Television’s Grey’s Anatomy, 9-1-1 and Doctor Odyssey will be dark today.
Also out of an abundance of caution, CBS Studios opted to wrap their LA productions for the day Wednesday morning. That includes NCIS, which films in Santa Clarita, and NCIS: Origins, which shoots on the Paramount lot. The studio’s LA-based sitcoms, The Neighborhood and Poppa’s House, were not scheduled to tape today and are working remotely.
Universal Studio Group’s Hacks, which just won two Golden Globes Sunday, Happy’s Place, Loot, Suits LA and Ted will not film today due to NBCUniversal closing the lower lot at Universal Studios for the day.
The company also is closing the Universal Studios theme park Wednesday with fires nearby.
The fires are also affecting late-night, with ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS’ After Midnight suspending tapings for the day.
There have been a slew of events canceled amid the fires, including tonight’s premiere of the new Max medical drama The Pitt and an in-person press event for ABC’s new comedy Shifting Gears, also today. Prime Video’s Fallout, which films in Santa Clarita, pushed restart of production after the holiday break by a couple of days out of precaution.
We will update with information on more production suspensions if/when it becomes available.
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