Coronavirus: NBCUniversal Halts Production On About 35 Series Including ‘Chicago’ Dramas, ‘Kelly Clarkson Show’ & ‘Angelyne’

Nellie Andreeva
·2 min read

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In the most sweeping TV studio response to the growing coronavirus pandemic yet, NBCUniversal has suspended production on the majority of its TV series across all entertainment production units, Universal Television, UCP, Universal Television Alternative Studios and First Run Syndication productions. That totals about 35 shows, I hear.

The list includes all Dick Wolf dramas still in production, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D, Chicago Med and Law & Order: SVU for NBC and FBI for CBS, as well as NBC’s New Amsterdam — all from Universal Television — upcoming limited series for Peacock Angelyne starring Emmy Rossum from UCP and NBCU’s breakout freshman syndicated talker The Kelly Clarkson Show. When possible, shows will finish their current episodes. The Kelly Clarkson Show will have one more original airing tomorrow before the break.

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As Deadline reported earlier today, Uni TV yesterday put on hold production of several series that had not yet started filming, Season 2 on Russian Doll, starring Natasha Lyonne, for Netflix, Season 2 of anthology Little America for Apple and Season 1 of Rutherford Falls, headlined by Ed Helms.

The Chicago shows film in Chicago, which had the first known case of a TV production staffer testing positive for the coronavirus, a crew member of new Fox drama NeXt. Meanwhile, the FBI dramas shoot in New York, where Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today declared a state of emergency over the rapid spread of the coronavirus.

“The safety and health of our cast, crew and employees is our top priority.,” NBCU said in a statement Thursday night. “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 most shows are expected to resume production, the Dick Wolf dramas, which are close to wrapping their seasons, are among a few that will not return, calling it a season, I hear. That is a strategy also employed by CBS TV Studios on its procedural dramas.

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