Soap operas have told some great mystery tales over the years. The one they’re trying to solve now is how to get back to work in light of the coronavirus.
New Guidelines For Australian Soap Operas
Australian soap Neighbours may have the answer. Deadline is reporting that the long-running series from down under is preparing a production model on how the show can resume.
Neighbours is set to resume production next week after being on hiatus for a month due to the coronavirus. Among the safety measures the show will take are:
– Dividing the studio into sections. Three production teams will remain isolated from each other. Only a trio of actors are allowed to cross between the groups.
“There will be no more than 100 people a day in any area, we’ll implement the four-square-metre rule and the one-and-a-half-metre social distancing rule,” said Chris Oliver, Fremantle Australia chief told Australia’s ABC. (In the United States, that is six feet.)
If a person gets ill, then the group that that person is in will be suspended while the production continues with the other two groups.
– A nurse will be on set. Everyone entering the site will get their temperature taken.
– Female actors will wear makeup but not be touched up. Male actors will go without makeup.
– Kissing, holding hands, and other intimate actions and scenes will not be done.
– Cameras will help make actors appear closer to each other than they actually are.
– Crew members will do double-duty as extras to keep down the number of people on set.
Currently, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless are on a production hiatus due to the coronavirus crisis. As previously reported, BB and YR are set to begin airing classic episodes next week as the current supply of original episodes is about to run out. DAYS shoots so far ahead they have episodes that should take them into the fall with original shows.
It’s likely that the U.S. soaps will be keeping an eye on how Neighbours does with this experiment. If it’s successful, it’s possible soaps here could resume production, too. Soap Hub will bring you the latest news on when production will resume as soon as the news becomes available.
Share this: