Pandemic keeps finding new ways to mess with TV

The 2019-20 broadcast season ended abruptly last spring. The current season kicked off with an uninspiring mix of recycled dramas and too many game shows until scripted series began returning in late October. Now, just as things were seemingly getting back to normal, the staggering number of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles is delaying production, as evidenced by Tuesday morning’s tweet from Dan Fogelman, creator of TV’s biggest drama, NBC’s “This Is Us.”

“No new episode of #ThisIsUs tonight — Covid-related production delays in LA have forced us to delay a few weeks. But the next few are big ones, and we are close, so we hope you’ll hang in there with us. Sorry!”

And to think, for one brief, shining moment, broadcast television’s biggest COVID-19 problem seemed to be figuring out how to address the pandemic onscreen.

Some series, like CBS’ “Blue Bloods,” have ignored the coronavirus altogether. Others, like Fox’s “9-1-1,” which just kicked off its fourth season, are leaning into the many ways the virus has changed daily life.

Medical dramas can’t even agree on how to proceed. ABC’s “The Good Doctor” and Fox’s “The Resident” fast-forwarded to a post-pandemic future, while over on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith is so riddled with COVID, she’s hallucinated the return of dead colleagues Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and George (T. R. Knight).

PPE expenses massive

Despite spending an estimated $300,000 per hour of television on personal protective equipment, though, dozens of series that film in and around Los Angeles extended their holiday production breaks on the recommendation of the county’s Department of Public Health. The thinking was, shutting down for an extra week or two, if at all possible, would help alleviate the unprecedented demand on the area’s overtaxed hospitals.

In addition to “This Is Us,” other high-profile series facing potential production delays after that additional time off include “Grey’s Anatomy,” “9-1-1” and “9-1-1: Lone Star,” CBS’ “NCIS” and “NCIS: Los Angeles” and Showtime’s “Shameless.” After the latter kicked off its final season Dec. 6, it’s become a bit of a guessing game as to whether a new episode will arrive on any given Sunday.

Frustrated ‘This Is Us’ fans

Likewise, the “This Is Us” delay has left fans feeling frustrated. After starting its season Oct. 27 with back-to-back episodes, the series took a week off for election night news. After two more episodes, it disappeared until Jan. 5. Now, after just two episodes, it’s gone again, presumably until Feb. 2.

It’s that kind of interrupted storytelling that’s not only testing viewers’ patience but highlighting the growing divide between traditional television series and streaming content. After all, there are no delays with streaming series, because even the ones that release episodes weekly don’t debut until every episode has been completed.

Cable and network series will get back to normal at some point. But even then, viewers still will be able to watch an entire season of “Bridgerton” or some other streaming hit while waiting between weekly episodes from other providers.

And that’s a problem that can’t be cured by a vaccine.

Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence @reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567. Follow @life_onthecouch on Twitter.