Coronavirus effect on the production of tv shows

[Brekkie]

Will be interesting to see if that deal is renewed or whether it returns to alternating between the BBC and ITV. I suspect ITV would want to keep it in line with the BGT contract (and I agree BGT helped bring it back to relevance) and although it doesn't rate anywhere near as well as the big events on the BBC at this time of year with The X Factor Final gone it's really their only big annual fixture in the run up to Christmas now.

[XIII]

Will be interesting to see if that deal is renewed or whether it returns to alternating between the BBC and ITV. I suspect ITV would want to keep it in line with the BGT contract (and I agree BGT helped bring it back to relevance) and although it doesn't rate anywhere near as well as the big events on the BBC at this time of year with The X Factor Final gone it's really their only big annual fixture in the run up to Christmas now.

Given it's not that expensive for ITV to retain exclusivity for the RVP, it's likely they're retain it under a similar deal.

[Joe]

Then you had to be a variety performer - these days you just have to win BGT.

It’s much harder to win BGT than to be a variety performer.

[Score]

Will be interesting to see if that deal is renewed or whether it returns to alternating between the BBC and ITV. I suspect ITV would want to keep it in line with the BGT contract (and I agree BGT helped bring it back to relevance) and although it doesn't rate anywhere near as well as the big events on the BBC at this time of year with The X Factor Final gone it's really their only big annual fixture in the run up to Christmas now.

I expect they’ll keep it and I guess will probably just renew the existing contract.

It isn’t as huge as it used to be but very little is, and it still gets a decent rating. It beat Sport Personality fairly comfortably on Sunday night and like you say they don’t have many other fixtures at this time of year.

[London Lite]

No guests in the studio on Politics London again after reintroducing guests round the desk in E.

[JasonB]

Then you had to be a variety performer - these days you just have to win BGT.

And having a believable sob story helps you win that too.

[Johnr]

Interesting episode of Question Time tonight from a Covid production point of view...

-The perspex screens between the panel are gone, and they seemed to be sitting fairly close together
-Fairly full audience and no masks
-The audience member with 'the jazzy green glasses' was a particular highlight!

https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/celebs...e-23137501

[IanJRedman]

Interesting episode of Question Time tonight from a Covid production point of view...

-The perspex screens between the panel are gone, and they seemed to be sitting fairly close together
-Fairly full audience and no masks
-The audience member with 'the jazzy green glasses' was a particular highlight!

https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/celebs...e-23137501

The 'complaints' seem a bit silly IMO. We have no idea what other mitigations might still be in place - maybe they're using lateral flow tests, proof of vaccination etc?

[Brekkie]

Well they're within the law as it currently stands in England. Seems typical of some sections of society though to be more critical of the BBC lifting such restrictions than they are the government.

[JK1985]

I do know nearly all applications for audience shows, especially those on SRO Audiences all nearly ask for a Lateral Flow Test to be taken within 24 hours of attending, with proof of a negative result shown when you arrive at the studios.

[Johnr]

You're Fired no longer seems to require the audience to wear masks, and the mandatory proof of a negative lateral flow test taken on the day of recording seems to have been dropped too (in addition to proof of double vaccination, but you still need to have one or the other)

I wonder how long TV audiences will still have to show one or the other of these (obviously with the free tests going in April it will primarily be the proof of vaccination) or if all these requirements will be quickly phased out in studio participation now the 'Living with Covid' plans have been announced

[XIII]

I wonder if the likes of Only Connect and UC will drop their Covid secure measures? I think UC usually films around this time of year while OC films from March so I imagine things like the dividers will be dropped.

[Neil Jones]

Coren Mitchell said once they filmed a series of Only Connect and followed it up [url="http://www.victoriacoren.com/main/blog/archive/only_connect_series_11"]on her blog[/url] about being eight months pregnant on air for the best part of seven months.

So I think that implies they can knock a series out relatively quickly. Indeed, [url="https://quizquizquiz.com/2021/04/reflections-on-only-connect-series-16/"]https://quizquizquiz.com/2021/04/reflections-on-only-connect-series-16/[/url] suggests filming was scheduled for March 2020 but for obvious reasons that was dropped and pushed back to August 2020.

I can only presume they came back to a normal filming schedule (ish) but the show still aired over the autumn, winter and spring. It never did that on BBC Four, that's only started when it moved to BBC Two, though of course they've ordered more episodes and fiddled around with the format tournament a few times.

[XIII]

Coren Mitchell said once they filmed a series of Only Connect and followed it up [url="http://www.victoriacoren.com/main/blog/archive/only_connect_series_11"]on her blog[/url] about being eight months pregnant on air for the best part of seven months.

So I think that implies they can knock a series out relatively quickly. Indeed, [url="https://quizquizquiz.com/2021/04/reflections-on-only-connect-series-16/"]https://quizquizquiz.com/2021/04/reflections-on-only-connect-series-16/[/url] suggests filming was scheduled for March 2020 but for obvious reasons that was dropped and pushed back to August 2020.

I can only presume they came back to a normal filming schedule (ish) but the show still aired over the autumn, winter and spring. It never did that on BBC Four, that's only started when it moved to BBC Two, though of course they've ordered more episodes and fiddled around with the format tournament a few times.

University Challenge managed to get 13-14 episodes in the can before they had to shut down filming due to the first lockdown,

Tipping Point will still have the socially distanced look for one more series since the episodes filmed in 2021 haven't aired yet but I would assume the upcoming series will be back to how it used to look

[Brekkie]

The Chase now seem to have the screens for the bulk of the show but ditch them in the final round.

I suspect a show like Only Connect and University Challenge probably film 3 or 4 episodes in a day so the entire series over a couple of weeks. Based on that post linked to above they're probably due to film the next series soon - I imagine it's roughly at the same point each year.