Covid-19 and TV shows

[AbbysMom]

This may be more appropriate for IMO, but let's start it off here as I'd really prefer for it not to get too controversial. Please do not post political statements. This thread is not meant to be political.

Some TV series started with season premieres last week for the first time since shutting down production in March due to the pandemic. Some are acknowledging Covid-19 and other issues that are going on, some are not.

This is Us premiered last week and a Facebook friend immediately posted that she shut it off because they were incorporating too many recent events into it and she prefers her TV to be an escape. I watched it last night and I was OK with the inclusion of the current events. Covid-19 was not a focus, more of a side story and "Hey, we want to do this, how can we do it during a pandemic", "Have you been tested", etc. BLM matter was definitely a storyline, but I was OK with that because if you watch the show I think it would have been stranger for them not to show Randall being affected by it.

I also watched NCIS LA last night and there was no mention of the virus or other current events.

So which do you prefer? Are you OK with characters wearing masks and discussion of the virus, etc. or do you prefer not to see that on your TV shows?

I'm OK as long as what they are showing makes sense. We are all dealing with it, so I'm OK if they show characters with masks on, etc. As far as other topics, again, I'm OK if it makes sense with their characters or storylines, but if they are trying to add current topics in just to stay relevant and it doesn't make sense for them to do so, no thanks. My husband has already said he hopes that every show he watches does not focus on a Covid-19 storyline.

 

[Jem]

Overall, I guess I'm OK with it. But it does feel like a bit of Covid overload. I watch "The Good Doctor", and it is pretty much all about Covid...but is it a hospital show, so...makes sense. I also watch Grey's Anatomy, and although it hasn't started yet, I saw the previews and it seems like it will be all about Covid too.....but again....hospital show.
The thing is, drama shows have always taken from real events in some fashion so I didn't really expect any different. Sitcoms, is seems haven't gotten into the "drama" of Covid, although I half-watched "The Connors", and they did incorporate it, but in sitcom humor fashion.
the two girls had to get "low level" jobs and wear PPE, the Dad, made a comment about his friends not wanting to get together for poker because they were all afraid to die...things like that.

 

[Willowy]

Dang, was NCIS LA new last night? NCIS isn't on until the 17th so I assumed LA was going to be the same week, oops. I'll have to catch that online I guess.

One thing I read said that NCIS (original) was going to start off with flashbacks so it wouldn't be addressed in the first few episodes, after that they were going to reflect the "new normal" like with people wearing masks in the office, but not make it a central episode plot. I don't know if they're going to stick to that though, just because keeping masks on your best stars seems complicated.

 

[Lari]

I think if it makes sense for the setting of the show, it's fine. I mean, if they started talking about PPE during the Mandalorian, clearly that would be too far.

 

[klunick]

I don't watch a lot of network TV. The only shows I've seen recently that mention Covid are shows like Dr Pimple Popper, My Feet Are Killing Me, etc. They have to do tele-med consults. I would imagine I wouldn't want to watch a show if they are focusing too much on recent events as I'm pretty much tired of hearing about recent events.

 

[neely]

I watch "The Good Doctor", and it is pretty much all about Covid...but is it a hospital show, so...makes sense. Sitcoms, is seems haven't gotten into the "drama" of Covid, although I half-watched "The Connors", and they did incorporate it, but in sitcom humor fashion.

I love The Good Doctor but after the premiere last week DH didn't want to watch the second episode last night because he thought it would be too depressing. However, we did watch it and it was realistic. The one perk was that some of the people survived. Not necessarily Covid related but we both felt bringing Dr. Melendez back as a ghost was a bit awkward even if he did try to help Dr. Brown.

We also watch The Connors and, I agree, they kept it to the appropriate sitcom humor fashion.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I don't really watch tv; but one of my favorite indie authors has released a few books since covid hit. She touched on a pandemic very lightly/generically in one but not in the others and I prefer it that way at the most. I think for some situations; whether it's in print or a show, it makes sense. In others it's such a fictional world it's not needed and a distraction. I read to relax and escape too. So I don't need it or want to see it like that.

 

[muffy]

We also watch The Connors and, I agree, they kept it to the appropriate sitcom humor fashion.

I agree with you about the Connors. I have not seen any other shows.that mention Covid.

 

[aliceneko]

I don't mind. I actually would like to see lockdown versions of some of my favourites, but I do think that every once in a while it's nice to have an escape from reality.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

This is why I watch reruns of Gunsmoke is to get away from the constant barrage of current events

 

[strider rose]

i dont watch regular tv anymore . i have the amazon fire stick and watch old shows like house and a few others

 

[rubysmama]

I don't watch much tv, but my soap opera, Days of Our Lives, is not incorporating Covid into the show.

One show I'd never watched before, kept showing commercials for the season opener, so I had to watch it. It was ok, and I probably won't watch again, but it was a bit funny seeing them react to the first news about the virus, and how it progressed.
Here's the commercial that I kept seeing:

 

[Jem]

I saw part of Law and Order SVU, and they incorporated systemic racism, even mentioning by name, Mr. George Floyd. Nothing about Covid....that I know of as I only watched part of it.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

The one show we always watch is The Curse of Oak Island. I hadn't expected them to be able to film this year being a reality show based in another country. We just watched the first episode on Wednesday and they obviously talked about it because they were affected by it for filming the show. So far it's not been too much. They showed them video conferencing with each other and then quarenteining as they were able to enter Canada. They still had plenty of focus on the treasure hunt itself and any relevant discussion has been related to their plans for the year. So all in all; I have no complaints. It would be weird if they left it out altogether.

 

[NY cat man]

I only watch a handful of network TV anyway, so I am okay with them mentioning covid, just so long as they aren't preachy about it. When they start doing that, the set gets turned off, no matter the program.

 

[DreamerRose]

Covid was incorporated into Chicago Med this week, and it was good the way they did it. But on Law and Order SVU, they wore masks, but as soon as the character approached someone, they took it off to speak to them. It seemed backwards to me.

With Covid raging again, I assume filming will stop and we will be back to endless reruns. Thank goodness I can read lots of books on my tablet.