Three more Vancouver-based series — the CW’s Riverdale and Batwoman and Netflix’s Maid, all from Warner Bros TV — have been cleared to resume production today after receiving the delayed COVID-19 tests for their casts and crews. The trio, which had been dark for more than a week, are the first WBTV series impacted by the lab delays to go back to production. Several other WBTV shows remain idle, with the CW’s The Flash said to be poised to kick off filming later this week.
Just as U.S.-based location shoots in Vancouver get back up and running amid the pandemic, the cameras have stopped rolling on a number of popular TV series due to a shortage of rapid COVID-19 testing capacity in the city. Charmed, Nancy Drew and DC Legends of Tomorrow are also affected.
Not only are many broadcast TV series seeing their current runs end abruptly, they may need to start production on their next seasons later than usual. In Vancouver, which is home to nearly 20 TV productions, government officials do not foresee life returning to any semblance of normal until the summer, meaning that the shows that traditionally start back up production in late June/early July would have to cool their heels for at least a little bit (if not longer).
