ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and CBS’s “The Late Late Show with James Corden” are the latest – and last – major talk shows to go audience free as officials seek to slow the spread of the coronavirus. They will stop hosting studio audiences with Monday’s shows, when the syndicated “Ellen DeGeneres Show,” also based in Los Angeles, also goes crowd-free.
They join all New York-based news and talk shows in adopting plans to episodes without studio audiences. The moves are described as temporary but open-ended, although all shows will remain in production.
Affected New York shows included CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” NBC’s “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” HBO’s “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah,” along with TBS’ “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” and Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.”
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Following “guidance from New York City officials, the company is hoping to do its part to help to decrease the rate of transmission in our communities,” NBC spokeswoman Allison Rawlings said in a statement. “Our shows will continue filming on their regular schedule, and currently, there will be no impact on air dates.”
Earlier Wednesday, Walt Disney confirmed that its own news and talk shows, including ABC’s “The View” and “Good Morning America” and the syndicated “Live With Kelly and Ryan” and “Tamron Hall,” will go audience-free indefinitely. So will NBC’s “Today,” as of Thursday.
“Given the current developing situation in New York City, we have made the decision to suspend live audiences from attending our news broadcasts and talk shows,” Disney said in a statement.
Among other affected shows: “One Day at a Time” will tape episodes in Culver City, California, without a studio audience, USA TODAY confirmed Tuesday with a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly.
“Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” have begun taping shows without audiences, USA TODAY confirmed. The game shows will continue that practice indefinitely.
“Dr. Phil” changed its practices Tuesday: The CBS daytime talk show announced it will nix having an audience indefinitely.
“The health of our audience members, staff and crew are the priority,” the show’s executive producer Carla Pennington said in a statement to USA TODAY.
“The Wendy Williams Show” also decided to go without a studio audience “in light of the current health climate,” a spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY. The show’s producers said they will welcome live audiences back “when the time is right.”
The coronavirus also affects production of TV shows that don’t have studio audiences. Tuesday, USA TODAY confirmed a Deadline story that Disney shut down production of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” in Prague after the Czech Republic city closed schools and instituted restrictions on events and travel. According to Deadline, the Disney Plus series from Marvel, which mostly shoots in Atlanta, was filming in Prague for about a week.
During a recent episode, CBS’ daytime staple “The Price is Right” included a coronavirus-related message in connection with travel prizes to places subject to travel advisories by the CDC, USA TODAY confirmed.
“This episode was recorded prior to the outbreak of COVID-19,” a disclaimer read during the credits. “Travel prizes in regions affected by COVID-19 may be fulfilled with alternative arrangements. For more information on COVID-19, please visit the CDC’s website.”
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More than 125,000 cases of the new coronavirus have been confirmed worldwide across more than 100 countries and regions, and more than 4,500 people have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
For most people, coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
Longtime “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek, 79, hit the one-year mark in his battle with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, so the precaution may be viewed as a way to keep him healthy. “The one-year survival rate for Stage 4 pancreatic cancer patients is 18%. I’m very happy to report I have just reached that marker,” Trebek said in a video last week.
“Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak, 73, underwent emergency surgery in November after suffering from a blocked intestine.
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Contributing: Gary Levin, Charles Trepany, Cydney Henderson and Grace Hauck, USA TODAY; The Associated Press; Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Arizona Republic.
