LOS ANGELES (AP) — “The Bold and the Beautiful” plans to resume production Wednesday, becoming the first network scripted show to start shooting again after the long layoff brought on by the coronavirus.
The popular CBS daytime drama will begin production again at CBS Television City in Los Angeles with strict COVID-19 protocols in place as mandated by the state and county, the show’s publicist Eva Basler said Tuesday.
California and Los Angeles County officials gave a conditional go-ahead for productions to resume starting June 12.
The show’s safeguard’s include an independent COVID-19 coordinator on the set, regular testing of everyone involved in production, a staggered and minimized crew, and the requirement of masks and social distance for all except actors when the cameras are rolling.
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The show has not yet announced when the first new episode will air.
It’s the first network scripted show, and among the first scripted shows of any kind, to resume shooting after the months-long halt in production across the industry.
Consistently among the top-rated soaps on television, the show created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell began in 1987 as a sister series to “The Young and the Restless.”
Its longtime stars include John McCook and Katherine Kelly Lang.
“So excited to be going back to work this week!! My first day back after 4 months is on Thursday! I am soooo happy!!” Lang said on Instagram along with a photo of herself in front of a sign that reads “Welcome back The Bold and The Beautiful!” “I had to take off my mask for the photo so you could see me smile.”