The CBS daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful resumed filming on Wednesday, however, after day of filming they will now halt production in order to ensure safety from the novel coronavirus, according to The Hollywood Reporter. While the original plan was to only film three days this past week, filming will resume on June 23 once precautions are taken to ensure social distancing on set and COVID-19 tests each week.
A spokesperson for the show has explained, “We have paused very briefly to modify our testing protocol to better accommodate the large volume of testing needed. Safety remains our top priority as we continue to move forward with the production of the show. B&B filmed with the cast and crew today and it was a successful first day back at work,” via The Hollywood Reporter.
The Bold and the Beautiful stars Katherine Kelly Lang (Subliminal Seduction) as Brooke Logan, Jacqueline Maclnnes Wood (Final Destination 5) as Steffy Forrester, and Don Diamont (Country Justice, Anger Management) as Bill Spencer Jr. The series is set in Los Angeles and surrounds the wealthy Forrester family, their fashion company Forrester Creations, and their rivals.
Executive producer and head writer Bradley Bell (The Bold and the Beautiful) said in a statement that he and his crew have utilized the last month to modify the show’s stages to accommodate social distancing procedures and limit the spread of the virus in preparation of restarting filming. He said, “Actors will be tested at least once a week, maybe multiple times a week. All production personnel will be tested on Mondays, and we’ll be filming Tuesday through Friday,” via The Hollywood Reporter.
Producers have decided that the crew will be required to obey social distancing and wear a face mask at all times while the actors will wear face masks when not filming scenes. The actors are also required to stay eight feet away from their costars during filming while they rely on editing to make it seem as if they’re standing closer together. Bell is also considering using the actors’ real spouses as stand-ins for scenes that require touching.
Bell said in another statement to The Hollywood Reporter, “We are adhering to all the guidelines from the state and the DGA and working closely with SAG-AFTRA to make sure we meet all standards and being extremely cautious on every level. We have our own protocols in place, and they’re very conservative. We’re just making sure that we employ all safety standards the industry sets, and our own as well.”
Their initial filming date on Wednesday was just five days after the state of California announced that the industry is clear to begin filming. The Bold and the Beautiful is one of the first shows to begin production once again after the COVID-19 pandemic.