It’s no surprise that the novel Coronavirus has changed the average human’s day-to-day life, and television is no exemption. With so called, “stay at home” orders the new normal, talent and technical crews alike need to adapt for the task of working remotely. In an age where everyone carries a camera around in their pocket and the internet is faster than ever, it doesn’t sound like such a daunting task. For some productions, it isn’t. “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” has seen a jump in viewership, with some viewers reporting that the show feels more “homey” and connected to reality. For others, however, it’s been nothing short of a nightmare.
“Saturday Night Live” didn’t fare as well, but there’s been a valiant effort. Due to its live-action comedy sketch nature, attempting a short on Zoom (which has its own issues) is a difficult task. “The closer a show’s format is to a couple of people talking, the better it generally fares in this environment,” CNN reports. For some, it’s been an opportunity to become creative. ESPN attempted a virtual adaptation of the basketball game HORSE, which after about 10 minutes, the novelty began to wear off, and the technical issues took hold.
We’re learning more about the Television field than ever during these times; Audience taste, technical constraints, script writing, and creative abilities. The fact that we’re able to have 15 seperate people, with 15 seperate devices, streamed live to millions of televisions across the country is a feat among itself.
