Last Week Tonight and Real Time With Bill Maher shut down production due to coronavirus concerns. With a tally surpassing 125,000 cases worldwide, the coronavirus has caused an upheaval in travel sectors, the stock market, the healthcare system, and the entertainment industry. Earlier this week, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, and numerous late-night talk shows opted to film sans an in-studio audience as a precaution to avoid further COVID-19 outbreak.
Recently, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers announced they would suspend the production of their late-night shows. Now, two more popular hosts are following suit. Per CNN, HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Real Time With Bill Maher officially halt production due to the coronavirus epidemic. Last Week Tonight has one new episode left on the docket, which will air March 15. Reportedly, Jimmy Kimmel Live! will also cease operations, beginning March 16.
A few days ago, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic, causing civilians around the world to take additional security precautions against the aggressive virus. Amid coronavirus concerns, events around the globe are being postponed or canceled including, video game convention E3, the NBA season 2020, and numerous blockbuster film premieres.
Last Week Tonight and Real Time With Bill Maher halting production arrives on the heels of a staggering amount of sweeps from networks including, Netflix suspending production of its scripted TV and movies, NBCUniversal shutting down 35 shows, and CW putting a hold on all Arrowverse shows. Additionally, New York City's Broadway theatres have gone dark, Universal Studios Hollywood locked their doors, and all Disneyland theme parks are officially closed.
Source: CNN