After a "successful first day back at work" following a months-long work stoppage due to the coronavirus outbreak, The Bold and the Beautiful has decided to temporarily halt production.
In a statement, the CBS soap said that it needs more time to be able to accommodate the volume of coronavirus testing that is needed to ensure a safe working environment.
"We have paused very briefly to modify our testing protocol to better accommodate the large volume of testing needed," the show said in a statement first obtained by Variety. "Safety remains our top priority as we continue to move forward with the production of the Bold and the Beautiful."
Earlier this week, The Bold and the Beautiful became the first U.S. television program to resume production. The show's head writer and executive producer, Brad Bell, detailed some of the steps the show was taking to resume production. Those steps included limiting the number of people allowed into the studio, staggering work times, and cutting down on the number of performers in scenes. Bell also said that actors' real-life loved ones and dummies might serve as stand-ins to prevent interaction between performers. More on those precautions is available here.
Shooting is expected to resume on Tuesday, June 23.
What do you think about B&B's need to pause production? Is it a sign that the show is taking health matters seriously, or do you think production needs to be permanently stopped until the coronavirus outbreak is more contained? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
