Hollywood has been keeping quiet since the coronavirus shutdown halted most TV and film productions nearly six months ago, but one series is ready to head back. ABC‘s The Conners is making its triumphant return as the first broadcast sitcom to resume filming after the pandemic shutdown, Entertainment Weekly reports.
Starting this week, Season 3 of The Conners will start filming in Los Angeles, marking the first of ABC’s comedy lineup to begin production. Although the cast and crew are returning to work, it won’t exactly be business as usual. To keep safe during the pandemic, everyone must adhere to local and state-wide safety protocols. The Conners will use a reduced crew and the series will no longer be filmed in front of a live studio audience.
While The Conners is the first broadcast sitcom to get back to work, it’s not the only television project to resume production. CBS’s soap operas have already begun filming, and the long-running NBC soap Days of Our Lives plans to begin production Sept. 1. According to Deadline, CBS’s S.W.A.T. began filming as the first drama series to return to production, and Tyler Perry‘s BET shows have resumed filming as well. Two other series are ready to return, but have not confirmed official filming plans — The Goldbergs is reportedly planning to restart production next week, and The Good Doctor is hoping to film in Vancouver at the end of August.
The Conners, which was renewed for Season 3 in May, is a spinoff of the Roseanne sitcom featuring original characters like Dan, Jackie, Darlene, Becky and D.J. The series first premiered in 2018 and has since been nominated for two primetime Emmys. The comedy stars John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson, Michael Fishman, Emma Kenney, Ames McNamara and Jayden Rey.
