With almost everyone we know practicing “social distancing”, the way we entertain ourselves has drastically changed. According to Tom Nunan, former network and studio president who now teaches at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, “this is the first time every aspect of entertainment – amusement parks, cruise ships, Broadway, TV, motion pictures – and every (TV) platform, streaming, basic cable and network, has been affected. That’s what makes it extraordinarily unprecedented.” What does this mean for TV?

There will be a rise in binge-watching. With school out for many of us, instead of doing “6-7 hours of homework a day” according to one high school’s newsletter, binging has become one of teenagers’ many coping habits. Knowing families will be home doing nothing, Disney will release “Frozen 2” on its streaming service. Disney+ will also be available for subscription in the UK soon. According to Variety, while many companies’ stocks have plummeted, Netflix’s share has increased 0.8%. (There is a docu series on Netflix called “Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak” to make your binging habits up-to-date on global news). The accessibility of streaming services, along with the fact that (besides certain Disney+ originals shows like High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) all episodes are released at the same time, has kept us entertained from the comfort of our beds. 

Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ isn’t the only thing people are binging. In China, due to many being quarantined, people have been entertained through YouTube videos. According to Chinese journalist Elaine Yau, “Quarantined in their apartments, Chinese people have learned to love online viewing, whether that be new movies, cooking shows or livestreams of strangers doing banal indoor activities like sewing.”

While this virus outbreak has been fortunate for streaming services, live talk shows have completely changed. For health precautions, late night talk shows such as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert or The View have gone audience-less for the first time. In a clip from a recent episode, the only members in Colbert’s audience were his staff members. The View’s live audience was completely empty. The Ellen Show has completely stopped filming episodes until March 30.

There will be a decrease in scripted television content over the next month. For scripted television, shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” have suspended production for at least 3 weeks and shows like “NCIS” are getting 20 episode seasons instead of the usual 22. Some shows like The CW’s “Supernatural” has yet to film their season finale because production has been pushed back. 

Things are looking up for streaming services but not so much for network/scripted series. With this free time, let us all catch up on the TV recommendations our friends have given us and even watch new shows that we never had time to!

Don’t worry, TV Wasteland will continue to function. Read a letter from our CEO here.