‘Married at First Sight’: How the Show Will Film During the Pandemic
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues, many television shows are trying to figure out how to move forward. After halting production due to shelter-in-place orders and the CDC and US government putting a stop to large gatherings, many shows have been completely disrupted. But as no vaccine or treatment for the virus have been discovered, television shows are trying to come up with ways to continue production without putting the casts or crews in danger.
Some shows like Married at First Sight are especially hard to film without having people interact with one another. After all, the whole premise of the show is that the participants meet at their weddings. So, how could the show go on without the weddings?
How will ‘Married at First Sight’ go on?
As our current state of social distancing is looking like it’s going to be longer-lasting than anyone expected, Married at First Sight is thinking about going in a different direction.
“Reality dating shows like Married At First Sight are discussing potentially shooting virtually, but as a whole, Hollywood is trying to see how this rides out for a few more weeks,” a source told HollywoodLife. “Right now with reality TV as a whole, all options are on the table, but everybody is waiting as long as they can before making decisions. Agents and managers are booking clients and writers are as busy as ever writing content so they’re ready to go once this passes. The writers are doing a lot of virtual meetings.
Scripted shows are also trying to figure out what they can do.
“Many shows are planning for production right now for very late summer early fall,” another source told the outlet. “Writers on sitcoms are still working. The Conners, for example, has been discussed to come back with just the cast and very, very limited crew in early to mid-summer. A lot of shows are exploring this option and how to do it safely if need be. Some networks are even looking at shooting in other countries who aren’t having as big of outbreaks as the U.S. or have already peaked and life is open again in a limited role.”
‘Married at First Sight’ reunion
The season 10 reunion of MAFS had luckily already been shot before the shutdowns and some major revelations were made during the catch-up.
It turned out that after Katie Conrad and Derek Sherman decided to stay together, Conrad revealed that she slept with her ex.
“Katie made it really easy not to fall in love with her,” Sherman said at the reunion. They are now divorced.
Brandon Reid and Taylor Dunklin’s relationship had also taken a turn. In between the season and the reunion, they were both arrested at a bar after Dunklin allegedly pushed Reid. They were both in jail overnight.
“He got a restraining order on me three days after I got one,” Dunklin said. “He can’t be close to me, which is what I want. And I don’t plan on going near him.”
“I think there’s blame on both sides,” Michael Watson, another participant, said at the reunion.“According to the evidence I heard in court, there was an altercation at the bar that I don’t think Brandon initiated.”
Now that season 10 is over, fans are gearing up for Married at First Sight: Couples’ Cam, which will show the lives of the eight couples who are still together after meeting on the show. The series will begin airing on May 20th.
