This obviously has not come to pass – but it can be seen on TV. It’s totally understandable that viewers have pandemic fatigue, and crave escapism and a distraction. But writers across the globe found themselves in a predicament – should they reflect our new reality or offer this escape?Covid became the main character in America’s longest-running prime-time medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy, in its 17th season, featuring PPE shortages, overflowing hospital wards and beloved character Meredith Grey contracting the virus. However, most series have favoured a fictional post-pandemic world. AND JUST LIKE THAT While Sarah Jessica Parker initially said COVID-19 would “obviously be part of the storyline, because that’s the city [these characters] live in”. But the Sex and The City reboot which started in early December is set in post-pandemic New York City, with characters navigating: when is it OK to hug? Carrie’s first line was “remember when we had to legally stand six feet apart from one another?” as people push past her to get into a restaurant. GOSSIP GIRL The Gossip Girl reboot opened on a version of the Upper East Side that’s a world away from the epicentre New York once was, but references to the pandemic are peppered throughout the season such as when Zoya pokes fun at Julian, an influencer, for appearing in the widely-mocked Imagine video. However, the word Covid is not actually said and masks are not the hottest accessory. MR MAYORSome have taken a humorous approach such as Tina Fey’s comedy series Mr. Mayor making it clear the pandemic is a thing of the past by simply explaining “Dolly Parton bought everyone a vaccine”.GREY’S ANATOMYThe Season 18 premiere of Grey’s Anatomy ushered in a sharp change for the show. The episode, as well as the Season 5 premiere of spin-off show Station 19, opened up with a message “we are existing in a fictional post-pandemic world. In real life, the pandemic is still ravaging healthcare workers”. Showrunner Krista Vernoff said “It represents our hopes for the future. I hope we get there. I hope for all of us.” SUCCESSIONIf you never want to see your favourite characters don a mask, take themselves out for a daily walk or wrangle children through home learning, you’ll love the third season of Succession. The satirical drama made the deliberate decision not to mention the pandemic. “These are really wealthy people,” Australian actor Sarah Snook told reporters during filming.“And unfortunately, none of the world’s really wealthy people were going to be affected by the pandemic.”CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASMThe 11th season of the comedy hinged on the reveal of a Covid hoarder – a closet of hand sanitiser and toilet paper, reminiscent of the panic of early 2020 – but takes place in a timeline where indoor masks are no longer a common sight (in LA, at least). INSECURECharacters mention “everything going on in the world right now” and wonder if a favourite restaurant has closed since “everything’s been so crazy”, but there’s no direct reference to the pandemic – no Covid, no masks, no news bulletins or testing or vaccines. NINE PERFECT STRANGERSFilmed in Australia and based on Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same name, rich characters head to a mysterious wellness retreat in northern California. It mentions “social distancing” and “lockdown” as stresses to be relieved and escaped, but otherwise ignores Covid specifics.BULLThe courtroom drama began its current season with its New York City courts in lockdown and Jason Bull, the central character, was recovering from coronavirus. Since then the pandemic has faded from storylines. But that doesn’t mean it’s forever gone from the show.“The pandemic, much as it exists in real life, lives largely in the background — until it doesn’t,” says Glenn Gordon Caron, an executive producer. “The death of a loved one, the complications it creates when defending people in a court system.” AUSTRALIAN SHOWSIn Australia, despite Seasons 2-3 of Five Bedrooms both being filmed in the thick of Melbourne’s lockdowns, the Michael Lucas and Christine Bartlett-written series has not touched on Covid. With soaps such as Neighbours and Home and Away filming episodes up to 20 weeks ahead of them hitting our screens, there are logistical problems as well as the philosphical questions.“We’ve debated about whether to incorporate the coronavirus into the narrative, ”Neighbours executive producer Jason Herbison said. “However, we are currently plotting episodes that won’t air until much later in the year, so anything we write now might feel very outdated.“Further to this, there’s a creative question: will our viewers want to switch on Neighbours and relive it again? Or is our job to provide escapism? I tend to feel it is the latter.” How to Stay Married’s creator, writer and star Pete Helliar also debated with his team how to tackle the global pandemic, before settling on only subtly referencing it.“We didn’t know at that stage when we would be on air,” Helliar explains. “You didn’t know where the pandemic would be at, or people’s attitudes. I mean, as much as we want to reflect the world – do people just want an escape from that?”
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