‘NCIS’ Pauses Production, ‘NCIS: LA’ Pushes Restart As TV Series Face Mass Delays & Shutdowns Amid Omicron Surge

deadline.com:

Exactly a year after the winter 2021 Covid surge delayed post-holiday break return to production on most TV shows, the Omicron variant’s ultra wide spread is once again interrupting TV production.According to sources, NCIS has paused production after a positive test in Zone A, which includes the cast and those interacting with them.

The case is believed to involve a cast member. I hear that for now, the intention is still for the show to resume filming with the NCIS: Hawai’i crossover episode next week but plans are all in flux amid the unprecedented infection rates.Meanwhile, NCIS: LA has delayed return to production until February, sources said.

I hear this was done out of precaution based on the fact that the CBS procedural is well ahead and has enough episodes in the bank to afford a long break without affecting the season’s run on the network.The extremely contagious Omicron has wreaked havoc on sets this week, with a number of shows, including one of the FBI dramas, stopping for a day or so to evaluate the situation and conduct contact tracing, I hear.“It’s a mess, people keep getting Covid,” a production source said.Some studios pushed their return to production across the board by a week or two, until Jan.

10 (Disney) or Jan. 17 (Amazon Studios), sources said. Others, including Universal Media Studios, Warner Bros. TV, CBS Studios and Netflix, have been trying to keep their productions on schedule, only pushing returns by a day or two or suspending production for a day or two upon receiving positive results.LA County Health Department’s list of outbreaks over the past 14 days includes several media companies, including  Warner Bros.