Entertainment is one of the industries greatly affected by the COVID-19 crisis which caused production and taping to stop.
While eased lockdown measures have made it possible to resume work by following the “new normal” which bars close physical interactions and that requires “lock-in” periods, some teleseryes just didn’t do it.
One of the casualties is ABS-CBN’s Make it With You which starred Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil, which will no longer return to television.
In an Instagram post, Liza said that one of the reasons that they didn’t continue is the continuing rise of coronavirus cases in the country. As someone with health issues, Liza, her family, and her managers took into consideration her weak immune system.
“I consulted my family, my managers, and the team and we all came to an agreement that it might be for the best to not continue with the show anymore.
“That, along with many other factors are the reasons why MIWY will no longer continue. I’m sorry we won’t be able to give our audience the ending they deserve. Thank you and looking forward to our next adventure.”
The actress then thanked the audience and loyal supporters for following the journey of the characters Billie (Liza) and Gabo (Enrique).
But luckily, ABS-CBN and GMA variety programs—It’s Showtime, ASAP Natin ‘To, and Eat Bulaga—were mounted virtually with hosts and performers being streamed live via video call.
Variety shows have returned to studios but with restrictions as part of the new normal. GMA’s Eat Bulaga was applauded for the show’s innovative approach to preventing the spread of COVID-19. They used advanced giant body shields that are part of the show’s proactive measures.
Giant Face Shields ready para safe ang kwentuhan natin sa new normal ng Bawal Judgmental! pic.twitter.com/UhlzdGH4UL
— Eat Bulaga! (@EatBulaga) June 11, 2020
At a virtual conference for the second season of Viu’s The Bridge with ABS-CBN News, Min Lim, the Malaysian executive producer, pointed out that the new normal has had a profound, global impact on the entertainment industry.
“It’s one more challenge that is thrown into the mix in an already quite challenging industry. We’re going to have to come up with new ways of not just shooting things, but really thinking about the kinds of stories that we can tell.”
While production outfits improvised during the pandemic, Lim emphasized that filmmaking thrives on collaborative work.
“We’re very much hoping that at some point, things are going to go back to the way they were before. The whole creative process is about collaboration, is about people coming together,” she said.
“Even though now, with technology, you can digitally come together, there really is nothing that replaces writers in a room, or actors on a set together.”
ABS-CBN, for instance, earlier launched a diverse slate of digital content produced from home, dubbed Online Kapamilya Shows or OKS.
Ruel S. Bayani, head of RSB Scripted, and ABS-CBN head of international productions, claims that given this pandemic, this will still bring greater benefits to the entertainment industry,
“It’s my belief that every time there are limitations, the more there is an abundance of creativity, the more that you need to have those leaps of faith, the more you need to be alert and assertive as a content creator.”
