Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television

On Network 10, The Project, the seventeenth season of Dancing with the Stars Australia, Studio 10, and the eighth season of Have You Been Paying Attention? suspended their in-studio audiences.[2][3] Have You Been Paying Attention? was recorded with only Tom Gleisner and a handful of production crew filming the show from the South Yarra studio, with all of the contestants working from home and using video conferencing in order to enforce social distancing.[3]

The Australian Survivor: All Stars reunion episode filmed without an audience and was hosted by Osher Günsberg, rather than the series' regular host Jonathan LaPaglia, due to travel restrictions.[4] The eighth season of Australian Survivor, set to start filming in Fiji in April, was postponed following the federal government's decision to establish a Level 4 travel restrictions, heavly discouraging international travel (this was later upgraded to a outright ban of international travel).[5][6] Network 10 also changed the race route for the fifth season of The Amazing Race Australia so that it would film only in Australia instead of internationally, but was later postponed due to interstate travel restrictions.[7][8]

The eighth season of The Bachelor suspended filming midway into the season.[9] Neighbours suspended filming for two days after a crew member came into contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus. Upon resuming production, Neighbours implemented new guidelines, including splitting its crews and avoiding intimate scenes between cast members.[10]

On the ABC, Q&A, Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell, and The Weekly with Charlie Pickering suspended their studio audiences.[11][3]

The Nine Network's Australian Ninja Warrior excluded audiences from attending tapings, with exception of the contestants' family members.[12] The Voice Australia postponed production due to international talent facing a two-week quarantine after arriving in Australia.[4]

The eleventh season of Gogglebox Australia filmed as normal prior to the beginning of the pandemic, with changes made to the show once the pandemic reached Australia. On April 10, following the beginning of the pandemic in Australia, cast members Mick and Di announced that they would be self-isolating for the remainder of the season;[13] whilst further changes to the show included Jad using video conferencing software on his laptop, allowing him to continue participating in the program with his best friend Matty and Sarah Marie (Matty's wife);[13] and 91-year old Emily (of the Silbery family) self-isolating, whilst her daughter Kerry and granddaughter Isabelle remained in weekly episodes for the remainder of the season.[13]

Filming on the Seven Network's Home and Away was suspended as of March 22. The network also removed the show from its schedule for three weeks and replaced it for the first two weeks with the news show The Latest,[14] and for the third week with the first week of the 8th season of House Rules. Production resumed on May 25.

Australia's Got Talent postponed production due to international talent facing a fourteen-day quarantine after arriving in Australia.[4]

A handful of anime studios have encouraged their employees to work from home although the employment of freelance animators in some studios has limited work disruption. Anime productions including A3! Season Spring & Summer, A Certain Scientific Railgun T, Infinite Dendrogram, Asteroid in Love, The Millionaire Detective Balance: Unlimited were delayed apparently due to the pandemic. Productions which heavily rely on outsourcing in-between and coloring work to studios in China were the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] On March 31 media outlets reported that Toei Company closed its Tokyo studio for disinfection after the lead actor of Mashin Sentai Kiramager, the 44th season of the long-time running Super Sentai series, Rio Komiya (Jūru Atsuta) tested positive for COVID-19 the previous day and halted production of the series.[16][17] However, on April 3, Toei released a statement that the studio was not closed despite what news and media outlets reported, citing the news as misinformation.[18] As of April 5, Komiya's health condition was improving,[19] and four days later, Komiya was discharged from the hospital and self-quarantined for two weeks.[20] On May 10, both Kiramager and Kamen Rider Zero-One, the 30th season of the long-time running Kamen Rider series was announced to be going on hiatus. In place of the standard weekly episodes, Kiramager will broadcast Episode ZERO, a prequel episode detailing events before the series, as well as the Director's Cut versions of the first two episodes, Kira Talk!, and the Jamental Institute. Kamen Rider Zero-One will be releasing five special episodes that recount the events of the episodes covered in the 35 episodes released before hiatus, with two of those episodes dubbed "President Special" that are from the perspective of Aruto Hiden and his secretary, Is, while the third episode dubbed "Shooting Special" will be from the perspective of Isamu Fuwa and Yua Yaiba.[21] On May 27, it was reported that Kamen Rider Zero-One would resume filming on June 1 following Japan lifting its state-of-emergency declaration two days prior, albeit with new guidelines to be placed while shooting the remaining episodes.[22] On June 7, TV Asahi announced that Kiramager and Zero-One will return to its regular weekly episodes starting on June 21.[23]

Not only anime series but also drama series have been silently refrained production to prevent the spread of infection, and most of telecasting stations are transmitting works from past years. In Nippon TV, the airing schedule of "The pride of the Temp", starring Ryoko Shinohara and Yo Oizumi, has been postponed, as well as the airing schedule of "Minwan Police", starring Kento Nakajima and Sho Hirano, has been postponed.[24] In TBS Television, the airing schedule of "MIU404", starring Gen Hoshino and Gou Ayano, has been postponed, as well as the airing schedule for "Hanzawa Naoki 2", starring Masato Sakai and Mitsuhiro Oikawa, has been postponed.[25] In Fuji TV, The schedule for airing the manga-based medical drama series in the second quarter, starring Satomi Ishihara and Nanase Nishino, has been postponed,[26] as well as the airing schedule for "Suit Season 2", starring Yuto Nakajima and Yuko Araki, has been suspended.[27] Meanwhile, NHK announced that the schedule for three drama series would be postponed under the influence of the new corona virus.[28] "The broadcast date will be announced on the program guide and website as soon as it is decided," said the station.[29]

On April 19, 2020, TV Tokyo, MediaNet & ShoPro announced that the Pokémon anime series will be going on hiatus, with production temporarily suspended. Reruns of old episodes began airing on April 26, 2020; the staff will reveal at a later date when new episodes will return.[30] In addition, production for the Toei anime shows were suspended due to the pandemic after the episodes aired including Healin' Good PreCure (Episode 12) and Digimon Adventure: (Episode 3).[31] As of 19 April 2020, Fuji TV, Toei Animation confirmed that the One Piece anime series will be going on recess, with production temporarily postponing new episodes and reruns of older episodes taking its place.[31] On April 26, 2020, Nippon Animation announced on Saturday that the broadcast of new anime episodes of Chibi Maruko-chan anime series has been suspended for the time being due to disease outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in Tokyo, Japan.[32] As a side note, at the time of April 26, 2020, there were a number of anime series with production pauses due to difficulties in supply and production, including some series like Black Clover, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Duel Masters King, Kingdom (Season 3), Major 2nd Season 2.

As of 9 May 2020, it has been reported that nine anime series had completed production during the public health crisis.[33]

Malaysia suspended all active filming in March. In 19 May, the government has given the green light for the filming industry to resume its activities after Hari Raya Aidilfitri.[34]

Television talk, reality, variety and game shows in the Philippines temporarily filmed without a live audience. TAPE Inc. announced on March 9 that it would stop admitting live audiences for their variety show Eat Bulaga!, which airs on GMA Network; ABS-CBN followed suit, announcing on March 10 that they would do the same for their television shows including It's Showtime, Banana Sundae, Magandang Buhay, the second season of the Philippine version of I Can See Your Voice and ASAP. GMA Network then followed suit again with Wowowin (including its Saturday primetime edition), All-Out Sundays, Centerstage, The Boobay and Tekla Show, Mars Pa More and GMA News TV's Idol sa Kusina and Tonight with Arnold Clavio.[35][36]

On March 14, 2020, ABS-CBN and GMA Network both announced that they will suspend production on its drama and live entertainment shows effective March 15 (the same day an quarantine declared by President Rodrigo Duterte enacted in Metro Manila and Cainta, Rizal).[37][38][39] Hence, ABS-CBN would air its previously aired shows temporarily in place for primetime viewing: 100 Days to Heaven, May Bukas Pa and On the Wings of Love. Additionally, the network gave its iWant TV series I Am U on its television debut. With more classic shows announced to air in a coming weeks, Walang Hanggan, The Legal Wife and Got to Believe for the afternoon programming, additionally, Wildflower, Tubig at Langis and the 2018 remake of the Chinese version of Meteor Garden on the primetime block. GMA Network followed suit with Ika-6 na Utos, Encantadia, Kambal, Karibal, My Husband's Lover, Alyas Robin Hood and Onanay.[40][41][42]

On March 18, 2020, GMA News TV and CNN Philippines announced that they will temporarily go off-air beginning March 19, with the latter going off as the Worldwide Corporate Center in Mandaluyong, where their newsroom and studios are based, is being disinfected after a confirmed case in the offices of one of the building's tenants.[43][44] The two networks eventually returned on March 20 and 23 respectively, with GMA News TV making way for a temporary full-time video simulcast of DZBB-AM and its studio programming.[45]

In an unrelated matter, ABS-CBN's broadcast licence was not renewed by its expiry date by Congress, and the company's television and radio stations were hence forced off the air by the National Telecommunications Commission on May 5, 2020, to much domestic controversy; the licence revocation is believed to involve the network's critical news coverage of President Duterte's administration, along with overall inaction from the Congress of the Philippines to renew their broadcast licence since the matter came up in 2016.[46][47] Although the reason for the closure is not directly due to COVID-19, some figures have expressed concern about its impact on public efforts to contain the pandemic. In a statement, ABS-CBN management said that "Millions of Filipinos will lose their source of news and entertainment when ABS-CBN is ordered to go off-air on TV and radio tonight (5 May 2020) when people need crucial and timely information as the nation deals with the COVID-19 pandemic".[48]

Furthermore, Albay Representative Joey Salceda warned that the network's shutdown could add up to 2,600 COVID-19 cases, as many viewers would lose a vital source of information on how to keep themselves safe during the pandemic.[49] Vice President Leni Robredo (who does not share Duterte's party affiliation) questioned the move as she believes the network's operations have helped in efforts to contain COVID-19 more than the country's offshore gaming operations, and added that the shutdown could "cost lives on top of the thousands who will lose their jobs".[50] The company's premium network ABS-CBN News Channel is unaffected as a cable-only network, continuing to provide full news updates, along with ABS-CBN's social media accounts and YouTube channels, and its international networks, including The Filipino Channel. On May 8, 2020, the newscast of the network's flagship news programme, TV Patrol began to broadcast on ABS-CBN TV Plus channels TeleRadyo and Cine Mo!.[51]

Pantawid ng Pag-ibig: At Home Together Concert was a benefit concert, broadcast on March 22.[52][53]

On February 7, the government announced that the framework scheme Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) was raised to Orange,[54] while Suria held a live concert special celebrating the channel's 20th Anniversary, which was the last live program to have a live audience,[55] among which President of Singapore Halimah Yacob was ushered as guest-of-honor.[56] The last three episodes of the 26th season of another live-broadcast Channel 8 game show, The Sheng Siong Show (with the first episode airing a day after on the 8th), began suspending their studio audience, though contestants are still invited on-stage for studio segments including the Thousandfold Cash Reward; previously live-broadcast programs airing at the time such as Te:Ra Seh 4.0 and Sinar Lebaran 2020, also followed suit and continued production without live audience.[57]

After Singapore enforced its lockdown restrictions (dubbed "Circuit Breaker") from April 7 to June 1, Suria and Vasantham both began their broadcasts earlier at 9am starting April 8, and new local shows featuring celebrities premiered on morning and afternoon timeslots on April 9.[58][59] However, some reruns on the afternoon were pre-empt on certain days to broadcast update messages delivered by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. On April 12, Channel 5 brought the airing for the 2019 film Spider-Man: Far From Home earlier as opposed to a 2-3 year average gap as other films recently aired.[60] Prior to the period, medical-themed dramas Big White Duel and My Guardian Angels were premiered as 7.30pm and 9pm dramas on Channel 8 respectively to raise awareness. Another medical-theme drama, You Can Be an Angel 3 began reruns from May 29 at 5.30pm, after the finales of My Guardian Angels and Big White Duel on May 15 and 26, respectively.

Many other Singaporean shows have also postponed production or delayed broadcast to a later date, such as the monthly crime documentary television series CrimeWatch, annual Star Awards ceremony (initially on April 26)[61] and the 27th season of The Sheng Siong Show (postponed from May 9 to June 6).[62] Since the suspension of production of local dramas, Channel 8 had began airing international dramas in replacement on local drama series on the 7.30pm and 9pm, starting with Heart and Greed and Sky Castle, as well as the Mandarin dubbing drama Titoudao: Inspired by the True Story of a Wayang Star.

On April 25 at 7.55pm (SGT), all Mediacorp channels aired a short five-minute sing-along music video of celebrities and musicians singing a rendition of Kit Chan's "Home" as a tribute to commemorate the efforts of frontline and migrant workers during the outbreak.[63][64] On June 1 at 7.30pm (SGT), a second video short titled Stronger As One was broadcast on all Mediacorp channels, paying tribute to the current events and featured the sing-along segment of Stephanie Sun's "We Will Get There".[65]

Both pay televisions by StarHub and SingTel (and along with their respective apps StarHub GO and CAST) also announced free preview screening during the lockdown from March 20 to June 1,[66] and from April 1 to June 30,[67] respectively.[68] On June 2, after the lockdown was eased in Singapore, StarHub further extend the free preview until June 30.

Many shows continued as planned, however traveling or outside shows such as SBS' Running Man, KBS 2TV's 2 Days & 1 Night, and MBC's Real Man 300 were suspended. Many shows accepted fewer spectators, to allow for social distancing, such as KBS 2TV's Immortal Songs, You Hee-yeol's Sketchbook, and MBC's King of Mask Singer. Mnet's competition series such as Road to Kingdom (a sequel to Queendom) and Good Girl changed completely, using one set instead of two, and have no live shows. They also changed the process of voting on the shows, so only competitors may vote.

In music shows such as SBS MTV's The Show, MBC M's Show Champion, Mnet's M Countdown, KBS 2TV's Music Bank, MBC's Show! Music Core, and SBS's Inkigayo, there are also no spectators. Instead, they used pre-recorded screaming and clapping.

Rede Globo shifted their programming schedule by expanding their regular news programming and cutting entertainment programming.[69] This included the suspension of the filming of the network's telenovelas for the safety of cast and crew.[70] Because of this, the currently-running 9pm telenovela Amor de Mãe was replaced by the 2011 series Fina Estampa, the 7:30 pm current series Salve-se Quem Puder was replaced with the 2015 series Totalmente Demais and debut of the upcoming 6pm series Nos Tempos do Imperador was postponed, with the 2017 series Novo Mundo airing on its place.[71] Journalists for the network over the age of sixty were told to telework.[72]

In Mexico, as the health crisis expands, it seems that there will be inevitable changes to the broadcasting schedule. Unfortunately, as the health crisis has expanded in Spain and Brazil, it is difficult to broadcast overseas sports leagues, and it is expected that there will be some influence on the production of telenovelas. In addition, since the number of diagnostic tests of per population is relatively small, it is unlikely that there will be a small number of Mexican broadcasters among the suspected patient or potentially infected population, as it is difficult to say that the situation inside Mexico is better than other developing countries. However, it is believed that the minimum number of broadcasting personnel is contributing to the operation of broadcasting companies, as all broadcasting stations seek to slow dawn and minimize and spread infection.

As in other regions, the pandemic has forced the modification of television production in Canada, including programs being reformatted to not use studio audiences or be produced remotely,[73] and the suspension of filming for international scripted productions taking place in the country — such as Vancouver-based productions of The CW's Batwoman, The Flash, Riverdale, and Supernatural,[74][75][76] as well as Snowpiercer and See.[76] On March 24, 2020, production of the eighth season of Big Brother Canada ended, and a season finale aired on April 1 with no winner declared.[77]

Both the Juno Awards[78] and the Canadian Screen Awards,[79] which were scheduled to be televised in March, were cancelled. The Canadian Screen Awards ultimately announced their winners via livestreaming in the week of May 25 to 28,[80] while the Junos have not yet confirmed their plans. The 22nd Quebec Cinema Awards were also cancelled, with organizers announcing winners via livestreaming on June 10.[81]

Due to the suspension of the National Hockey League, CBC Television replaced its weekly Hockey Night in Canada broadcast with Movie Night in Canada, a double bill of Canadian films.[82] With virtually all live sports cancelled, TSN and Sportsnet both opted to rerun various past sports broadcasts, including the entire 2019 championship playoff run of the Toronto Raptors.[83] In addition to Movie Night in Canada, CBC Television also launched a number of other special short-run series during the pandemic, including What're You At? with Tom Power, a Sunday evening talk show which will see Tom Power remotely interview both celebrities and ordinary Canadians,[84] and Hot Docs at Home, a Thursday night series which will broadcast several feature documentary films which had been slated to premiere at the cancelled Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.[85]

To widen their availability, the CBC and Bell Media made their news channels, CBC News Network, CP24, CTV News Channel, and Ici RDI available as free previews on pay television providers, and freely available for streaming online without TV Everywhere authentication.[86][87] The CBC temporarily replaced its local evening newscasts with a simulcast from CBC News Network combining content from local and national journalists from across the country,[88] a decision that was criticized by the Premier of Prince Edward Island Dennis King, as CBC News: Compass is the province's only local daily television news program.[89] By the end of March, however, local news service began to be restored in most markets.[90]

The benefit event Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble aired across most major Canadian broadcasters on April 26; with around 11.5 million viewers, it was the most-watched non-sports telecast in Canadian history.[91] On May 22, CTV aired the special Unskinable Youth, hosted by Silken Laumann and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in partnership with Kids Help Phone to promote awareness of youth mental health in the wake of the pandemic.[92] and WE Celebrate: Class of 2020 on June 6, hosted by Lilly Singh.[93]

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the most impactful event to U.S. television production since the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike,[94] which disrupted nearly all scripted television production.[95] The majority of television entertainment programs have suspended production due to the pandemic.[96] Broadcasters have been dependent on their remaining inventory of completed programs that have not yet aired, and the remaining completed episodes of series whose production was interrupted.[95] Due to factors such as the need to ration series that have already completed production, some programs have faced scheduling changes (such as replacing double-runs of new episodes with single episodes), delays of their scheduled premieres, or dividing seasons of programs with natural hiatuses (with the remaining episodes airing at a later date once production resumes).[97][98][99]

The major broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, have begun to develop contingency plans in case of extended disruptions (especially if they were to impact fall series for the 2020–21 television season), including the possibility of filling schedules with series from co-owned cable networks and streaming services, or importing programs new to American audiences from other countries such as Canada (with NBC having acquired U.S. rights to the Canadian medical drama Transplant for a future airing).[95][100] The CW announced that all of its flagship scripted series would be held over until at least January 2021, and scheduled a lineup of acquired imports, premieres of series from its co-owners' streaming services, and non-scripted programs for its fall lineup.[101] Fox delayed some of its summer series to fall premieres, alongside a tentative fourth season premiere of The Masked Singer, Sunday-night animated programming, and existing sports and sports entertainment programming.[102][103]

Talk shows, including daytime and late-night shows, have largely remained on-air, but with hosts, panelists, and other participants conducting them via their homes to satisfy remote work.[104][105] Other new forms of programming themed around the pandemic have emerged, including "living room" concert specials (such as One World: Together at Home, a multi-network simulcast),[106][107] and esports events as alternatives to cancelled professional sports.[108]

On 22 May, Georgia became the first U.S. state to release guidelines on the conduction of film and television production while adhering to social distancing and other protocols, benefitting the uptick in film and television production.[109]

On 18 March 2020, the EBU announced that the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest would be cancelled; it was scheduled to take place in Rotterdam on 12, 14 and 16 May. Rotterdam will remain host of the 2021 contest on 18, 20, and 22 May 2021, and countries will be required to submit new entries; some countries announced plans to retain their existing musicians with new songs for 2021.[110] The EBU announced that it would air a new non-competitive special on 16 May, Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light, featuring the artists that were to have participated.[111]

Since the public health crisis due to Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in France, there were cases where production process were delayed or suspended and shifted into less-crowded production without any other choices. Some shows suspended the production from abroad, because of worldwide outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019.[112]

As the public health crisis expanded significantly in Germany, there were cases where scheduled broadcasts were postponed or suspended and proceeded without the audience.[113][114][115][116]

Dutch reality series Wie is de Mol?, which films its finale episode in front of a crowd in Vondelpark, decided to film without an audience for its twentieth season.[117] Starting on March 15, satirical television programme Zondag met Lubach began filming without an audience.[118] Production of the daily soap Goede tijden, slechte tijden suspended with the show's channel deciding to broadcast four episodes per week from March 23 instead of five.[119]

Since the second week of March all programs are filmed without audiences.[120] The 11th season of music competition show Operación Triunfo went on hiatus as a precautionary measure over the ongoing pandemic.[121] Comedy programs Late Motiv, El intermedio and El Hormiguero have decided to make low cost programs involving fewer people and with heavy use of videoconferences to avoid contagions.[122]

Also, TV game shows like the Spanish adaptation of The Chase (El Cazador) were suspended or are using archived episodes like Saber y ganar, Ahora caigo, ¡Boom! and La ruleta de la suerte.

As well, TV series are suspended and/or in hiatus, like the recordings of the final season of La que se avecina or the 2nd season of Señoras del (h)ampa. Veneno, biographical series about the life and death of Cristina Ortiz, La Veneno, will only premiere in Atresplayer Premium with 1 of the 8 episodes on 29 March 2020, leaving the rest of episodes unaired until further notice.[123]

The BBC postponed filming for a celebrity version of Race Across the World that was set to start filming in April.[124] The following week, the organisation suspended production of Peaky Blinders and Line of Duty.[125] Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway cancelled a finale taping set at Walt Disney World following the park's closure.[126] On 15 March, filming for the second season of the Netflix series The Witcher in the United Kingdom was suspended for two weeks.[127] Starting on the week of 16 March, Jeremy Vine, Loose Women, and QI filmed without studio audiences.[128] On 18 March, the BBC suspended production of its medical dramas and soap operas including EastEnders, Casualty, Doctors, and Holby City.[129]

The BBC announced that it would devote resources to providing educational programmes as a supplement to cancelled classes beginning 20 April, including 14 weeks of "core subject learning". This includes Bitesize Daily (daily 20-minute programmes on the iPlayer for six age groups), a weekday strand on BBC Four catered towards GCSE and A-levels, and other digital content via BBC Sounds and Red Button.[130][131]

On 23 April, the BBC held a charity appeal titled The Big Night In, in collaboration between its affiliated charity Children in Need and Comic Relief.[132] Chef Jamie Oliver produced a new programme, Keep Cooking and Carry On, for Channel 4,[133][134] and Charlie Brooker produced a one-off BBC Two special, Charlie Brooker's Antiviral Wipe, to satirize the impact of the pandemic and the British government response.[135]

Due to the covid-19 pandemic, most of televising productions came to a halt in Bangladesh. The state television re-aired old shows e.g. Songsoptok,Ei Shob Din Ratri , Bohubrihi, Kothao Keu Nei.[136] Old episodes of Ityadi were also re-aired.

According to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, filming, post-production work, and movie theaters may begin to reopen in phases beginning in June.[137]

Ahlan Simsim: Friends Time is a program that will be broadcast across the Middle East and North Africa, featuring characters from the Sesame Street co-production having a playdate over a video call service.[138]

Following a campaign started by the cast and crew members of various TV series, many networks temporarily suspended the production of their TV shows and programs until further notice.[139] A few number of TV series, however, still continue to be produced.[140]

A lot of telenovelas announced an indefinate filming break, causing many shows which were planning to shoot to cancel production as television programs faced a sudden reshedcule. As South Africa began to ease restrictions starting on May 1, telenovelas and the TV industry as a whole were allowed to flim, but only following social distancing rules.

On March 18, 2020; Funimation announced that their same-day English dubbing and broadcast of domestic Japanese anime would be delayed for the remainder of the Winter season as well as upcoming seasons, but they stated that simulcasts in English subtitles will continue as scheduled. Later on April 11, 2020; Funimation announced that their same-day dubs slowly resumed production on a work-from-ome basis.[205][206] On March 27, 2020, Crunchyroll announced that they would also delay English dubbing of their licensed anime series as a result of the pandemic.[207] On April 2, 2020, Sentai Filmworks' HIDIVE announced that they will also be delaying dubbed titles until further notice.[208] In early April 2020, many anime series were revealed to be postponed from their intended broadcast dates due to Japan declaring a state of emergency on April 6, 2020 because of the increase of cases in the nation.[209] On April 19, 2020, TV Tokyo, MediaNet & ShoPro announced that the Pokémon anime series will be going on hiatus, with production on the TV anime series suspended, and in its place it will rerun the old episodes on all networks and on TV Tokyo starting April 26, 2020 due to the complicated COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. It has not been stated when new episodes will air, but the staff said that they will make an announcement once they receive information on a return date.[30] On April 20, 2020, Toei Animation announced that their shows: One Piece, PreCure, and Digimon, were also suspended.[31]