Television stars will have to do their own makeup, and cast and crew may have to bring their own cups and plates to sets, in new coronavirus safety rules agreed by UK broadcasters to get the cameras rolling again on some of the country’s favourite TV shows.
The guidelines have been agreed by the UK’s biggest broadcasters, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky and news broadcaster ITN, as well as Pact, which represents the hundreds UK independent producers.
Popular programmes such as Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Top Gear plan to resume filming in the coming weeks, as stocks of episodes start to run out despite rationing them since the lockdown in March.
The 15-page document includes guidance such as enabling on-screen talent to do their own makeup, or by remote instruction, and “limit or curtail” any on-set touch-ups.
Stars accustomed to be being driven to locations and sets may now have to do it themselves, with travel guidance stating that “single occupancy vehicles” should be used where possible.
For filming on location, “outdoor filming” is preferable, although ideally not in a public space. When filming does take place indoors, producers should aim for a “large open space with good ventilation” and should “avoid small rooms where possible”. Sets should also use green screens to support a reduction in the number of people on a production.
The guidance says lunch breaks should be staggered and crockery, eating utensils and cups could be brought in from home by cast and crew, so they don’t have to be cleaned and cleared by others. “The owner would be responsible for cleaning and ensuring they were identifiable.” Another option is to provide disposable alternatives.
Personal protective equipment “should only be required when filming in higher risk settings such as hospitals. It should be noted that the current Public Health England guidance is that the UK does not currently advise use of face masks outside of care settings.”
The guidance is not explicit about the question of older actors on sets. It has been suggested that older actors, those more at risk of serious illness if they contract the coronavirus, may have scaled-back roles, at least initially.
Kevin Lygo, ITV’s director of television, said last month that older characters such as Coronation Street’s Ken Barlow, played by 88-year-old William Roache, could be sidelined for a while after lockdown. The character recently moved into a luxury retirement complex.
“Our production teams are now working hard to bring many more much-loved shows back for viewers,” said Carolyn McCall, the chief executive of ITV. “This requires really innovative thinking, but above all, the safety and wellbeing of all those who work on the programmes is paramount.”
Maureen Lipman, who plays Evelyn Plummer on Coronation Street, said producers had told her that the number of older cast members would not be reduced.
“I had a word with the producer last week online and I said: ‘Don’t ditch the oldies because the oldies is what Corrie is all about,’” the 74-year-old said in an interview on the Jewish News podcast. “They said: ‘Oh no we’ve no intention of doing that.’ I think they’re planning to start again in June but I don’t know when they’ll bring the oldies back.”
She added that there would be noticeable changes to the show.
“There will be less storylines, a concentration on a narrow panel of actors, so you’ll see less people each week and I think there’ll be less episodes each week,” she said.
The head of the Bectu union, which has members working on Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Eastenders, warned that care needed to be taken to balance the return of shows to TV with the wellbeing of crew working under new, pressurised conditions.
“As working patterns change and adapt broadcasters and indies must be mindful of the potential of longer working hours and additional mental pressure on the people involved in the production,” said Philippa Childs. “Which we highlighted in the discussions for these guidelines.”
The production of major films and TV shows has been shut down since mid-March, when the Guardian revealed that Line of Duty and Peaky Blinders, two of the most popular shows on British television, were the first UK shows to suspend filming.
