No kissing, no hugging, no fighting: Australian TV soap 'Neighbours' resumes filming
In a month-long break, producers re-worked scripts and storylines to ensure actors were able to stay apart.
By Reuters | Updated:
Agencies
Cast members of 'Neighbours' adhere to strict social distancing rules imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Australian soap opera "Neighbours" is filming again, but don't expect any kisses, hugs or punch-ups in the new episodes as cast members adhere to strict social distancing rules imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
The pandemic has hugely disrupted the entertainment industry worldwide and many popular television shows have had to suspend production.
The cast and crew of "Neighbours" had a month-long break while producers re-worked scripts and storylines to ensure actors were able to stay apart, in line with Australian government guidelines on social distancing.
"This is an unprecedented situation, there is no rulebook for it," said Jason Herbison, executive producer of the series, now in its 35th year, about the residents of a fictional suburb in the Australian city of Melbourne.
"So what we really had to do was just stop, listen to the government advice and look at the way we film the show. And in consultation with our cast and crew, really formulate a plan where we felt we could all return to work safely," he said in an interview via Skype.
This included reducing the number of characters in specific scenes. Sometimes they filmed them in "smaller components" before stitching scenes together in the editing room.
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Quarantine And Chill: From ‘Money Heist’ to ‘Parasite’, Shows & Films You Can Watch During Lockdown
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The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the world to a screeching halt. With a large chunk of the global population locked up indoors, a considerable number of people are turning to OTT platforms and streaming their favourite content to make the most of their quarantine.
We have prepared a comprehensive list of all the shows and films (both on OTT platforms and television) that you can watch during the lockdown to keep yourself entertained.
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As viewers re-lived some of their favourite moments from the epic saga like Sitaharan and the iconic moment when Lord Rama defeated Ravana, the TRPs of Doordarshan skyrocketed.
DD National said on April 16, 7.7 crore people across the globe watched the show, making 'Ramayan' the highest watched entertainment program globally.
The last episode of ‘Ramayan’ aired on Doordarshan on April 20. If you didn’t get a chance to catch up on ‘Ramayan’ fret not. DD is now airing ‘Uttar Ramayan’ from 9 am to 10 am and 9 pm to 10 pm every day, which is an official follow up to the original show and chronicles the journey of Luv Kush.
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Thanks to ‘Ramayan’ and ‘Mahabharat’, Doordarshan had become the most-watched Hindi entertainment channel in the lockdown period. Soon, it was announced that Pogo and Prasar Bharti had joined hands to air ‘Chotta Bheem’ on DD National.
One of the most popular kids series, which features Bheem and his friends in the fictional town of Dholakpur, airs on DD National every afternoon at 2 pm.
Needless to say, the show received a warm welcome from the audience, which consisted mainly of kids who enjoyed their favourite Bheem going on fun-filled adventures with his friends.
Thanks to ‘Ramayan’ and ‘Mahabharat’, Doordarshan had become the most-watched Hindi entertainment channel in the lockdown period. Soon, it was announced that Pogo and Prasar Bharti had joined hands t..
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The superhero television show had producer Mukesh Khanna playing the role of ‘Shaktimaan’, who acquired superhuman powers via meditation.
‘Shaktimaan’ airs on DD National on weekdays at 8 pm.
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No conversation about classic TV shows from the yesteryears is complete without talking about the iconic ‘Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai’. The show is about the Sarabhais, a family living in the posh area of Mumbai. The show is filled with witty dialogues, tongue-in-cheek humour and, of course, the constant bickering between Maya and Monisha over the latter’s ‘middle class’ ways.
Those who have seen the show can vouch for its fresh humour and that it was way ahead of its times. Watch it for Maya’s sass, Monisha’s retorts and more than anything, for Rosesh’s poems!
‘Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai’ airs on Star Bharat every day at 10 am.
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‘Khichdi’ and ‘Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai’ are two shows whose names are often taken in the same breath. ‘Khichdi’, like Sarabhai, reached cult status and got a massive fan following years after it finished airing. From Hansa’s comical translations from Hindi to English to Praful’s dim-witted demeanour, the show has fun characters, each with their own quirks.
Much like its contemporary ‘Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai’, ‘Khichdi’ is one show which is perceived to be ahead of its time in terms of humour and plot.
You can catch up on ‘Khichdi’ on Star Bharat every day at 11 am.
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‘Money Heist’, originally, ‘La Casa De Papel’, is a Spanish heist crime drama that premiered in 2017 and is currently streaming on Netflix. The show is about a mysterious man named ‘Professor’ who recruits a group of eight people to rob the Royal Mint of Spain. Each of these eight people have city names and their own character traits which make them interesting.
As the crew takes over the Royal Mint of Spain, they face a series of challenges from rebellion among the hostages to the tactics of the elite police force. They end up stealing 2.4 billion euros and return in the next season to rob the Bank of Spain.
‘Money Heist’ is streaming now on Netflix.
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‘Panchayat’ is one show that enjoyed massive success, thanks to the lockdown. Starring the talented Jitendra Kumar, veteran Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav in titular roles, the web series is the story of an engineer, Abhishek, who, due to the lack of a better job option, joins a remote panchayat office as the secretary.
‘Panchayat’ received critical acclaim and widespread recognition upon its release. While critics appreciated it for its simple yet layered narrative, the audience loved the show because of its humour.
You can watch ‘Panchayat’ on Amazon Prime Video.
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‘Too Hot To Handle’ became the #1 television program on Netflix in the week of April 20 and sparked a series of meme trends on social media platforms.
All episodes of the show are streaming now on Netflix.
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Starring Vir Das, Manoj Pahwa, Ranvir Shorey and Ravi Kishan, ‘Hasmukh’ is a dark comedy web television series which premiered on Netflix on April 17,2020. The story follows a small-town man who also happens to be a serial killer.
‘Hasmukh’ landed in controversy after the High Court sought Netflix response to a lawsuit alleging that the show maligns the image of lawyers. The suit alleged that episode 4 of the first season alleges lawyers to be thieves, scoundrels and goons.
All episodes of ‘Hasmukh’ are streaming now on Netflix.
Starring Vir Das, Manoj Pahwa, Ranvir Shorey and Ravi Kishan, ‘Hasmukh’ is a dark comedy web television series which premiered on Netflix on April 17,2020. The story follows a small-town man who also..
In intimate scenes, a character might "lean in for a kiss, and then the camera pans away and we hear a little bit of a giggle," Herbison said.
"It's just about re-imagining the scene differently, so you don't see that moment of impact."
Actors and film crews have temperature checks when they arrive on set, and a colour coding scheme helps ensure that if somebody contracts the virus or has symptoms, it will be easier to trace the people they may have come into contact with.
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Wherever possible, actors will apply their own make-up and do their own hair. Where that is not possible, make-up artists will comply with strict health and hygiene rules.
There will be no explicit references to the coronavirus in the series, Herbison said, especially given that it is all about neighbours interacting with one another. But viewers will see, for example, characters sanitising their hands in restaurants.
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"It'll be little things like that that show that perhaps the world has changed a little bit," he said.
