Studio Audiences To Come Back To 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show'
The global coronavirus pandemic is far from being over. Still, it seems like the entertainment industry is determined to find a way to continue with health and safety measures in place to adapt to the new normal. For instance, The Ellen DeGeneres Show has announced it will bring back studio audiences.
Variety reports that the talk show will feature 70 virtual attendees and have 40 audience members present in the studio. Obviously, health and safety protocols will be enforced on the show to avoid becoming a coronavirus hotspot.
The publication also notes that live audience members will also be part of several future The Ellen DeGeneres Show episodes, such as the upcoming Halloween show and the annual 12 Days of Giveaways.
According to ET Canada, upcoming episodes of The Ellen DeGeneres Show will also be focusing on showing gratitude to COVID-19 first responders and community leaders who have been battling the pandemic.
Guests that will be featured in upcoming episodes include Vince Vaughn, Melissa McCarthy, Usher, Khloe Kardashian, Goldie Hawn, and Kurt Russell, Magic Johnson, and Jimmy Kimmel.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show joins the growing number of television productions that find ways to operate without violating health and safety measures put in place by health officials to stem the spread of COVID-19.
For instance, Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest returned to the studio last September to film episodes of the popular talk show Live with Kelly and Ryan, albeit without a live studio audience.
When the global coronavirus pandemic forced lockdowns all across the United States back in March, Ripa and Seacrest had to broadcast remotely from their homes, which Ripa enjoyed as it allowed her to dress much more casually.
Live with Kelly and Ryan has also shown that it takes its health and safety protocols seriously, as Seacrest was recently prevented from shooting in the studio after experiencing coughing. Ripa’s co-host had to wait until he tested negative for the coronavirus, as mandated by the show’s protocols.
The Wendy Williams Show and NBC’s Today, has also returned to the studio over the past few weeks, with health and safety protocols in place.
Whether these television shows will revert to pre-pandemic arrangements depends on any developments that happen to the global coronavirus pandemic. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Oct. 27 update pegs the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases at 8,680,611 people. The number of people that have died from COVID-19 in the United States is now at 225,084 people.