Multiple New York-based late-night shows are going dark in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
According to The New York Times, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers are all opting to suspend production for the duration of the month. March 30 is the earliest projected date the shows could return.
The NBC and CBS late-night shows are popular daily American television series.
Following the networks’ announcements, Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” turned heads when he celebrated on-camera without a nearly empty audience late Thursday.
Well Stephen Colbert’s opening was interesting pic.twitter.com/evkGmbhYRp
— Alexis Benveniste (@apbenven) March 13, 2020
He also announced late Thursday that the show would be temporarily halting production as a safety precaution due to the coronavirus.
“We have a new show tonight [with] no audience, but we canceled next week’s shows before our scheduled break,” Colbert tweeted. “I wish I could stay on stage to share this uncertain moment [with] you, but I don’t do this show alone, and I have to do what’s best for my staff. Hope to be back soon.”
Hi Folks. We have a new show tonight w no audience, but we cancelled next week’s shows before our scheduled break. I wish I could stay on stage to share this uncertain moment w you, but I don’t do this show alone, and I have to do what’s best for my staff. Hope to be back soon.
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) March 13, 2020
Fallon also took to Twitter with a message announcing the suspension of production for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
An important message for our fans. #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/mI8Hz7Mx26
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) March 13, 2020
The late-night show suspensions follow a growing list of organizations and events opting to halt production amid concerns about spreading the coronavirus.
Initially, the New York-based late-night shows —which include “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” on TBS, and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” on HBO —announced they would continue to record without live studio audiences.
The decision came after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a ban restricting all gatherings of 500 people or more. Cuomo noted that he is trying to limit exposure by decreasing “density” where a large number of people are gathered in close proximity.
“You are going to see the same trajectory that you saw in China, South Korea and Italy,” Cuomo said on Thursday. “So, we’re going to take very dramatic actions in that regard to reduce the number of people in a contagious environment.”
