Amid the outbreak of COVID-19, hundreds of television programs have suspended production in order to combat the spread of the disease.
With thousands of students bunkered down in their homes, glued to television and computer screens, it may seem to some that there will be nothing to watch for the foreseeable future.
According to The Los Angeles Times, shows like “America’s Got Talent” will end the production of their fifteenth season early, “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!” will suspend tapings in front of live audiences and “Family Feud” will suspend filming entirely as the outbreak continues to spread worldwide.
However, the pandemic is not the end of the world for many Seton Hall students as some have taken the opportunity to explore the endless pit of media and entertainment that is already out there.
“I think that is impossible,” Ndzalama Baloyi, a sophomore finance and accounting major, said. “I like to think there is never anything to watch, but this has forced me to look at other genres and older television shows and movies for entertainment.”
While there may be an endless pit of reruns airing on cable television soon, streaming services like Netflix only offer a limited amount of television shows and movies. However, one student said in today’s world, it is impossible for people to run out of things to watch.
“Netflix exists, Hulu exists, you can stream and download basically every television show or movie on demand … this is not a world in need of content, during this quarantine, nobody is going to run out of media,” Ben Harris, a sophomore journalism major, said.
“I’ve been catching up on schoolwork and watching movies and television … I’ve just been finding random ways to entertain myself,” Harris said.
Haley Zemek, a sophomore theater and visual sound media double major said, “My dad bought my family a Nintendo Switch as a quarantine gift, so we’ve been playing a lot of that, and also catching up on Netflix shows and watching Marvel movies.”
“I think the most important thing to do right now is be cautious,” Baloyi said. “Some people might say we’re overreacting, but our overreaction allows us to be better prepared for everything that is happening and will happen.”
Zemek said, “We’re supposed to be social distancing and self-quarantining to stop the spread. I think the entertainment industry stopping production of everything is the best thing to do.”
It is unknown as to how long the COVID-19 outbreak will last. At a recent press conference, President Donald Trump said it could be July or August before the pandemic dwindles down.
“It depends on how long it takes for the coronavirus to die out,” Baloyi said. “From what I’ve been hearing, it could be until July, but I expect it to be September or October until these shows come back.”
Harris said, “Definitely for the next two weeks, but I do not see a foreseeable end to this, which is scary to think about.”
Jorie Mickens can be reached at jorie.mickens@student.shu.edu.
