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NBC's Latest Attempt To Shoot A Sitcom Safely During A Pandemic
A screen grab from the Connecting pilot: (top row l-r) Otmara Marrero as Annie, Ely Henry as Rufus, Preacher Lawson as Ben; (bottom row l-r) Parvesh Cheena as Darius, Jill Knox as Michelle, Keith Powell as Garrett, Shakina Nayfack as Ellis. (Courtesy NBC)
A variety of shows are heading back into production with COVID-19 protocols in place, but none of the others are quite like NBC's Connecting... The new sitcom shot remotely, with the actors serving as their own crew.
While the studio provided them with lights and other high-tech equipment to make it look as good as possible, it's an approach that provides one of the most obviously safer versions of making a show during the COVID-19 pandemic. It's a show that embraces the reality of many as they quarantine, exploring issues such as quarantine bubbles, the uptick in food delivery apps — and the Black Lives Matter protests that began this spring.
We spoke with Keith Powell and Jill Knox, a real-life married couple playing a fictional married couple, about what it was like being their own crew. They're the only two who get to interact with each other regularly in person, but everyone managed to work remotely to create a show largely shot in their own homes.
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