Two year’s into living with the Covid Pandemic, it is no secret that the disease and its consequences have become a major part of our lives. When it comes to TV shows set in the modern-day, you don’t expect major advancements to be left out of the plot. For example, you wouldn’t have expected produces to just exclude cellphones from their shows once everyone had them. In the same way, you wouldn’t expect skyline views of New York City to include the Twin Towers after 9/11. However, given Covid has become such a thorn in almost everyone’s side for one reason or another, this aspect of society is not something I predict people will not want to be included in their entertainment.
People watch TV to escape reality. They want to turn on the television and become engulfed in a world that is different than their own. This doesn’t mean everything needs to be a fantasy, but when you choose a show you want to become invested in someone else’s life, and sometimes problems. Even if you enjoy watching a character who you can relate to, or situations that help you process your own, the Covid pandemic is far from a bad breakup. Many people have experienced a lot of trouble with the idea that Covid has altered our everyday lives in a major way, the world and the way it operates have been drastically changed since March of 2020.
This being said, Covid is not something people are going to turn the TV on and want to be reminded of. It’s all around us: masks, vaccines, and testing. Worrying that Covid could keep you out of work, ruin travel plans, and even fatally affect loved ones. The list of experiences that are universally shared in the same way that Covid is, is quite short. No one wants to watch a show that constantly reminds them of the impending doom of climate change either. Therefore, although it seems inevitable that the day masks become an aspect of costume design, it would be in television producers’ best interest to leave Covid out of their storylines.
