HBO has suspended production on two of its biggest shows, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the entertainment industry.
The cable giant said work on both Golden Globe-winning drama Succession and acclaimed comedy Barry had paused amid the outbreak.
However, HBO said writing on both shows may continue remotely.
A spokesman said: “We are looking forward to resuming preproduction when it is safe and healthy for everyone working on our shows to do so. Where possible, our writers are continuing to write remotely.”
Succession stars Scottish actor Brian Cox as media magnate Logan Roy, with Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck and Jeremy Strong playing his incompetent sons.
It is one of the most acclaimed and talked about dramas of recent years, and won 73-year-old Cox a Golden Globe in January. Work had been under way on a third season.
Similarly, dark comedy Barry has also helped fill a Game Of Thrones-sized hole for HBO.
It stars Bill Hader as an assassin trying to become an actor. The pausing of production on Succession and Barry is the latest instance of the pandemic’s catastrophic impact on TV.
The vast majority of work in both the UK and US has ground to a halt while some experts predict the final cost to the industry will run into the tens of billions of dollars.
