The Chase Australia

Is there room? I’d assume their TV studios would be a shoe closet at best

That green screen might finally pay off for 7.

I wonder if in this situation the word you were looking for is ‘consideration’.

I think 7s primary goal would be keeping Larry in Sydney for The Morning Show. It’s also obviously where Larry lives. With no studio audience and social distancing fairly easy on this show there’s no reason why it can’t stay in Sydney.

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But how do you justify contestants being able to appear on it when Sydney is in lockdown? Technically they shouldn’t really be filming as they film multiple episodes a day with multiple contestants.

We saw this with Hotseat when they went to QLD

You could say the same for any other show still filming in Sydney. Or any other place of business still opening.

I’d suggest you are more likely to catch Covid at Woolworths than you are on the set of The Chase.

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The only other one I can think of that’s filming is H&A and Big Brother which is being filmed in a bubble so they are isolated.

Larry won’t be because he’s in Martin Place and then interacting with contestants for The Chase, can’t really do a bubble situation for that.

And to be honest they way Sydney is at the moment you could catch it in either setting IMO. It’s all about mitigating risk not “where can I catch it more”.

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should be doing it.

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So The Chase set is a controlled environment, unlike Woolworths. You can choose who your contestants are.

You can make it mandatory that your contestants are double vaxxed and subject to a Covid test before filming etc. Temperature checks or even LFD test on arrival

The sooner the industry adapts to living with covid in Sydney the sooner it can get back on its feet.

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Not offered in Australia.

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The pool of fully vaccinated people will be limited, due to the current push for people to have their first Jab. As well as the fact that instant testing is not available in Australia for commercial businesses.

Sure it’s a controlled environment, and I agree what you’re saying here, but the Sydney outbreak is only getting worse. The idea of lockdowns is to limit movement. Having 50 people come through to be contestants on The Chase in the middle of it isn’t wise and not essential. You are essentially doing the opposite.

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Lateral flow tests and rapid antigen tests are approved for use in Australia and if you are wanting to mitigate risks on the set of your tv show, could and should be used.

Per the Victorian Government Department of Health:

At present, the department advises against use of rapid antigen tests to diagnose acute SARS-CoV2 infection in symptomatic persons outside of a research framework, or unless specifically advised by
the department.

This is consistent with the joint statement by the Public Health Laboratory Network and the
Communicable Diseases Network of Australia (see
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/phln-and-cdna-joint-statement-on-sars-cov-2-rapidantigen-tests).

Evaluation data on rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 are limited, and verification is required before use.
The department recommends that health services, residential aged care facilities and other community
services do not purchase these tests if approached by suppliers without consultation with the
department.

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So greater Sydney has roughly 20% double vaccination rate. That number will continue to grow. So 20% of your otherwise eligible contestants would be able to participate - I’d suggest that would be enough to keep you going.

You’d need to deep clean between each show so you would be filming with reduced capacity anyway.

Your alternative is moving the production to another state, realistically only Melbourne or Brisbane. Both cities lockdown every other week and have lower vaccination rates. If you want to future proof your production, do it in Sydney.

The only really “essential” television productions in this city are local news bulletins.

Everything else (including The Chase Australia) will likely have to be temporarily moved out of Sydney soon - perhaps even the national news bulletins, breakfast and current affairs programs.

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You have said move production to Sydney…. It’s filmed in Sydney?

20% isn’t very high to be honest and not all people come from greater Sydney who are on the show…

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Yes but if you are asking a double vaccinated contestant to take a rapid antigen test for the purposes of mitigating risk, there’s no law against using those tests. A rapid antigen test is more reliable than a temperature check.

Sure you don’t want your local aged care facility relying on these tests. But on the set of the chase it would be advisable.

Clearly I meant Melbourne, not Sydney.

It’s 20% and growing - and the target is to reach 70% in the coming months. Sydney will be first out of this in terms of vaccinations.

Also you cannot with any ounce of certainty guarantee that if you move production to Melbourne or Brisbane that they won’t be in lockdown when you intend to start filming.

It’s advised against by the state governments? It also isn’t an option as of July 2021? The merits of the testing is irrelevant when it’s not available in the first place.

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It says verification is required before use.

They are not setting up a rapid testing centre, they’d be using it in addition to other checks in place to be able to film in a covid safe way.

This is the way of the future guys.

Get on board or keep the industry out of work - the choice is pretty clear.

How many episodes have been filmed now with Larry Emdur?

Perhaps they have filmed enough episodes to go until the end of November (or whenever the ratings season finishes up)?? If not, then the usual “Repeats Friday” will start appearing soon to prolong this season.

I’m not against it but it’s just not what is currently approved or recommended. If this was the case hospitality and events would be using this and then exempt from lockdowns/restrictions. They are pushing for it but government doesn’t agree or allow it.

I’m not at all wanting the industry to not survive. You’ve gone and made an assumption getting your heals up again about us discussing Seven like we are personally attacking you.
I honestly don’t get why you turn everything into a battle of argument. You are dismissing others points of view.

My point is at the current moment in time, not a few months away, currently, I don’t think it’s a good idea or suitable to be filming The Chase in Sydney.

If they could create a bubble for Larry and the crew, sure but with him going through Martin place which isn’t just Seven in the building, it’s not the appropriate thing to do.

Regardless of lockdowns. I think you’re better off getting some in the can by filming it in another state, than risking further spread of infection within Sydney at present. It’s a better and safer option.

I’m not saying never, just not right now.

My point of view… again.

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In Victoria, even during Stage 4 lockdown television production still occurred, Neighbours and MasterChef led the world in re-starting production under covid-safe protocols. If The Chase or any other production is not able to continue under approved covid-safe protocols then it may have to go on hold. It is not an essential service. Relocation is not necessarily an option, either, as Victoria has designated the whole of NSW as an extreme risk zone and requires a 14-day quarantine if (and it’s a big if) any personnel being relocated are approved for entry into Victoria, anyway.

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