Freshman drama series All Rise is going back into production but in a very unique way. CBS has decided to set an episode of the series set during the coronavirus pandemic, making it the first virtually produced episode to take on this task for a scripted series during this global health crisis.
The episode will focus on Judge Loa Carmichael (Simone Missick) conducting a virtual bench trial, with Emily (Jessica Camacho) representing the defendant and Mark (Wilson Bethel) prosecuting. The episode will use technology that has become big for all of us during quarantine time such as FaceTime, Zoom, WebEx and other social media and online technology to present the story. Executive producer Greg Spottiswood had this to say about the landmark episode:
“It’s a unique chance for our All Rise family to band together in our different homes, even cities, to tell a story about the resilience, justice and the power of community.”
The virtual footage will be shot in each of the actors’ homes, with producers using visual effects to create the necessary backgrounds. A cinematographer will be operating solo from a vehicle and will also film footage of the empty streets of Los Angeles as it operates under social-distancing rules, with nonessential businesses closed.
All Rise is the first scripted series to resume production since productions were shut down in March due to COVID-19. Many daytime and late-night talks shows have been doing their shows remotely for a few weeks and they actually have made it work, giving viewers at home a bit of levity during these trying times. If the All Rise experiment works, it will be interesting to see if other shows will follow suit and give this a try.
