As I binge-watched the latest batch of Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020 episodes this weekend, I began to feel a little anxious. New members came and went, and October turned into December, with the installment culminating in January 2020, and I realized there was no way covid-19 wouldn’t affect my favorite reality TV housemates. As expected, producers announced on Monday that the show has suspended filming to protect the cast and staff.
The tweeted statement, as translated by Gizmodo consumer tech reporter Victoria Song, reads:
Regarding Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020, we’ve decided to stop shooting in order to prioritize the staff and cast’s health and safety. We apologize to everyone looking forward to new episodes, but after Episode 40 we will suspend broadcasts.
Once we have decided when to rebroadcast, we will let you know here. We are praying for the health and safety of our viewers, Look forward to seeing you all soon.
The third installment of Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020 ended with Episode 36, and it appears that the show has shot everything in the fourth installment up to episode 40. It’s unclear if this update means that Tokyo 2010-2020 is over for good or just suspended for now. Jezebel has reached out to Netflix for comment and will update this post when they respond.
In the past week, Japan has seen a dramatic spike in covid-19 cases, reporting more than 500 positive cases for the first time last Thursday, ABC News reports. The country is currently in a state of emergency, with prime minister Shinzo Abe urging people to “reduce their contact with others by 70 to 80 percent,” The Guardian reported.
There’s only one thing to do at this point, which is to make some horrible broccoli carbonara and pour one out for the starry-eyed Terrace House members.