ITV’s Catchphrase Resuming Production

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Catchphrase will become ITV’s first entertainment show to begin filming again after the production shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The iconic game show will start filming the week of July 6, without a studio audience. STV Productions is working on ten episodes, which will be broadcast on ITV and STV during the fall.

Protocols have been implemented to ensure the safety of contributors and crew and make filming possible. These include online health declaration forms; physical changes to the set, galleries and makeup rooms; the creation of working ‘bubble’ groups; staggered start times and changes to the catering service. Crew will maintain safe social distancing and contributors and crew will all have their temperatures checked on a daily basis throughout the filming period. Cleaning and sanitization of studios and filming areas will happen on a daily basis and equipment will be assigned to individual crew members.

Host Stephen Mulhern said: “We were always due to start filming now so it’s great that we are in a position that we can do so. It feels so good to be back in the studio and it’s taken a huge amount of work from the crew and all at STV Productions who make the show and ITV who broadcast it to get us back up and running safely. We can’t wait to start.”

ITV’s head of entertainment commissioning, Katie Rawcliffe, said: “Catchphrase is the first of ITV’s big entertainment shows to go back into the studio. All the teams have worked incredibly hard to get us back filming and the production team have protocols in place in line with government guidelines to make sure that we are doing this in as safe a way as possible for the crew, contributors and everyone involved. We can’t wait to get going and Stephen is the perfect host to kick off entertainment post lockdown.”

STV Production’s creative director of entertainment, Gary Chippington, said, “The wellbeing of our people and contributors is our priority and the production team have been working tirelessly to make sure we’re all working in a safe environment. A number of measures have been put in place and social distancing will be adhered to—but be in no doubt, the fun and antics that viewers expect from each and every episode of Catchphrase will very much be central to the mix. We’re thrilled to be going back into the studio.”