The Filming of 'Mr. Mayor' Had to Be Shut Down at Least Twice in 2020
Published Jan. 14 2021, 2:30 p.m. ET
Tina Fey and Robert Carlock's latest sitcom, Mr. Mayor, charts the meteoric rise and speedy downfall of Neil Bremer (Ted Danson), a businessman-turned-politician who becomes the Mayor of Los Angeles partly to prove to his daughter that he isn't all that uncool. NBC gave a straight-to-series order for Season 1 in July 2019. But when was Mr. Mayor filmed?
The filming of 'Mr. Mayor' was suspended in March 2020 — only to resume later that year.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic posed serious complications for the ambitious sitcom. Production was temporarily suspended in the spring of 2020, alongside shows like Chicago Fire, New Amsterdam, and many others.
Filming resumed later on. However, it was put to a temporary halt once again on Dec. 14, 2020, when four persons working in Zone A tested positive. Zone A includes the cast and the crew members working closely alongside them, as per Deadline.
On Dec. 15, 2020, one day after the initial announcement, it was revealed that the filming of Mr. Mayor would remain shut down until after the holiday period. According to the Los Angeles Times, the shutdown might be extended.
Work on the show has to be carried out in accord with the NBCUniversal Production Playbook, as per Deadline. It's understood that regular testing and social distancing rules make up just one part of the regulations in the book.
A first look at the series aired as part of 30 Rock: A One-Time Special, which aired on Peacock on July 16, 2020. Mr. Mayor premiered on NBC on Jan. 7, 2021.
So, what's there to know about the cast of 'Mr. Mayor'?
The Good Place alum Ted Danson plays Neil, the main character whose arguably heedless attitude stands in sharp contradiction with that of his deputy, a die-hard leftie named Arpi Meskimen (Holly Hunter).
Neil's impossible-to-satisfy daughter, Orly, is played by The Walking Dead actress Kyla Kenedy. Neil's aides, Mikaela Shaw, Tommy Tomás, and Jayden Kwapis are played by Vella Lovell, Mike Cabellon, and SNL alum Bobby Moynihan, respectively.
Before joining the cast of Mr. Mayor, Vella appeared on hit shows like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and critically acclaimed movies like The Big Sick. Mike's name is bound to ring a bell for TV show junkies and comedy fans alike. The actor and funnyman appeared in Orange Is the New Black, High Maintenance, and many others.
The first few episodes of Mr. Mayor received moderately high ratings. However, NBC has yet to issue a press release concerning the future of the show.
Catch new episodes of Mr. Mayor every Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
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