Netflix stops production on all shows and movies due to coronavirus

Here's the good news: You might finally be able to catch up on all those Netflix shows you never got a chance to watch.

Netflix has halted production on all its scripted TV shows and movies in the U.S. and Canada for at least two weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The streaming service confirmed the measure was being taken "due to government restrictions and health/safety precautions."

No other details were provided, but Netflix is joining a growing list of entertainment companies shutting down productions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The news comes on the heels of Warner Bros. announcing it was suspending production on more than 70 TV shows which are either completing episodes for the tail end of the current TV season or shooting pilots for consideration for the fall season. It would not be surprising to see other networks and studios quickly following suit.

Given the lag time between production and air, the shutdown of scripted programming could start impacting network schedules in about six weeks. Unscripted shows such as late-night talk shows are already disrupted and either filming without a studio audience or, like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, on hiatus altogether. Also, several tentpole films originally planned for spring (No Time to Die, Mulan, A Quiet Place Part II, F9) have had their release dates pushed back. Major sports leagues such as the NBA and MLB have also been suspended (see the full list of cancelations).

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