Shameless production in ‘full panic mode’ with ‘COVID-19 outbreak’ following 18 false-positive tests

Production on Shameless reportedly had the scare of a lifetime amid a potential massive COVID-19 outbreak.  

The set ‘went into full panic mode’ after 18 COVID-19 tests were returned positive, according to TMZ.

Sources told the publication that all was not what it seemed as there was a ‘screw-up’ at the lab and tests were ‘not positive at all.’ 

It was unclear if the 18 false-positives were due to a faulty testing method or an error in processing the tests.

Sources also revealed that the ‘outbreak’ was reported last week and could have potentially involved a scene where 200 extras were on hand.

The Showtime production had been filming ‘on location across various parts of L.A. as well as on the Warner Bros. lot.’ 

Los Angeles County requires film and television productions to practice various safety measures while filming, including hand washing stations, ample sanitizer availability and wearing face masks whenever possible. 

The 11th and final season of Shameless was supposed to begin filming in March, but the coronavirus closed down the industry and pushed back dates.

Executive producer John Wells admitted that scripts were ready to go, but writing continued during the lockdown via Zoom and ‘all of the scripts’ were rewritten in order to ‘stay topical.’ 

‘Those living barely above the poverty line or below the poverty line have been the most impacted by the pandemic, and we just felt it was something that we really had to do — to show the impact it’s having on our characters,’ he told Variety. ‘It would have felt criminal not to.’ 

Through its impressive run, the Gallagher family has dealt with a wide array of relatable problems to the general public, including poverty, addiction and now a global pandemic.

‘A lot of these issues we’ve dealt with throughout throughout the series, but it really has come to the come to the fore now, and Carl has to decide who he wants to be as a police officer,’ he said of Ethan Cutkosky’s character. 

‘There’s an individual choice that police officers have to make about who they want to be and how they want to interact with the community and how they want to apply the law and their behavior in the community. That’s what he’s wrestling with throughout the season.’