TOKYO (Reuters) – Fans of Japanese reality TV show “Terrace House” will have to find new ways to pass the time in self-isolation after staff said on its Twitter account https://twitter.com/TH6TV/status/1249635640418828289 that production of the latest season on Netflix was being halted due to the coronavirus outbreak.
“We are suspending the current production of Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020, giving the safety and health of cast and staff top priority,” they said.
The unscripted reality show featuring three men and three women living under the same roof has gained an international following since being streamed on Netflix from 2015.
The series originated on Japan’s Fuji TV in 2012 and is now co-produced by Fuji and Netflix.
The latest series is shot in a luxury house in Tokyo, which has become the focus of Japan’s coronavirus outbreak. Japan has declared a state of emergency for some regions including Tokyo, and the public are being encouraged to stay away from shared spaces.
The halt came as a blow to viewers who look to the cast for light relief from the real world.
“Oh, it was the only joy of my stay at home,” one fan said in reply to the show’s tweet about the suspension.
Others lamented but supported the decision.
“Nooo, But understandable,” one replied in English.
(Reporting by Ju-min Park and Mari Saito; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
