‘Neighbours’ could add coronavirus-related storylines to the show.
The writers of the Australian soap have been playing with the idea of incorporating the pandemic into its plots – although actor Alan Fletcher has admitted it’ll be a significant challenge.
The 63-year-old star – who plays Karl Kennedy on the show – told Sky News: "[It’s] very difficult to write coronavirus stories for ‘Neighbours’ that could be way out of date when screened. Wiser heads than mine will decide on this."
‘Neighbours’ executive producer Jason Herbison has weighed in on the possibility of adding the pandemic into the storyline.
He explained that the soon-to-be-recorded episodes won’t air until later this year and therefore, anything related to the pandemic may be "outdated" by then.
He shared: "We’ve debated about whether to incorporate the coronavirus into the narrative. However, we are currently plotting episodes that won’t air until much later in the year, so anything we write now might feel very outdated.
"You might see some lingering hints of it on screen; as if the virus might have somehow passed by our fictional world and our characters have adopted some of the habits and precautions, such as around hygiene."
The cast returned to filming earlier this week with strict social distancing measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus.
Alan is delighted to be back on set and he hopes to help take viewers’ minds off the global health crisis.
He said: "Audiences all around the world and especially in the UK love soaps and rely on them for their wind down at the end of a stressful day.
"I am so pleased that we are continuing to supply drama for our loyal fans all around the world."
Alan Fletcher says Neighbours could feature coronavirus-related plots
