20 TV Shows that just ended before the COVID lockdown (and 20 that continued after it)
When COVID-19 locked us all down on March 13, 2020, it affected some parts of general screen entertainment production, but other remote means of watching it were still an option from home. Due to our technologically-advanced 2020 computers, we could still record voices, animate scenes, and send them all to each other from home, and other people not working on animated shows could still communicate anytime with video calls. 2020-2021 became a new time of shorter-than-average TV seasons, like the 2008-2009 writer's strike. The 2019-2020 TV season was still business as usual before the middle of March. Black-ish/Mixed-ish and The Conners started early enough to film a full season with no reports of production halted by COVID-19. The Goldbergs, Superstore and Young Sheldon lost 1 episode at the end of their 2019-2020 season, but they were able to pick their original 2020 season finale back up 6 months later. A.P. Bio and Good Girls started their 3rd seasons too late, and locked down with 5 episodes remaining in their order. Here are 20 TV Shows that ended in 2019 or 2020 to not be affected by production issues at all, and 20 more TV shows that finished a whole season before COVID and then had a new season during the pandemic when it was safe to film again - under the right health codes. A TV program set in the present, like Grey's Anatomy, could always incorporate the pandemic into the new season's narrative, but it wouldn't make sense for shows set in the past like The Goldbergs to talk about it when there was no COVID pandemic in the 1980s. Any TV show with at least 3 seasons can be on this list, and they have to end in 2019 or 2020 to qualify for this list.
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- CreatorChuck LorreBill PradyStarsJohnny GaleckiJim ParsonsKaley CuocoA woman who moves into an apartment across the hall from two brilliant but socially awkward physicists shows them how little they know about life outside of the laboratory.Finale aired May 16, 2019
Even though Young Sheldon aired during 2020 and delayed the Season 3 finale to Season 4 because of COVID-19, The Big Bang Theory in the present day ended a year before the COVID lockdown started. Young Sheldon takes place 28 years in the past, so it can't incorporate a pandemic from 2020. - CreatorDaron NefcyDave WassonJordana ArkinStarsEden SherAdam McArthurGrey GriffinStar Butterfly arrives on Earth to live with the Diazes, a Mexican-American family. She continues to battle villains throughout the universe and high school, mainly to protect her extremely powerful wand, an object that still confuses her.Finale aired May 19, 2019 (5-episode series finale)
- CreatorCraig McCrackenStarsAmanda LeightonNatalie PalamidesKristen LiMade from sugar, spice, everything nice and Chemical X by the Professor; Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup now use their superpowers and super cuteness to save the world (or at least Townsville) from evil villains and all things icky.Finale aired June 16, 2019 (just one day before Amphibia! Amanda Leighton's next animated series.)
- CreatorJenji KohanStarsTaylor SchillingDanielle BrooksTaryn ManningConvicted of a decade-old crime of transporting drug money, ordinarily law-abiding Piper Chapman is sentenced to 18 months behind bars and quickly discovers the realities of life-changing prison time.Finale aired July 26, 2019
- CreatorIan Jones-QuarteyStarsCourtenay TaylorAshly BurchIan Jones-QuarteyAn enthusiastic young boy earns a job at a hero supply store and trains to become the "Greatest Hero Ever."Finale aired September 6, 2019
- CreatorFord RileyStarsMax CharlesJoshua RushDiamond WhiteKion, the son of Simba, leads his friends known as the Lion Guard to protect the Pride Lands.Finale aired November 3, 2019
- CreatorLauren FaustBonnie ZacherleStarsAshleigh BallTara StrongTabitha St. GermainAfter learning that her friends, as well as herself, are the magical Elements of Harmony, studious unicorn Twilight Sparkle is sent by her mentor, Princess Celestia, to Ponyville to study the magic of friendship with help from her friends.Finale aired October 12, 2019/November 6, 2019
- CreatorMichael SchurStarsKristen BellWilliam Jackson HarperJameela JamilFour people and their otherworldly frienemy struggle in the afterlife to define what it means to be good.Finale aired January 30, 2020
- CreatorRaphael Bob-WaksbergStarsWill ArnettAmy SedarisAlison BrieBoJack Horseman was the star of the hit television show "Horsin' Around" in the '80s and '90s, but now he's washed up, living in Hollywood, complaining about everything, and wearing colorful sweaters.Finale aired January 31, 2020
Bojack Horseman wrapped up production no September 27, 2019, but Season 6B took place in 2020 while the final episode took place 1 year later, in 2021. These possible timeline discrepancies show me how lucky we are that the show was completed before COVID-19 changed our forever. If the pandemic lockdown happened a year or two earlier, it could have been written into Bojack Horseman's Hollywood. - CreatorJeff DavisStarsKirsten VangsnessMatthew Gray GublerA.J. CookA group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) using behavioral analysis and profiling to help investigate crimes and find the suspect known as the unsub.Finale aired February 19, 2020
- CreatorNahnatchka KhanStarsRandall ParkConstance WuHudson YangA Taiwanese family makes their way in America during the 1990s.Finale aired February 21, 2020
- CreatorShane PrigmoreChris SonnenburgStarsMandy MooreZachary LeviEden EspinosaSet between Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Tangled" and its short film "Tangled Ever After," this animated adventure/comedy series unfolds as Rapunzel acquaints herself with her parents, her kingdom and the people of Corona.Finale aired March 1, 2020
- CreatorDana OlsenDan SchneiderDana OlsenStarsJace NormanCooper BarnesRiele DownsLooking for a part-time job, 13-year-old Henry Hart lands the post of sidekick of superhero Captain Man, but he must keep this a secret from his family and friends.Finale aired March 21, 2020
- CreatorRebecca SugarStarsZach CallisonDeedee MagnoMichaela DietzA team of intergalactic warriors fights to protect the Earth, but the combination of three highly trained beings and one quirky young boy leaves the team struggling to overcome the dangerous scenarios that are put in front of them.Finale aired March 27, 2020
- CreatorSteven LevitanChristopher LloydStarsEd O'NeillSofía VergaraJulie BowenThree different, but related, families face trials and tribulations in their own uniquely comedic ways.Finale aired April 8, 2020
- CreatorDavid KohanMax MutchnickStarsEric McCormackDebra MessingMegan MullallyGay lawyer Will and straight interior designer Grace share a New York City apartment. Their best friends are gleeful and proud gay Jack and charismatic, filthy-rich, amoral socialite Karen.Finale aired April 23, 2020
- CreatorElizabeth MeriwetherStarsZooey DeschanelJake JohnsonMax GreenfieldAfter a bad break-up, Jess, an offbeat young woman, moves into an apartment loft with three single men. Although they find her behavior very unusual, the men support her - most of the time.Finale aired May 15, 2018/May 19, 2020
I know I might be cheating with this one, but Season 7 takes place "Three Years Later" meaning the short spring 2018 season to start 1 year after Season 6 ended is an additional 2 years in the future. The final season of New Girl is happening during the cast's new shows of Stumptown, The Neighborhood and Woke. Season 7 of New Girl also takes place chronologically during the 7th season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine even though it aired during the 5th season, and they had a 2-part crossover during New Girl Season 6 and Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 4. So they stopped taking place in the same timeframe after Jake and Rosa went to prison for several months between Seasons 4 and 5. - CreatorDaniel ChongStarsEric EdelsteinDemetri MartinBobby MoynihanThree bear brothers do whatever they can to be a part of human society by doing what everyone around them does.Finale aired May 27, 2019/June 30, 2020
- CreatorMaurissa TancharoenJed WhedonJoss WhedonStarsClark GreggMing-Na WenBrett DaltonThe missions of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.Finale aired August 13, 2020
- CreatorCraig GerberStarsAimee CarreroJenna OrtegaChristian LanzPrincess Elena has saved her magical kingdom, Avalor, from an evil sorceress and must learn to rule as its crown princess. Elena's adventures will lead her to understand that her new role requires thoughtfulness, resilience and compassion.Finale aired August 23, 2020
- CreatorChris SavinoMichael RubinerStarsGrey GriffinLara Jill MillerJessica DiCiccoLincoln Loud is an eleven-year-old boy who lives with ten sisters. With the help of his right-hand man Clyde, Lincoln finds new ways to survive in such a large family every day.Next season aired September 11, 2020, The Loud House had a special COVID-19 pandemic episode with The Casagrandes on May 23, 2020
- CreatorLoren BouchardJim DauteriveStarsH. Jon BenjaminDan MintzEugene MirmanBob Belcher runs a struggling burger shop with his wife and three children.Next season aired September 27, 2020, Bob's Burgers came out with a 45-second COVID short on July 17, 2020
- CreatorEmily SpiveyChristy StrattonStarsKristen WiigMaya RudolphJillian BellA group of Southerners strive to live the American dream.Next season aired September 27, 2020
- CreatorMichael RubinerMiguel PugaChris SavinoStarsCarlos AlazraquiIzabella AlvarezAlex CazaresSpin-off of "The Loud House (2014)" featuring Ronnie Anne Santiago, who moves to the big city with her mother and older brother Bobby and meets her extended Hispanic family.Next season aired October 9, 2020
- CreatorDave CaplanBruce HelfordBruce RasmussenStarsJohn GoodmanLaurie MetcalfSara GilbertFollow-up to the comedy series Roseanne (1988), centering on the family members of the matriarch after her sudden death.Next season aired October 21, 2020
- CreatorKenya BarrisStarsAnthony AndersonTracee Ellis RossMarcus ScribnerA family man struggles to gain a sense of cultural identity while raising his kids in a predominantly white, upper-middle-class neighborhood.Next season aired October 21, 2020, Season 7 had a 2-part premiere that was mostly animated (like Stephen Curry in Holey Moley) and talked about elections
- CreatorTim HillStephen HillenburgNick JenningsStarsTom KennyRodger BumpassBill FagerbakkeThe misadventures of a talking sea sponge who works at a fast food restaurant, attends a boating school, and lives in an underwater pineapple.Next season aired October 22, 2020, Season 13 premiered with an episode about limited occupancy, pets, health codes and lockdowns
- CreatorDan FogelmanStarsMilo VentimigliaMandy MooreSterling K. BrownA heartwarming and emotional story about a unique set of triplets, their struggles, and their wonderful parents.Next season aired October 27, 2020
- CreatorJon FavreauStarsPedro PascalChris BartlettKatee SackhoffThe travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.Next season aired TBA, 2022, Season 2 finished filming 5 days before the lockdown on March 8, 2020
- CreatorJim ReynoldsStarsCedric The EntertainerMax GreenfieldSheaun McKinneyA friendly guy from the Midwest tries to fit into a tough L.A. neighborhood.Next season aired November 16, 2020
- CreatorAustin WinsbergStarsJane LevySkylar AstinAlex NewellA young woman discovers she has the ability to hear the innermost thoughts of people around her as songs and musical numbers.Next season aired January 5, 2021, takes place after the pandemic to not ruin the optimistic tone of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist
- CreatorDan GoorMichael SchurStarsAndy SambergStephanie BeatrizTerry CrewsComedy series following the exploits of Det. Jake Peralta and his diverse, lovable colleagues as they police the NYPD's 99th Precinct.Next season aired August 12, 2021, takes place after the pandemic because Dan Goor didn't want to show Brooklyn Nine-Nine's characters toiling in the pandemic
- CreatorKenya BarrisTracee Ellis RossPeter SajiStarsTika SumpterMark-Paul GosselaarChristina AnthonyFollows Bow's parents, Paul and Alicia, who are forced to move from a hippie commune to the suburbs to better provide for their family after the dissolution of their cult.Next season aired January 26, 2021
- CreatorAmy PoehlerMike ScullyJulie Thacker-ScullyStarsAmy PoehlerTy BurrellRiki LindhomeDuncanville is centered around a spectacularly average 15-year-old boy, named Duncan with a rich fantasy life, and the people in his world. He's not exceptional, but he has a wild imagination in which he's never anything less than amazing.Next season aired May 23, 2021
- CreatorTrey ParkerMatt StoneBrian GradenStarsTrey ParkerMatt StoneIsaac HayesFollows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.Next season aired February 2, 2022, South Park came out with four full-hour pandemic specials on September 30, 2020, March 10, 2021, November 25, 2021 and December 16, 2021 between seasons
- CreatorDan HarmonJustin RoilandStarsChris ParnellSpencer GrammerSarah ChalkeThe fractured domestic lives of a nihilistic mad scientist and his anxious grandson are further complicated by their inter-dimensional misadventures.Next season aired June 20, 2021
Note: Season 4's Never Ricking Morty (aired May 3, 2020) added to the ending to have Rick reference the COVID lockdown when he said "No one's out there shopping with this virus! Where's your wallet?" - CreatorDana TerraceStarsSarah-Nicole RoblesAlex HirschWendie MalickAccidentally sent to the world of the Boiling Isles before a trip to summer camp, a teenage human named Luz longs to become a witch and is aided by rebellious Eda and pint-sized demon King.Next season aired June 12, 2021
- StarsKylie CantrallMaxwell Acee DonovanCoco ChristoAfter a school prank is deemed "responsible" by the principal at her new school, a teen learns that not all the kids in her town are who they appear to be.Next season aired June 4, 2021
- CreatorKenya BarrisLarry WilmoreStarsTrevor JacksonYara ShahidiDiggy SimmonsA spinoff of ABC's "Black-ish," Zoey Johnson is off to college and must live outside the nest, dealing with drugs, sex, and relationships along the way.Next season aired January 21, 2021 (Season 3 Part 2 got delayed)
- CreatorMatt BralyStarsBrenda SongJustin FelbingerBill FarmerOrdinary Anne Boonchuy, 13, finds a music box that sends her to Amphibia, a world full of frogs, toads, and giant insects. With help from Sprig, she must adjust to life in Amphibia and discover the first true friendship in her life.Next season aired October 1, 2021
Note: Matt Braly said on comicbook.com that the Season 2 finale of Amphibia was in the storyboarding stage when Walt Disney Channel's animators and storyboard artists started working from home on March 24, 2020. Even after True Colors completed, the premiere was delayed by three weeks because they needed to warn us about the intense final scenes. Because Amphibia was renewed for a third season on June 23, 2020, I do not believe what I read about the Quarantine song from The New Normal and the Plantars' human disguises being made before the coronavirus pandemic.
It may not be a coincidence that Sprig Plantar wore a mask to cover his mouth as part of his human disguise, when many people were wearing that in 2020 and 2021. Fixing Frobo/Anne-sterminator implies Amphibia to take place in 2021 (and Season 1 was in 2020) so I think it is kind of clever how Amphibia found a way to reference the coronavirus in its first two S3 episodes without dating them to heck. In Hop Til You Drop, Sprig Plantar had a good reason to wear a mask because he could easily get sick by touching random surfaces, especially during COVID-19.