Family Feud Headed Back to Production With New Health and Safety Protocols

Another fan-favorite game show is preparing to resume production, as much as they can, with news arriving tonight that the syndicated game show Family Feud is set to restart filming. Deadline reports that the series will return to the studio in Atlanta, Georgia this Tuesday, August 4th, with the first new episodes of the show set to premiere on Monday, September 14. Production on the show will use “minimal crew and no audience.” The trade doesn’t note what precautions are being used to maintain social distancing between Harvey and the contestants though writes “slight adjustments have been made to the set” so that these needs can be met.

Visiting the official Family Feud website reveals a message for hopefuly contestants that reads: “We will be taping Family Feud in Atlanta, GA in August & September 2020, and we are looking for local families to participate! Our audition process is strictly happening online for the time being due to COVID-19. There are no local tryouts scheduled at this time. Click APPLY below to submit an application, and refer to the FAQs featured on this page for more information! Have fun!” The FAQ section notes that families selected to appear will be contacted within four weeks with the potential for a ZOOM call to get to know the family better.

News of Family Feud restarting comes just days after a report that both Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! have resumed filming new episodes. Naturally both of those productions were also forced to make changes to their sets to maintain social distancing between both the participants in the game shows and those involved in the production behind the camera. For Wheel of Fortune the producers have altered the iconic wheel, allowing for more space between the three contestants at any given time. On the Jeopardy! set a similar strategy is in effect, staggering out the three contestants so they’re further apart than usual.

The airwaves haven’t been without Family Feud entirely for the length of quarantine though as the seventh season of Celebrity Family Feud aired from May 28 through July 12. This batch of episodes from the charity version featured match-ups pitting a number of reality television casts together including Queer Eye: OG vs. Queer Eye: The New Class, plus Andy Cohen vs. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and The Hills: New Beginnings vs. Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.

(Cover photo by Byron Cohen via Getty Images)