‘Shark Tank’ Production Shoots Modeled After NBA Playoffs ‘Bubble,’ Says Cuban
It’s a “little-known fact” that Shark Tank adapted the “bubble” strategy the NBA used to finish its 2019-20 playoffs in Orlando to safely shoot episodes for the current season of the ABC series during the pandemic, Dallas Mavericks owner and…
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Shark Tank cast member Mark Cuban told CTA President Gary Shapiro in a prerecorded CES 2021 Q&A. Shark Tank cast and crew “took over” the Venetian in Las Vegas with two protective "pods" in August and September lasting about 10 days each, said Cuban. “It was very strict filming,” he said. Cast members were socially distanced on the set and barred from giving winning contestants their congratulatory hugs, he said. “We went through that entire period" without any positive COVID-19 test results, he said. It helped set a “precedent for shooting shows in Hollywood,” he said. “People want their shows, whether it’s streamed or traditional television. They want to be entertained, particularly now.” Despite the “lull” in production due to the pandemic, “we were able to set a standard” for the safe return of cast and crew to production sets, “even where cases were growing,” he said. “It also helped hundreds of staff and production people keep their jobs.”