Originally intended to be the final one, season 7 of Grace and Frankie will see further delay because the cast is elderly and the times are not exactly in their stride right now.
Netflix original Grace and Frankie was all set to go out with a bang before the production for season 7, the final one, had to be stopped. Like most other shows in the Hollywood, it was brought to a halt too because of the Covid-19 pandemic. After nearly five months, with Hollywood slowly returning to its normal pace, Grace and Frankie has chosen a different way.
Highlights —
- Season 7 to be the last we will see of Grace and Frankie?
- Production was stopped owing to the pandemic
- Grace and Frankieseason 7 will be delayed further
Season 7 to be the last we will see of Grace and Frankie
Grace and Frankie is easily one of the longest-running Netflix originals to have made a mark in the Hollywood industry. Created by Howard J. Morris and Marta Kauffman, the show received high accolades for the brilliant performances rendered by veteran actors Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The premise of the show follows two odd friends, Grace and Frankie, who find themselves bonding over the discovery of an affair between their husbands who plan to get married to each other.
After taking the universe by storm, Netflix decided to call it a day for Grace and Frankie with season 7. Lead actors Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda expressed being both “delighted and heartbroken” over the ending. In a joint statement, the two actors told “Entertainment Tonight”,
“We are both delighted and heartbroken that Grace and Frankie will be back for its seventh, though final, season. We’re so grateful that our show has been able to deal with issues that have really connected to our grand generation. And their kids, and amazingly, their kids as well! We’ll miss these two old gals, Grace and Frankie, as much as many of their fans will, but we’ll still be around. We’ve outlasted so many things — just hope we don’t outlast the planet.”
Production stopped over Covid
The Emmy winning show was all set up to begin work for season 7, when the Covid-19 crisis hit the world. The show, like most of the Hollywood industry, had to shut down production indefinitely.
The announcement came as a decision from the production network of the show, Skydance Television. Apparently, the production team had no choice other than bringing season 7 of the show to a halt considering the risk factor of its major cast members who are all over 60.
The official statement of the production shutdown said,
“To ensure the health and safety of our cast and crew, Skydance has temporarily suspended filming for Grace and Frankie, the series.”
However, the entire cast of Grace and Frankie got together virtually for a live reading of the season 7 script on the “Netflix is a Joke” YouTube page. The event was arranged as part of a charity program, “Meal on Wheels” that worked towards securing food and isolation of the senior citizens amidst the pandemic.
Grace and Frankie season 7 will be delayed further
Five months into the global coronavirus attack, as the situation is getting slowly under control, and Hollywood is gradually resuming productions cautiously. Keeping in mind the health risk factors for the elderly cast, the show-runners have decided to put working on season 7 further on hold.
The lead cast of the show includes four seniors –Jane Fonda (aged 82 years), Lily Tomlin (aged 80 years), Sam Waterston (aged 79), and Martin Sheen (aged 80). All of the actors maintain high health risks from Covid-19 as stated in the official guidelines. It is, therefore, inevitable to take precautionary measures in order to keep the senior cast members safe.
Co-creator Marta Kauffman told “Entertainment Tonight” that they would definitely not rush into resuming production for Grace and Frankie season 7. She said,
“We’re not going to be the first production back [because] we have four cast members who are older. They’re not going to be the first ones back. We can’t be the ones to make any mistake. We are hoping that we get to see some other productions and see what works and be able to adapt the way we were going to shoot to these new guidelines… My sincere hope is that we’ll be back at work in January.”
Season 6 of Grace and Frankie is now streaming on Netflix. What do you think season 7 has in store? Let us know in the comments below.
