Source: Alexander Tamargo / Getty
Tyler Perry is a busy man.
According to The Deadline, Tyler Perry Studios had a marathon two-month shoot of new installments of four Perry series. The sitcom Bruh was the shortest, with only 19 episodes, wrapping up the season in just four days. The BET+ comedy, which started filming Sept. 3, officially finished on Tuesday (Sept 8).
In addition to wrapping up Bruh, the billionaire successfully filmed 82 episodes of his BET series Sisters and The Oval and BET+’s Ruthless amid the pandemic by incorporating the bubble method for shooting. Perry’s quarantine bubble model involves check-in testing as cast and crew arrive at the studio, with everyone staying in their rooms until test results come back.
As previously reported, overall there were 32 shoot days and 51 quarantine days total for the four series, with weeklong breaks between the production of Sistas and The Oval as well as The Oval and Ruthless. While his method allowed him and his team to successfully knock a season for each show, the marathon did allow for relatively low exposure to the virus with only four testing positive for coronavirus during the prescreening phase, with no positive cases in camp once cast and crews had checked in and production started.
In recent weeks, Perry spent well into six figures to provide thousands of virus tests while keeping a crew of almost 360 people safe on his 330-acre Tyler Perry Studios campus. Using a combination of existing and rental housing to keep everyone on campus, Perry revealed that he budgeted an extra $18 million to make the marathon happen.
This past week, two shows Perry shot before the pandemic — the return of “House of Payne” and the new “Assisted Living” — debuted on BET to strong ratings.
It’s unclear what Perry’s next productions will be, but he will take a small break. His 51st birthday is September 13, and the Emmys will honor him with the Governor’s Award a week later.
