Daytime Talk Shows Are Rapidly Ditching Their Studio Audiences

The View and Live With Kelly and Ryan took place today in front of an empty studio audience as Walt Disney Television decided to take precautions aimed at combating the spread of coronavirus. The Tamron Hall Show will also play out to unfilled seats.

Whoopi Goldberg addressed the bizarre atmosphere at the top of the show as the cameras panned to a room full of empty seats.

The coronavirus situation is still developing and for the first time ever at @TheView, we made the decision not to have a studio audience. We look forward to our fans returning to join us in the studio in the future! pic.twitter.com/BNXK098W0s
— The View (@TheView) March 11, 2020

The move comes after Rachael Ray and Wendy Williams made the same choice earlier in the week on their eponymous programs. USA Today reports Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune have begun filming without audiences.

This is obviously extremely trivial in the big picture but a reminder that the trickle-down of new normals may still be very nascent stage.