Dead To Me Season 3 Has Had To Pause Production Due To Positive Covid Tests

Another Netflix series bites the dust before its fourth season. The streaming giant's dark comedy "Dead To Me" from CBS Studios has wrapped production for 2021, putting its third and last season on pause. This follows a breakout of the Omicron coronavirus variant in the show's final weeks of shooting. As Deadline reports it, it sounds like the production did the right thing at several levels: an employee came down with symptoms on December 13, was sent home where they tested positive, along with positive test results from a crew member and one of their contacts later in the week. Production initiated contact tracing, and because there were no further positive tests, filming was not affected. "Dead To Me" is scheduled to resume production for its last three weeks of season 3 shoots in early 2022.

Snagging four Emmy nominations since its debut in spring of 2019, "Dead to Me" stars Christina Applegate ("Bad Moms") and Linda Cardellini ("Grandma's Boy") as an unlikely duo whose friendship blossoms in the wake of personal tragedy for each of them. James Marsden ("Sonic the Hedgehog"), Max Jenkins (NBC's "The Mysteries of Laura" series), Sam McCarthy ("All These Small Moments"), and Luke Roessler ("The Mysterious Benedict Society") round out the cast for the series, which immediately found acclaim and was watched by thirty million households in its first month. Applegate and Cardellini were both nominated for Emmys for Lead Actress In a Comedy Series. Series creator, showrunner, and Groundlings alumna Liz Feldman executive produces "Dead To Me" with Jessica Elbaum and Will Ferrell under the Gloria Sanchez Productions banner, alongside Christie Smith, Applegate and Adam McKay. Cardellini also serves as co-producer.

"Dead To Me" has navigated complications in its past; it paused production before on season 3 after star Christina Applegate revealed her multiple sclerosis diagnosis like her "The Sweetest Thing" co-star Selma Blair — the production team gave her proper room to continue her recovery process. A joint statement from Netflix and CBS Studios on August 10, 2021, reads: "We love and support Christina [Applegate] and respect her privacy as she takes the time and space she needs in this moment."

Even though the beloved series is nearing its end, there is a silver lining: Liz Feldman has signed an exclusive multi-year deal with Netflix, in which all future projects in that time will be Netflix Originals. Far from "Dead to Me," Feldman will be seeing us around for years to come.