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Soap Opera Bold & The Beautiful Using Blow-Up Dolls For Sex Scenes
The CBS daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful has introduced a new element to its production: blow-up dolls being used for sex scenes. The Bold and the Beautiful is a popular soap opera that dates back to 1987. So far there have been 33 seasons of the show, but the series had to take a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Daytime television is a huge source of revenue for networks like CBS, and while streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ have been doing well in the wake of the pandemic, dozens of weekly shows have suspended production. Many broadcast shows have had their seasons cut short as a result of the pandemic as well, leaving networks desperate for new content for the Fall 2020 season. That being said, soap opera fans will be pleased to hear that more of The Bold and the Beautiful is coming soon.
The Bold and the Beautiful resumed production this week with an effort to keep actors as distant as possible, but Executive Producer Bradley Bell explained in an interview with Forbes that the show just wasn’t working. “We were cutting all of the kisses, and the shows weren’t the same,” Bell states. The production crew then decided the best option would be to use stand-ins, including inflatable sex dolls as well as the actors’ spouses, using close-ups to mask the changes. “They’ll look like they’re nose to nose, in the throes of passion,” Bell says. “But they’ll be shooting scenes all by themselves.”
The Bold and the Beautiful begins production this week after going on hiatus since March 13th, but it isn’t the only show getting back in business. As of June 12th, California has declared it will allow films and TV shows to resume production at the discretion of local health officials, meaning filmmakers will need to be conscious of how they conduct their productions and maintain social distance. Season 18 of Keeping Up With The Kardashians will be making its way to E! Network, with the final few episodes being shot entirely on the Kardashian family’s iPhones. Late-night shows like CONAN have been filming remotely for the past few months as well, but it’s still unclear when in-person production for most shows will resume.
Whether The Bold and the Beautiful will find any success with its sexy social distancing practices remains to be seen, but Executive Producer Bell speaks to the importance of maintaining the health of the cast and crew. While Bell no doubt has his co-workers’ well-being in mind, the decision to resume production on The Bold and the Beautiful is likely financially motivated. There isn’t an official release date for new episodes, but fans can expect a turn-around time of just a few weeks.
