How did Covid impact filming of The Handmaids Tale?
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video  One of the most acclaimed shows on TV is back, with The Handmaids Tale returning to screens in the UK for its fourth season this evening. Its been a long time coming, with a two-year gap between the end of the third season in 2019. The show was one of the many TV and film projects impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, with the restrictions pushing back filming on the hit show. Production had only just begun when it was shutdown due to the pandemic. While it was originally intended to arrive last autumn, Hulu pushed back the release date to 2021 as a result. After a long delay, filming is thought to have resumed in Toronto last September. The dramas showrunner Bruce Miller previously discussed the difficulties during a virtual TCA panel for the show back in February. The show is finally back after a long delay (Picture: Hulu)  Honestly the biggest change is it was difficult to get our cast into Canada to shot, Handmaids showrunner Bruce Miller admitted during todays virtual TCA panel for the show [via Deadline]. Filming in Canada proved to be an issue too once the filming resumed, with the country shutting its borders with the US following a rise in cases and key workers forced to quarantine for 14 days. We had to keep people out of episodes simply because they didnt have enough time in their schedule, Bruce said. I mean, people are very kind to come up and fly for a days worth of work in Canada from anywhere. So many of our cast members like Clea DuVall, these people who work very hard on other shows. So that was the biggest change.  Elisabeth Moss is back in action in season four (Picture: Jasper Savage/MGM/Hulu/Kobal/REX)  Speaking about how things had to be adapted to deal with the difficult situation, the showrunner said: Definitely, a ton of things had to be changed in the show. Just the practical realities of producing and making the show on the ground were very very difficult, but the people in front of the camera, for the most part, we tried .to protect that space.  We reduced the number of people in scenes and locations, like where we decided to shoot was a very big question because sometimes we couldnt get things, the showrunner and executive producer stated as his fellow EPs Moss and Warren Littlefield looked on and nodded. Sometimes we had five people in front of the camera, sometimes we could have 20 people in front of the camera. So, we were constantly the entire season making adjustments to the script and the story.  While the show took a while to return for its fourth season, the new instalments wont be the last we see. It was announced back in December that there will be a fifth season of the drama. The Handmaids Tale season four begins on Sunday June 20 at 9pm on Channel 4. The first three seasons of The Handmaids Tale are available to watch on Amazon Prime Video and on All 4. If youve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page  wed love to hear from you. MORE : The Handmaids Tale season 4 finale: Star and showrunner react to shock death as key character perishes