![Nick Gehlfuss, Brian Tee, S. Epatha Merkerson - Chicago Med Virtual Press Junket - photo credit NBC Chicago Med Stars Discuss the Pandemic and the Importance of Getting the Details Right [Video] Nick Gehlfuss, Brian Tee, S. Epatha Merkerson - Chicago Med Virtual Press Junket - photo credit NBC](https://telltaletv.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/chicago-med-virtual-interviews-730x486.jpg "Nick Gehlfuss, Brian Tee, S. Epatha Merkerson - Chicago Med Virtual Press Junket - photo credit NBC | Tell-Tale TV")
Chicago Med Stars Discuss the Pandemic and the Importance of Getting the Details Right [Video]
Medical shows have been faced with a new challenge in storytelling because of the current health crisis, and Chicago Med is taking that very seriously.
That’s not to say the drama of the popular series isn’t still at its core.
Actors Nick Gehlfuss, Brian Tee, and S. Epatha Merkerson spoke with reporters recently during a virtual press junket about the show’s approach to dealing with the pandemic and how important it is that they get things right.
“Interestingly enough, we finished an episode, and then we went back — and the only reason I know this is because I was able to portray this moment — we added a vaccination scene,” Gehlfuss explained.
“So the writers are very much keeping up with all the new things coming out,” he added.
Watch the interview with Nick Gelfuss, Brian Tee, and S. Epatha Merkerson:
“From the very beginning of this season, the writers have been very cognizant of this pandemic and how to keep it at the top but not lose the drama of the show. They really really dealt with that, and the fact that they would go back and add a scene shows you how important it is for them to stay current. I really appreciate that,” Merkerson said.
Because the show films so far ahead, there’s a bit of an extra challenge as well. Brian Tee described filming a scene where Dr. Choi introduces Steven Weber’s character.
“He’s coming into our E.D., and everything’s great, and there’s a handshake in there,” Tee recalled. “The producers and I are like, when does this air? Should we be handshaking?”
Tee said executive produce Michael Pressman felt the answer was no, and that he felt they would be elbow bumping or fist-bumping for a long time, even after many people had been vaccinated.
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Don’t miss the first-ever virtual One Chicago Day YouTube fan event, which goes live today, February 10th, at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on the NBC OneChicago YouTube Channel.
Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC.
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.