Host Maripier Morin and all contestants will soon return to Quebec and production has been suspended on the reality television series OD Tentations au soleil following a powerful earthquake that struck Panama on Friday.
Productions J and Bell Media confirmed in a Sunday Instagram publication that the adventure is on indefinite pause as teams evaluate production options. The sudden interruption arrives just days after the official reveal of the third season’s contestants, who had barely settled into their villas in the Central American country.
Earthquake Magnitude and Epicenter Details Across Reporting Sources
Seismologists recorded more than 100 aftershocks, including measurements of 5.8, 5.5, and 5.2, following the initial major tremors that prompted the declaration of a state of emergency and building evacuations across Panama on Friday. Productions J and Bell Media announced in a statement transmitted by email that host Maripier Morin and all candidates of the Crave-broadcasted show, which is derived from Occupation Double, will soon return to Quebec.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, cited by Narcity, the agency initially cited an 8 magnitude before revising the figure to 7.6, and then to 7.7. Reporting on the primary tremor’s magnitude varied slightly between international monitoring and local updates. Noovo Info noted that the initial twin events registered at 7.7 and 6.6.
Photo: noovo.info
Its epicenter was located approximately 10 kilometers southwest of the isolated community of Pitaloza Arriba, or on the Azuero Peninsula, at the south-west of the community of Pitaloza Arriba according to Narcity, in the central province of Herrera, along the Azuero Peninsula in the country’s southwest.
Safety Status of Cast Members and Impact on Broadcast Schedules
All contestants and staff remained safe and unharmed. Organizers noted in a statement published on social media shortly after the first quake that the production villas were located several hundred kilometers away from the epicenter, despite the severity of the tremors near the epicenter.
Photo: Showbizz.net
Regular viewers of the main franchise can continue following episodes from Sunday through Thursday at 6:30 p.m. on Noovo without interruption while the spin-off series faces an abrupt halt. It was underlined that the broadcast of Occupation Double Panama will not be affected by the events.
Production Timelines for the Franchise in Panama
Filming for the milestone 20th season of the main program ran from August 12 through October 3, completing its principal photography in roughly two months. Production schedules rely on a fast-paced cadence where a full week of television is recorded over the course of three days, followed by two days of rest, as explained by Alicia Moffet on her networks according to showbizz.net. The filming of the 20th season of Occupation Double has just recently concluded in Panama, and the two hosts have returned to Quebec before departing shortly for the final trip.
Bell Media and Productions J face an abrupt logistical change as they weigh their next steps following the unexpected return of the Tentations au soleil cast, with the main cast already returned to Quebec ahead of upcoming commitments like the final voyage and a live broadcast finale scheduled for November 22 at the Casino de Montréal.
