Oh, The Irony: Hurricane Sandy Destroys ‘666 Park Avenue’ Set

Oh, do we love our irony here at IQ.

Let’s make ourselves clear: Nothing about Hurricane Sandy has been funny, despite the occasional forced attempt at dark humor by some popular retailers. But no one can deny that it’s at least an interesting coincidence that the super storm claimed as a victim the set of ABC’s 666 Park Avenue.

Entertainment Weekly reports that the dubiously titled supernatural-mystery-drama reported the greatest amount of set damage out of any New York-based TV show.

666 Park Avenue‘s smaller sets were completely destroyed when Cine Magic Studios on the Brooklyn waterfront was submerged in six feet of floodwater, reports MSN. The main sets didn’t come crumbling down, but they were “extensively damaged” in the wake of Sandy.

“I went to check them out on the night of the storm at 10 p.m. and they were under 6 feet of water — the entire complex,” says Peter Kapsalis, owner of Cine Magic Riverfront Studios. “It wasn’t in very good shape.”

Some sets could be salvaged. “The Daylight Studio, which carried some of the smaller sets and was a little closer to the water [was] completely demolished,” Kapsalis says. “The main sets stayed in place even with the water rushing in [but] everything is extensively damaged.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, most other New York-based productions are up and running again as of today. The Following, The Carrie Diaries, The Good Wife, Blue Bloods, 30 Rock, Person of Interest, and Zero Hour are all back on as of this posting.

666 Park Avenue might not be back to regular production for up to three weeks. In the meantime, the show’s producers are considering remote filming or relocating to Cine Magic’s SoHo studio.

Kapsalis has praised the production team and executives at Warner Bros. for their tenacity throughout the Hurricane Sandy aftermath:

“Warner Bros. has been a godsend — I don’t know how to say it. They’ve been very helpful and trying to put the show first, which as a result, is helping us a lot. [The entertainment business is] one of the strengths of New York’s economy and for it to take a hit, it will affect New York greatly.”

Silvercup Studios of Long Island — which hosts 30 Rock, Elementary, Person of Interest, and Zero Hour — is also up-and-running with co-owner Stuart Suna praising New Yorkers in general:

“I always thought that the industry — and the New York attitude — [was] very resilient,” says Suna, who was unaffected by Sandy. “We come back whether it’s a hurricane, blizzards, or, sadly, 9/11. Gov. Cuomo said it best that New Yorkers are a tough breed and that they come together in times of crisis and rebuild New York bigger and stronger.”

Are you a fan of 666 Park Avenue? Do you think the almost-total destruction of its sets by Hurricane Sandy is an ironic curiosity or a genuine tragedy? In either case, we at IQ hope that 666 Park Avenue‘s crew can get back to work soon. Good luck, guys!