Maybe Studio D at BBC Elstree is a bit too far out of central London for Graham, and Television Centre would be handy.
I think TVC and I guess Hammersmith (whenever that reopens) are the only options for Graham. The fact that TLS is so central really is key to the amount of A-listers they're able to attract, baring in mind you'll often get a lot of them who can't stay for the duration of the record and dive out halfway through.
So Television must be planning now what to do for studio space. They will not leave this to the last minute. I was surprised that Jonathan Ross decided to move to Television Centre TC1 so quickly.
The LWT building on the South Bank has always been at the heart of my commercial television memories, and over the years I've seen many iconic shows made in the studio complex. And Metal Mickey. Still, anyone can make a mistake!! 45 years after it was built, it will soon be demolished. As the televisual landscape changes, so too will the landscape of the London skyline.
I just found this film on YouTube of the construction of LWT's spectacular studios and tower. For those who have never, like me, seen this before, I hope you find it as enjoyable as I have, and marvel at the complete lack of hi-viz clothing!
The LWT building on the South Bank has always been at the heart of my commercial television memories, and over the years I've seen many iconic shows made in the studio complex. And Metal Mickey.
Why did I think Metal Mickey was a Southern production?
The LWT building on the South Bank has always been at the heart of my commercial television memories, and over the years I've seen many iconic shows made in the studio complex. And Metal Mickey.
Why did I think Metal Mickey was a Southern production?
My first experiences of being in studio audiences (things like the ITV Telethon, some of Beadle's shows, all the typical shiny-floor Saturday night stuff) were all in those studios on the South Bank, so they hold a lot of memories for me. Back when you had to send off to get the tickets and wait for the postman to deliver those small pieces of card with the LWT logo at the top. As a 10 or 11-year-old TV geek, I probably spent more time looking at all the cameras and lights than the shows themselves.
Always exciting to visit there as an audience member in a slightly different way to Television Centre, which had that certain sheen of mid-20th century glamour, even as it started to get rough around the edges. Going to the South Bank feels like stepping into a lively television factory, everything looking a little more functional and industrial (but no less thrilling) as you walk past the scenery and equipment stores outside the big studios and, if you're watching something in Studio 2, walk past Studio 1 and take a glimpse at what's going on in there.
The place was and is always so busy. It'll really be missed.
