New Meridian, BBC South & South East Thread

South Today are still in the temporary studio. I have this vision of one old, doddery man and his paintbrush doing it all. Then again, the set was so old they probably had to get archaeologists in to preserve it!

Perhaps it will be Monday next week? Will have almost been a month out of the main studio now. Must be some pretty major work - or some very slow workers!

Meridian Tonight was pretty good tonight (never thought I'd say that again in a hurry)... Fred in Southampton, and Stacey Poole in the studio. Very nicely done.

Yesterday's pre-Election presentation looked awkward in that cramped studio - Fred and Sangers looked squashed and you could see the scenery curtain above flapping in the air-con!

Was this also the case on the South East opt of the programme?

Looking at ITV.com the South East got a normal programme with Paul Belverstone filling in for Fred on the sofa.

Yes, as I mentioned a few posts ago, there was some major work to be done in Studio-A before the new set could be installed. They have laid a brand new studio floor in the time they've been in B, as well as constructing, lighting and rehearsing with the new set.

By the way it's not a temporary studio . Southampton has always had two studios, it's just that Studio-B has not been routinely used since Oxford presentation moved to Oxford in 2004. No doubt it will return to it's life as occasional tv studio/meeting room as soon as South Today moves back into Studio-A.

Was confirmed tonight that the new set would be in use on monday.

Hope it's a nice one, and not a rehash of the 1999 one (Full Barcos would be nice for a region to get).

No danger of it being a rehash of the 1999 set, they showed it being dismantled and the last few bits of it are currently in the smaller studio.

Full Barcos seem possible...

The revamp is costing £180,000 according to this article from the Southampton (yay) Daily Echo. Black painted floor and soft area, with full Barcos by the looks of things.

I find it amusing that 6 Music is brought into it.

That is an unoriginal piece of journalism. Beeb bashing as with Daily Mail.