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BBC to review operating locations

(August 2007)

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GR
gregmc
markstewart posted:
Do you think it'd fit into Elstree Film Studios Inspector? It is a good site, and will certainly be bigger when Big Brother moves out, but compared to Pinewood it's not exactly vast...

It would be the most convienient move I suppose though.


Surely they'd have to build the set from scratch though as the EE set would still be in use, and construction would take months and months I guess to get it looking like it does currently, the storylines would have to include some bomb going off or something in Albert Square. Dont see that happening personaly Laughing
MA
markstewart
Why of course, but that would be the situation anywhere, not just up the road. I'd like to think the BBC don't move it but it does sound cost efficient.

And I wouldn't be so sure about a bomb storyline not coming about - anything for the ratings! Ian Beal taking the ultimate revenge on the Mitchells anyone? Wink

Actually thinking about it, would it be too far out of the ordinary to sell off all the studios at BBC Elstree and just leave the Eastenders exterior lot there (still as BBC property) for filming as and when it's needed (say 2 days a week)
GI
gilsta
How about the Square is on land to be used for the Olympics and has to be knocked down?
MA
markstewart
gilsta posted:
How about the Square is on land to be used for the Olympics and has to be knocked down?


Now that is a good idea, but surely we would have heard about it by now? Razz
DE
denton
gilsta posted:
denton posted:
gilsta posted:
Ah, MediaGuardian is saying the moves are because of technical reasons rather than cost-cutting like I suspected. Which makes sense, Casualty in HD from Bristol would be a joke and apparently the 22yr old Elstree base would struggle to cope with five episodes a week.

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,2141182,00.html


Why would Casualty in HD from Bristol be a joke? Surely Casualty is a single camera / 4 waller shoot (rather than a multi camera studio shoot). New HD camera equipment and an edit suite upgrade would cost no more there than anywhere else surely?


The set is held together by sticky tape and this would show up on HD. Although I suppose the Beeb could argue it is a valid critiique of the NHS..


The set in Bristol has been refreshed/redeveloped/extended every couple of years anyway... and could easily be again to a higher spec' if required to look good in HD. I still don't see what that has do with Bristol not being a suitable place to shoot in HD.
GI
gilsta
denton posted:
gilsta posted:
denton posted:
gilsta posted:
Ah, MediaGuardian is saying the moves are because of technical reasons rather than cost-cutting like I suspected. Which makes sense, Casualty in HD from Bristol would be a joke and apparently the 22yr old Elstree base would struggle to cope with five episodes a week.

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,2141182,00.html


Why would Casualty in HD from Bristol be a joke? Surely Casualty is a single camera / 4 waller shoot (rather than a multi camera studio shoot). New HD camera equipment and an edit suite upgrade would cost no more there than anywhere else surely?


The set is held together by sticky tape and this would show up on HD. Although I suppose the Beeb could argue it is a valid critiique of the NHS..


The set in Bristol has been refreshed/redeveloped/extended every couple of years anyway... and could easily be again to a higher spec' if required to look good in HD. I still don't see what that has do with Bristol not being a suitable place to shoot in HD.


Yes but its still a makeshift set as the article explains, moving to a purpose built set designed to look like a hospital rather than a warehouse disguised as a hospital would be a far better move in the long term.
IS
Inspector Sands
gregmc posted:

Surely they'd have to build the set from scratch though as the EE set would still be in use, and construction would take months and months I guess to get it looking like it does currently, the storylines would have to include some bomb going off or something in Albert Square. Dont see that happening personaly Laughing


It wouldn't be that difficult, after all they managed to build it looking like it was 70 or so years old!

Coronation Street has moved/rebuilt it's outdoor set a few times in its history
TV
tvarksouthwest
denton posted:
And r.e. Elstree; if it is as disused as they say, why not move Casualty up there to fill the space. As for EastEnders not coping with 5 episodes per week production... surely they'd be better cutting back the number of episode and concentrating on improving the quality.

The voice of reason, ladies and gentlemen!

It's laughable really that the BBC is spending millions moving certain departments to Manchester when one of its existing sites is so appallingly underused, according to those in the know. Why not relocate these to Elstree and scrap a move motivated by nothing more than political correctness (the North is far from under-represented on BBC channels!)
HR
Huddy Refreshed
tvarksouthwest posted:
denton posted:
And r.e. Elstree; if it is as disused as they say, why not move Casualty up there to fill the space. As for EastEnders not coping with 5 episodes per week production... surely they'd be better cutting back the number of episode and concentrating on improving the quality.

The voice of reason, ladies and gentlemen!

It's laughable really that the BBC is spending millions moving certain departments to Manchester when one of its existing sites is so appallingly underused, according to those in the know. Why not relocate these to Elstree and scrap a move motivated by nothing more than political correctness (the North is far from under-represented on BBC channels!)


Being 'from the North', anybody East of the pennines hates Manchester, so it isn't exactly representative of the region. Plus, if things move to Manchester (actually Salford) won't the BBC simply be moving from one centric position to another?
RH
Rhysey
Quote:
(the North is far from under-represented on BBC channels!)


Erm, WHAT? I don't believe in them moving production away from London purely to make some politically correct statement, but to argue that anywhere outside of the M25 is not "under represented" is poppycock. However, it doesn't necessarily require a full-scale move to rectify it.
TV
tvarksouthwest
Rhysey posted:
Erm, WHAT? I don't believe in them moving production away from London purely to make some politically correct statement, but to argue that anywhere outside of the M25 is not "under represented" is poppycock. However, it doesn't necessarily require a full-scale move to rectify it.

Well where to you want me to start? The Chase, Cutting It, Waterloo Road, Sorted, Two Pints Of Lager, Grange Hill, Byker Grove, Last Of The Summer Wine...
TV
tvmercia Founding member
tvarksouthwest posted:
Rhysey posted:
Erm, WHAT? I don't believe in them moving production away from London purely to make some politically correct statement, but to argue that anywhere outside of the M25 is not "under represented" is poppycock. However, it doesn't necessarily require a full-scale move to rectify it.

Well where to you want me to start? The Chase, Cutting It, Waterloo Road, Sorted, Two Pints Of Lager, Grange Hill, Byker Grove, Last Of The Summer Wine...


unfair to lump everywhere north of stoke on trent into a homogeneous "north". it'd be like saying "the south" was pretty well represented ... where as we know the south east is - but that does not extend to the south coast or the west country.

the north west does get fairly well represented on mainstream primetime network bbc. meanwhile both yorkshire and the north west do pretty well on itv (for obvious reasons)

on the other hand the midlands doesn't do too badly on daytime tv - but not a lot in primetime, nor any primetime drama.

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