Broadcasting House, Salford Quays & TVC

Isn't Studio D at Elstree slightly bigger than TVC1? Could it handle things like strictly?

Fountain TV in Wembley, yes nabbed by Cowell and Co, but used last year of the ALW series, 'Over The Rainbow' because TC1 had been blocked out in the middle of that series for the Election.

One of the studios in Maidstone is quite big isn't it?, I know it isn't London but it's near enough.

The idea of a flagship show like Children in Need not coming from TVC is unimaginable, maybe The London Studios would be free that week?

How many full sized studios do they actually have in use at TV Centre?

It's generally the case that TVC is written as having 12 production studios, varying from small to huge:
TC0 (Zero) Originally a music studio, this became a Virtual Relity studio. Was CBeebies pres for years.
TC1 100x90feet. The largest studio.
TC2 60x40feet. Most recently used for a lot of CBBC stuff
TC3 90x70feet. Originally a speech/drama studio. Became Top of the Pop's home in 2001.
TC4 90x71feet. Originally a music studio. Regularly Blue Peter before the show was downscaled.
TC5 60x40feet. Block booked for years by BBC Sport. 2 separate sets with acoustic isolation between.
TC6 92x70feet. Lots of audience shows done in here, like Never Mind the Buzzcocks - a regular booking.
TC7 62x40feet. The saturday morning kids show's home! Became a news studio in 1997.
TC8 90x72feet. One of the last main block studios to open. V popular for sitcoms.
TC9 30x30feet. CBBC's pres studio when Pres-A closed. Formerly a make up store!
TC10 30x40feet. Originally N1 (News). Reopened by studios & home to The Phone Zone. Now Cbeebies Pres.
TC11 50x40feet. Originally N2 (News). Reopened by studios & home to Liquid News & BBC 3's 7 o'clock news.

TC12 (next to TC0) is now an R&D studio apparently.

When everything has gone to Salford and W1 it's fair to say there should be a lot of studio capacity at the centre. I've heard lots of people say that TVC hasn't got a full bookings grid, but actually the place has been pretty busy in recent years. Most studios are now HD and many have extremely modern kit. It's true that TC5, TC7, TC9, TC10 and TC11 will be vacated by the current set of moves but the other studios remain popular.

A great link for the history of TVC (and other studio sites) is http://www.tvstudiohistory.co.uk/tv%20centre%20history.htm

Will Broadcasting House have a general use studio or will all of the studios be occupied and used exclusively for news? I would love to see that used for other programmes aside from news. Those pictures we've seen of BH show its beauty.

Only news.

AIUI TC0 is the studio which R&D have, with TC12 becoming its gallery/control room (it was originally the control room for TC0 before it was TC0, when it was the music studio)

TC5 has two galleries but I'm not sure it still has two separate sets?

Not for a long time. Two galleries yes, but the days of the two separate sets able to do separate studio shows simultaneously are long gone. The current projector-based set takes up the entire studio space, and when two shows have had to happen simultaneously (usually on Saturdays when there has been Footbal and Athletics or Tennis with studio involvement), they've used a simpler version of the set in another studio like TC11.

Think it was technically possible in the days when there was a mezzanine set and a ground floor set - but don't think there was any acoustic isolation as you were effectively on top of each other. You probably have to go back to the 90s - when they had virtual sets - to the era of two totally separate studios with some heavy curtaining to deaden the sound between the spaces.

Though there is a large (for News) equivalent to the current Breakfast/Hardtalk/Newsround/Newsnight studio (also home to Working Lunch RIP), Newsround and Breakfast are moving to Salford, so unless BBC World News or the News Channel can find a use for the space, there is a small (in non-news terms) studio sitting empty apart from Newsnight. (Unless it becomes home to the National News I guess) However how useful it is for non-news programmes will depend on what/how much permanent set goes in - and what look any other shows are trying to achieve.

Studio D is a decent size, and has had some investment recently (new audience seating, new green rooms etc.) - and can be upgraded if needed for HD working (and 5.1?).

However how long will the BBC want to own Elstree for? Same logic behind selling TVC will apply to Elstree as well...

You could do a decent Saturday night show in Studio D - though maybe not Strictly in its current form.

Bigger issues are getting audiences to and from etc. People forget how well served TVC is by public transport.

The large studios in London are at TLS, Fountain, TVC (and Elstree if you include Studio D). There's also Maidstone studios just outside. Not sure how big the biggest studio at Teddington is. They've got TC3/4/6/8 sized studios (as witnessed by the shows that have moved between TVC and Teddington) I think - but not sure they've got a TC1/TLS Studio 1/Fountain equivalent?

Opinions vary.

Most would agree that :

TC1-8 are "proper" studios. TC2/5/7 are deemed small (used mainly for sport, news and kids shows with standing sets - but increasingly by other shows that have downsized), TC3/4/6/8 are deemed medium and TC1 large. They all have proper high, saturated lighting grids, are on ground level with large scene dock doors, access to the ring road, and are the real deal in studio terms. TC1,4,6 and 8 are all HD - and the others can be upgraded temporarily as required.

TC0 was a music/sound recording studio (just sound - no pictures) and was originally called TMS (Television Music Studio I believe), but never really used as such (despite huge amounts of expensive sound gear), and the acoustic wasn't great for TV. It never really had a proper gallery for any of its life (and initially the sound desk was still in its own control room when the studio was used for TV shows which needed a gallery so alternative space was used) TC12 and TC13 were both sort of in that space as well - one was just a gallery for Nelly Nut ISTR. All are now effectivey under R&Ds control. Never really proper studios, now used for research into new technology for production.

TC9 was a bespoke build for CBBC presentation, and part of the restaurant block (so close to the Blue Peter garden). When CBBC pres vacated it was used for some other studio shows - but it doesn't have a hugely flexible space, and has the usual lighting issues of conversions.

TC10 and TC11 were formerly N1 and N2 news studios on the 6th floor. They have lower lighting grids (one end of TC11 is a former scene store and very low) than TC1-8 and are smaller than TC2/5/7. They only have access for set via lifts (which have been known to be very temperamental). They are OK - but very low-end in kit terms. N3 no longer exists.

The facilities that will be most missed are no doubt the TC1 and TC3/4/6/8 sized studios, though TC2 and TC11 also have shows that suit their space.

The irony is that a large chunk of the current work coming from TVC is for ITV or Channel Four...

The BBC have shifted large chunks of their stuff to Pacific Quay (Lottery shows, Tonight's The Night) and Cardiff (Crimewatch) - and Graham Norton comes from TLS (just as he did in his C4 days..), though some BBC shows like Watchdog, Pointless and of course the TC1 shows are still there.

Other shows - The One Show and Film 2011 for instance - come from alternative BBC owned sites in London in converted office space.

I suppose general election coverage will be done from the biggest studio in Broadcasting House then, right?