ITV abandons the South Bank

Lorraine and Loose Women share same studio? Does this mean there are two sets for each programme in one big studio or are the sets built up and taken down every day?

The land on which the site resides was originally owned by Lambeth council, and the building was owned by the CIN properties (the Coal board pension fund at the time). We know itv bought the building recently - but who owns the land on which it is built?

I think Lambeth would be happy for the whole site and Gabriels Wharf next door to be developed. Perhaps something may involve a joint development as a whole. Who knows at this stage.

TC1, Elstree Studio D, The George Lucas Stages, Maidstone, Salford all available or will be to fill the gap.

I'm sure there was some intention to redevelop the IBM building next door too. Could make a nice riverside mixed use development that too

I'm surprised at this news as The London Studios always seems to be quite busy, the amount of shows where you see "Facilities - The London Studios" in the credits, on all channels, means that I thought it was the 'go to' location. I assumed it was popular with programme makers as a good site to make programmes in as well and presumably competitively priced.

Studio 1 is iconic, with the wall half way up the seating which you see on Takeaway, Graham Norton and back in the day on Blind Date, An Audience With. As already mentioned it, ITV have been making a fuss about the building lately, whether it's all the behind the scenes usage on Takeaway, or the opening titles of GMB.

The closure of TVC caused a stir, and now is the imminent reopening the main cause for this, as suddenly there will be more studio space available in London.

It's not good timing when you consider ITV's most flagship show that comes from TLS starts on Saturday.

I know alan sugar's amsprop company bought it some years back (the ibm building) and leased it back to ibm. I know he subsequently put it back on the market, I don't know who owns it now. It was originally the home of the printing presses for one of londons evening papers.

Makes sense then. All the experience and expertise will be lost. Not sure there is much logic on building and kitting out new studios, recruiting a new team and rebuilding the business ( TLS). A shame none the less.

Well, not everyone working in broadcasting works on the studio floor or in the gallery - there are loads of people working in development, scriptwriting and so on, the creative side of television, which doesn't take place in studios or production galleries, it takes place in offices. You don't always feel creative staring at a blank wall in an asbestos-filled shed.



I don't really understand this, the BBC have their news department and many other staff in the same building. Surely it's quite exciting to have the buzz of a live newsroom in the building?



I don't think this is very interesting at all, I'm afraid. They can change (and have changed) the sets even if they stay at LWT. All long-running programmes change their sets frequently, they don't need to move studios to do that.

That is true, but the difference is that BBC News is just BBC. ITN isn't. It's its own business with other customers. Depends how big the new building will be, but would they want another company, albeit a connected one, in it

I think we're all avoiding the most important question here: What will the VO say on the GMB TOTH?

In all seriousness I think this is an interesting move for ITV and definitely a shame considering the history that that place has. I'm surprised that this isn't a good time to run a central London based studio when you take into account the closures over recent years.

As for ITV Daytime, I can see them doing some kind of combo set depending on how long they'll be in the temporary studio. I mean (for example) GMB and Lorraine using the same set just lit differently. Wouldn't it be ironic if GMB were to move to Salford.

Sad to see another one bite the dust and I do wonder if the daytime shows will ever actually return, although really ITV is probably defined by those more nowadays than by primetime studio shows. The gameshows tend to move about anyway and are easier to film outside London than shows involving celebrity guests or music acts, and those such shows rarely number more than one a week, though they will have SNT and The Voice back to back for a few weeks in the months ahead. I think of their live primetime shows only SNT is actually filmed at TLS anyway.