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ITV theme park in London

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VM
VMPhil
The Evening Standard reports:
Quote:
ITV is planning to build a mini theme park in London, giving up to 250,000 visitors a year a chance to “experience” its programmes rather than just watch them at home.

The broadcaster of shows such as Downton Abbey, Victoria, The Voice and Broadchurch has revealed it is looking for a site in Zone 1 for the visitor attraction.

A brochure issued on behalf of its “commerce and ventures” team to property industry professionals shows that the venue could include a 100-seat auditorium for “immersive cinematic presentations” and a restaurant. Visitors would also be able to look at sets, costumes and artefacts from programmes. The document is titled “A place for drama to live in London”, and comprises proposals for a “distinctive visitor experience”.

ITV said: “As part of our business we have a team which operates experiential events around our programmes, including the Emmerdale Studio Experience and This Morning Live, and are always looking at new ways to expand this and bring in new programme brands.”

Agent Lambert Smith Hampton has been hired to lead the search for a suitable site of up to 20,000 sq ft. It declined to comment today.

It is understood the plans are at an early stage, although the target launch is 2018, when Carolyn McCall becomes ITV’s first female boss. If a deal is agreed, the visitor centre could provide a major new revenue stream for the media firm, which is trying to diversify away from advertising.

https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/attractions/itv-plans-london-venue-that-could-have-downton-abbey-and-victoria-attractions-a3613121.html
CI
cityprod
April 1st was four months ago! If this is a bad April Fools prank, they're way too late.
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NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
Be interested to know how one can "experience" a programme considering TV programmes only exist on the flickering box in the corner of a living room (or bedroom, kitchen, pub or anywhere else a TV might live these days) and they all require suspension of disbelief to have the full effect...

I think this may just be another "studio tour" in sheep's clothing with the odd live performance. Anyway theme parks based on TV shows don't have specular success records behind them - Mr Blobby's theme parks for example.
MD
mdtauk
There used to be the Granada Studios Tour, but having said that ITV used to make good dramas and good programmes.

ITV has nothing worth watching, and I can't see why anyone would want some kind of attraction!
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NT
Night Thoughts
Sky has had an area at the O2 for a few years now: https://rewards.sky.com/home/sky-at-the-o2/index
HC
Hatton Cross
An add on exhibition following around something like 'This Morning Live' could work, but a 20,000sq ft space showing Jeremy Kyle's suits and some cutlery from Downtown Abbey in glass cases, and clips of Corrine shown on a loop in a badly lit exhibition space, isn't going to draw the punters in.
GE
thegeek Founding member
If only they owned a large amount of space on an area of Central London already popular with tourists...
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AG
AxG
Paramount were to open a theme park outside London, with BBC Worldwide offering some attractions such has Doctor Who, Sherlock and Top Gear. Unfortunately the project was scrapped when Paramount pulled the plug.
JA
Jake
AxG posted:
Paramount were to open a theme park outside London, with BBC Worldwide offering some attractions such has Doctor Who, Sherlock and Top Gear. Unfortunately the project was scrapped when Paramount pulled the plug.

I believe they're still planning to move forward with it, just without Paramount (although presumably they'd need another major partner).
FA
fanoftv
In a similar way to many Universal studio rides having movie tie ins, a theme park could work if we think very far outside the box. A tram that takes you on a virtual tour of coronation street, an experience to play at being judges for a talent show, a ninja warrior experience, a replica of the cube, a recreation of Downton abbey (maybe that's going too far), but as This Morning Live & the soap tours have proved there is an appetite to experience part of these shows.
WH
Whataday Founding member
Granada Studios had an alien invasion ride which used clips from News at Ten (in the queuing system I believe).

These attractions don't really work unless they're a part of a working TV environment. Granada Studios Tours would have been nothing without the real studio elements.
IS
Inspector Sands
Neil Jones posted:
Be interested to know how one can "experience" a programme considering TV programmes only exist on the flickering box in the corner of a living room (or bedroom, kitchen, pub or anywhere else a TV might live these days) and they all require suspension of disbelief to have the full effect...

You can't experience a programme but you can experience the subject of a programme - the location or its setting.

A TV programme isn't much different to a film and there's plenty of 'experiences' for them


Quote:
I think this may just be another "studio tour" in sheep's clothing with the odd live performance. Anyway theme parks based on TV shows don't have specular success records behind them

There some successful 'experience' attractions based on TV shows, Dr Who is the one that springs to mind and there's Cbeebies land.

The thing is that 20,000 feet in the centre of London doesn't really seem the right sort of place. They aren't going to get anywhere with an outside area so it will all be exhibition and cinematic. They're going to want to attract the large number of foreign tourists in London and they're going to be more interested in the likes of Downton Abbey or Doc Martin. They want to go to Port Wenn not some office space in London

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