Is moving shows out of London good for the licence payer?

So in their latest attempt to fudge the figures for programmes produced out of London (and England), the BBC are relocating several shows around the country - notably moving Casualty and Crimewatch to Cardiff, The Weakest Link to Glasgow. with Imagine and Question Time also moving to Scotland, while Panorama and religious programmes move to Northern Ireland. And of course, it makes sense to produce the Chelsea Flower Show in Birmingham.

And in addition the BBC are in the process of moving CBBC, BBC Sport and 5 Live up to Manchester.


Of course the BBC shouldn't be just based in London, but is there really any benefit to the viewers in relocating shows just for the sake of reaching a quota level.

And more importantly, is it any good for the regions these programmes are moving into - surely the idea of any quota is to get programmes commissioned in the nations and regions, not for them to make London's cast offs.


As correctly pointed out, not all shows mentioned are made in Central London - but surely it's even more of a farce just moving Casualty across the Severn from Bristol so that BBC Wales is producing more.

As far as I can tell they've been doing pretty well without it in the last few years, and arguably having a serial drama based their will only serve to inhibit their production of the quality drama series that have been coming out of BBC Wales over the last few years.

Casualty is already produced in Bristol Brekkie, so not moving from London.

Isn't Weakest Link already made outside of (Central) London at Pinewood, or is it Elstree (not Beeb Elstree) ?

According to Private Eye, the BBC employees moving from London to Manchester get the following benefits (all licence fee funded):

> 15% discounted Virgin train travel London - Manchester
> 1st Class Virgin Train travel London - Glasgow for less cost than standard single
> guaranteed house purchasing scheme
> £9000 furniture and fittings allowance
> relocation grant
> legal fees covered

I'd take all that for a change of scenery!

Oh yes, that's made at Pinewood.

Some of the shows moving, I simply cannot see the benefit to. Question Time may not get counted as an outside London production in the figure, but in the fact that it gets out and around the country means it does far more for UK wide participation than anything else.

Is the reason for Casualty moving more associated with allowing the programme to be produced in HD.

What aspects of Panorama will actually move to Belfast?

Here's an article showing which programmes are going where...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/15/bbc-television2

The Weakest Link

• Imagine to be executive produced from Glasgow

• Question Time

• At least one Saturday night Lottery Show to be made in Pacific Quay, plus one made by a Scottish independent producer

All from Glasgow? that is all pointless?? I take it, there just moving the Question time office to scotland, where many issues have no reflection on scotland, seems like a poor choice!

I think The Weakest Link may get the axe out of this!

Lotto show are already bad enough!

Being a bit harsh there? With BBC Scotland's recent move then they should be adapted to do more.... Remember they did do The Saturday Show and the last batch of Live And Kicking episodes were produced at BBC Scotland.

Although in saying that the Lottery Show This Time Tomorrow was awfully edited so i'll give you that one

BBC Bristol seem to be making a few programmes now a days with Bargin Hunt being one.

With regards to Question Time office being moved up north, might be a bad decision if Scotland get independence and our own BBC

Saturday Show and the last batch of Live And Kicking episodes were both bad,

I know BBC scotland CAN do good programmes but sending up rubbish will not help. which is a shame

Yeah, the Saturday morning shows never felt the same when they were done from Glasgow.


What's the deal staffing wise with all this - there seems little point in moving things out of London if they're just going to take the staff with them (at our expense!).

Does it matter where they're filmed and is it actually that noticeable? Most viewers don't care anyway, just as long as they're on.