This Morning

Although credit where it’s due, Borehamwood High Street is much more useful for last minute props and production bits than the South Bank! That mega Tesco Extra is a god send.

Its all a bit sad. Just a one year delay and it might have been possible to save the TVC studios - there would certainly be a business case for keeping all of them now. I'm sure those responsible who are now long gone from the BBC have had their rewards. Apparently, Zarin Patel is now chief financial officer of a company which provides customer engagement, promotions and incentives, and meetings and events' & Thompson is at the New York Times. What a legacy.

Riverside Studio at 6,500 Sq Ft will help in 2018. Apparently they will have two other studios there too which should help. Elstree operated by BBC Studioworks will be busy, as they have two 7,500 Sq Ft studios, the huge 2 George Lucas Stages and their massive Studio D, all will be needed come the closure of TLS.

Shepherds Bush and Westfield aren't bad either though

How did X Factor fare in the LH2 studios. I have heard not great things about it. They do not even have a website.

I understand your point but there's already such a disconnect between the production and the studio, they could be anywhere. Very little in the way of pre-production is still ongoing by studio day, so it might as well be in a different building.

As I said, I fully understand the need for more studio space in central London, but I also get ITV's decision and how the new complex will suit the business far better.

Yep - but the Elstree Film studios aren't as flexible as the studios at TLS/ TVC - so are far less suited to single show set/strike productions, and even Elstree D isn't really as flexible AIUI. There's a reason these studios are almost always used for set-standing productions or long-blocks of recordings.

I suspect Riverside will be a lot more flexible, but they have to factor in not working 100% as a TV Studio operation don't they? ISTR that they have to operate as an Arts Venue to as part of the covenant (or similar) on their land (which is the reason they, like Elstree, are still running TV studios and haven't turned into housing...)

Never underestimate the value of a 24 hour Tesco petrol station.
#Elstree #PukkaPies #Botulism



I presume the Elstree Bus no longer calls outside TVC!

Yes I believe it was one of the conditions of the redevelopment - which smacks me as rendering it almost useless as a credible hub for television production. To me it's the equivalent of running a broadcast operation from the local civic theatre.

This isn't new though is it? Riverside has been running this way since it re-opened as a TV operation. It still allowed them to be a successful home for TFI Friday (though this was before they had a gallery and used a BBC Resources OB truck), SM:TV Live - or was it CD:UK? (when they left TLS), The Apprentice - You're Fired etc.

You're right it's not a new regime, my point is that it being a split-purpose building would be the equivalent of laying over half of a broadcast hub such as Television Centre to residential and commercial usage.

TLS is just that - studios in London (with the necessary admin facilities on site). It doesn't have people living in the same complex, it doesn't have arts festivals popping in and out. It's a television building for television and nothing more or less than television.

Both. Though SM:TV lasted only a few months there as ITV had already axed it. CD:UK kept going for another two years. In the old building studio 1 was the big studio that was only used for TV production, there was never any theatre productions in there. Studios 2 and 3 were used for theatre and were rarely required for TV anyway. I imagine it will be a similar setup in the revamped building and considering the apparent overlap between TV and theatre didn't cause any issues previously, I doubt it will be of consequence in a brand new setup.