Broadcasting House, Salford Quays & TVC

And next week it's home to another programme about a bunch of muppets.....

In fact a great deal of ATV's output was produced there, and in the 60s had NTSC colour cameras operating in parellel with 405 b/w to produce programmes intended for both sides of the Atlantic.

ATV were 1955 to 1968 the London Weekend, and Midlands Weekday contractor.

Post 1968 the then ITA reorganised the ITV network, and ATV were reduced to Midlands, but 7 days a week.
They built a colour studio centre in Birmingham, but most of their major production continued (out of region) at Elstree.
I think The Golden Shot and Crossroads were the only two major productions shot at Birmingham ? Regional news, and network current affairs and documentaries were Birmingham.

As part of the 1982 franchise round, ATV were forced by the IBA to 'move' Elstree to Nottingham, and change the ownership of the company. Central TV was born. I think the last ATV/Central production at Elstree was Auf Wiedersehen Pet, the first BBC show, Eastenders (or was it Grange Hill) ?

Yes, it was bought specifically for EastEnders and it was used solely for that at the start.


I seem to remember from the book EastEnders The Inside Story, that Auf Wiedersehen Pet was the last production filmed there before the sale. It was filmed on the same back lot that they built Albert Square on (there's the same tower block in the background of both in fact) and the sets were still there when the BBC took over

I remember going to an open day at BBC Elstree as a kid, probably in the very early 90s. It was quite strange at the time to walk out of Albert Square, go around the corner past Frank Butcher's car lot and find yourself at the gates of Grange Hill. And then even stranger to discover that through one of the doors in the playground was the studio for Newsroom South East!

Yep, I visited the newsroom there once and it was odd looking out the window and seeing Holby hospital signs in the car park.

I've never watched Holby and am in my 40s so that building, Neptune House, is Grange Hill to me. Always seemed a bit too big to be a school, though the exterior set they moved to round the corner seemed too small.

Neptune house is the next black hole to swallow up a shed load of BBC cash.


Neptune house is the next black hole to swallow up a shed load of BBC cash.

Why, what's happening to it?

Its falling apart.

Yes - and the South Hall was a nice simple 'break line' - with TC4 the wrong side of it...



Yes - though there were suggestions at one point it could have been used as a 4-waller and exhibition space.

In the same way TVC and Pebble Mill were? Or actually falling apart and beyond refurb?

I can't imagine it's had a great deal of attention or investment over the years, it's not the most high profile of BBC buildings.

Though it's had a promient part to play in 3 TV shows over the years (though one, UFO, was years before it was a BBC building).