BBC Breakfast

Yeah it might have worked but difference is that a dark One Show background might be ok at 7pm but not wry inviting early in the morning for Breakfast?

I think it would be a million times better than what we have at present. It's just insulting to the intelligence to say: yes we know it's dark outside, but that's not very nice, so here's some fake clouds.

If I remember rightly the reason behind them not having a 'live' window was because the studio they were going to have faced south east(?), so at some points in the morning the sun would directly come through the window, and the smart glass wouldn't cope with it hence why they didn't go for that idea.

I think it would be a million times better than what we have at present. It's just insulting to the intelligence to say: yes we know it's dark outside, but that's not very nice, so here's some fake clouds.

Its true that the real backdrop was planned for NWT - but due to sunrise almost directly behind the set- they would have had problems in the morning - the same problems as Breakfast would have had.

To this end when Breakfast was first told that they were going the plan was to utilise the 'real' look - and they tried with auto polarizing filters on the cameras (similar to whats used in the BBC Persian service that look out onto Regents Street) but it just proved to costly and not effective enough to cope with all weather conditions - so it was then decided that NWT and Breakfast would use screens.

We had very similar issues when Marr came from the 5th floor - in the same corner of the building - for the Conservative Conference.

Not being funny, but if they're going to build £700million Media City, could they not have planned to put the studios on the other side?!

Absolute incompetence. And to think they've been making television programmes for 60 years?

Just watching NWT and think the studio looks great with their newsroom/Salford skyline background and also with the red lighting rather than orange.

Set isn't bad at all. Think it's just how the shots are framed and also the Breakfast backdrop which is the issues.

I absolutely agree with you there. Watching now and everything you say stands. I don't see why they can't use their Salford backdrop in a more 'breakfast' colour. The whole studio does look better with better shots as well.

The backdrop is at least more believable, which is what Breakfast's backdrop desperately lacks.

I think the low ceilings are simply because this is converted office space and wasn't originally designed for a "studio". Done thoughtfully, converted office space can work well (The One Show is an example of a programme that looks extremely good considering it's not made in a space which was originally designed to house television production) AIUI, The One Show got their hands on the area early in the conversion process and so were able to keep the grid height as high as possible, put air con ducts in places that wouldn't hamper later rigging of lamps et al and install flexible cable runs for power and control.

That said, the shots I recall seeing of the area on the ground floor that was originally to be used, didn't look much higher.

That backdrop would have been brilliant - and the sun rising isn't a new phenomenon - TV shows at various times of the day around the world have had to cope with it over the years. It was never really an issue for The Big Breakfast, though it might explain why they'd randomly switch from one end of the lounge to the other end for periods.

perhaps a view out over the Internal Atrium in Quay House would be easier to light etc than an exterior view, a la BBC LDN back in the day.