ITV abandons the South Bank

Only if you exclude the BBC News channel.

The stupid thing is that these at TVC studios were designed, and refitted to be versatile, for fast turnaround of sets and production, not permanent standing ones. Meanwhile at Elstree the studios would be matched perfectly for these kinds of standing production.

I’m quite puzzled why some here continue to be annoyed that TV Centre has 2 studios fully booked, rather than them being mostly empty with just an odd show being made every now and then.

It is not that - it is the fact that a truly superb 8,000 Sq Ft audience based studio is now jammed with the GMB/This Morning Shows, and thus not allowing it to be available to the many shows which it could easily produce programmes from.


TC3 is a fantastic studio. I have been in it a few times before the redevelopment, it was a great studio, with a long history - just a shame that two programmes have got their feet into that studio and causing everyone else to be left out in the cold.

TC1 is a superb example of fast turnaround - Graham Norton, Jonathan Ross, upcoming Last Leg will all be made there over three consecutive days - Fantastic, just a shame TC3 could not do the same for other productions.

No-where close. ITV do 6 hours every weekday plus Peston and there's Sunday Brunch and The Last Leg.

As mentioned even in the last few years TV Centre had two news channels broadcasting from it.

If you only count the main studio block there was a lot more live in the past. At one point there was 3 hours of Breakfast 5 days a week, Saturday was live from 9am to 6pm most weeks then Noel and lottery and Match of The Day. Frost, Grandstand and On The Record on Sundays. Weekdays had live Blue Peters, Newsnight, Watchdog etc. Even BBC Choice had an hour and a half live most weekdays.

A lot more than ITV do in a week now

What other productions would you expect to use TC3 resulting in fast turnarounds, if it were available?

There are plenty of productions who would love to use TC3, panel shows, sitcoms, quiz shows especially such as The Chase, the list is endless, and could be easily produced there. TC3 is now out of action for at least another decade, as GMB/This Morning sets are permanent and can't be taken down, so other productions could use the studio at the weekend, like TC2, which can do very fast turnarounds for Peston and Sunday Brunch.

I’m pretty sure the BBC didn’t think that TC2 and 3 would be block booked for ITV with standing sets for more than a couple of years. I think i read that TC2 wasn’t initially kitted out with its own gallery and that it was to be used (at first at least) as a glorified scene dock. The plan was that the refurbished TC1 and 3 would be available for hire on fast turnaround shows. It made sense for Studioworks to take Itv’s block booking for the short term, but had they known it might be for a mid to long term standing set booking I think they may well have suggested elsewhere.

Yes - the initial TC1-3 plans were really based on the requirements of studio shows made by BBC Productions (most of which is now BBC Studios) - and effectively ignored the large number of Indies who made studio studios for the BBC (and ITV/C4/C5/Sky shows that also used the studios as they were marketed commercially) They retained the studios that they knew 'in house' productions could use effectively, but it felt like they ignored other requirements.

TC1 for the big entertainment shows (Strictly etc.), TC2 for Strictly It Takes Two, Watchdog, Crimewatch etc., TC3 for music and entertainment shows, panel shows, sit com etc.

ITV Daytime moving into TC2 and TC3 has made very sound commercial sense, but it has blown the original justification for keeping just 3 studios slightly out of the water...

And as for the most live output from TV Centre being in this era? I think when BBC World and BBC News 24 were both running continuously from TV Centre, along with Breakfast, Sport from TC5 etc. they were making more live TV on the site.

I'm not annoyed that they are booked just that they shut the rest on a lie. If the place was still standing it would be heaving and bringing in a tidy sum for the BBC (which we all own) for us to watch more programming.

It's more a case of being saddened that TC3 - one of the most flexible and versatile studios in the UK, which was designed for daily 'set/strike' production with shows going in and out and being lit overnight, is instead being used as a four waller with a standing set and no major use of its flexibility.

Irrespective of any views of the quality of the shows made in the studio, the 'waste' of one of the very few fully flexible studios in the UK is the cause of sadness to many. (Particularly LDs, Gaffers and Sparks who have to light set/strike shows in far less efficient ways than they would have if TC3 were available)

At the moment - TC3 is the only 'full flexible' medium-sized studio (i.e. perfect for panel shows, quiz shows, sit coms etc.) in London, and it's not available for use.