This Morning

The pillars are indeed still grey and not orange where the This Morning studio was, after all these years.

What's Cooking is a smaller restaurant next door to Panam. Both units formed the This Morning studio.

Historic in television terms but not exactly an example of architectural excellence.

I agree that the replacement isn't that interesting or original but it's arguably a lot nicer than what's there now.

Yes, I'd argue with that. I think the existing building is rather splendid. But it is just my opinion.

I think it's a shame to see the studios go and I was initially stunned at the announcement but when you look at the current business, the building is not fit for purpose. Unlike similar proposals in the past, I find myself nodding away at the reasons for replacing LTVC listed in the marketing blurb.

The facilities business ( TLS) is an unnecessary distraction that needs a lot of attention in order to keep afloat. And it doesn't make any sense for ITV to retain several large studios for its own productions, when it can hire them as and when needed.

My main opposition to what happened to TVC was based on the lunacy of dispersing talent across the country rather than having a central 'factory'. When TVC closed we were overwhelmed with stories of how "this show got commissioned because so and so spoke to so and so in the gents". ITV's proposals facilitate that sort of thing happening. And that's a true TV factory, one where creative people come together and work on ideas.

As far as the design is concerned, I know these big glass buildings are not everyone's cup of tea but I think it's important for ITV to have its own modern Google-esq HQ in an era it will be competing with the likes of Amazon, Netflix and god knows who in future.

I'm the first to feel nostalgic when it comes to this sort of thing, but I'm quite excited to see ITV (Plc) finally gets its own purpose built HQ, rather than having to make do with one designed for a company whose own purpose changed by the time it was completed.


http://itvsouthbank.com/img/proposal1.jpg

There's the rub though. TLS, TVC, Fountain and Teddington WERE the decent studios available for hire in London. Soon we'll just have TC1 (once TC3 is bought out by ITV. TC2 is too small for most shows).

There are very few other proper studios available in/around the capital... There are converted film studios - but they aren't the same as purpose-built TV studios. Even if you put a decent TV floor in and a half-way decent lighting grid, the converted film studios simply aren't as flexible. They're fine for 'set standing' productions like long runs of game shows, but are a terrible fit for one-off weekly shows that are shot close to TX (HIGNFY, Norton, Jonathan Ross, Strictly, X factor etc.).

Riverside can't re-open soon enough - but still leaves a huge gap in the market. ITV and other producers don't have a huge amount of choice 'to hire them as and when needed'. Increasingly I know studios have waiting lists for some shows, and PMs - and even commissioners - are having to schedule heavily around studio availability as much as anything.

However the reality of the London property bubble means that unless broadcasters own and operate studios - nobody well. (They aren't financially viable operations with property prices as they are - though that doesn't mean broadcasters operate them at a loss, just that they have an asset they haven't monetised to its highest value)

I agree with everything Noggin has posted.

I still dont see whats wrong with Elstree or Maidstone?

The case for whether London needs more studio space is separate to the case for ITV needing to retain their own studios.

You could argue that a huge list of shows, including Saturday Night Takeaway, Norton, Jonathan Ross etc. are all either produced directly by ITV studios or at least one of their in-house labels. Why on earth would you dispense with what's on your doorstep?

Studios 1 & 2 are probably the defacto best-designed studios in the whole of the UK. The lighting grid and ground-floor galleries make life so much easier for LDs, sparks, producers/directors. The audience balcony and studio size are perfect for pretty much all requirements -, particularly with light entertainment shows. I suppose 'event tv' calls for the bigger spaces, but these are nowhere near as resourceful.

I refute that the argument for keeping the studios is merely political and has little to nothing to do with their expense or 'long term planning'. In fact, I'm pretty certain that The London Studios runs at a profit (albeit a small one). Anyway, I digress. This has gone wildly off-topic.

Well, for audience shows, The London Studios benefits greatly benefits from being just minutes from a tube station (on several lines) and surrounded by umpteen shops and restaurants, which makes it massively convenient for stars, production teams and audiences. TVC has certainly improved in recent years in that regard too in terms of increased accessibility with more tube lines and Westfield. Not just does that make it easier and more pleasant for audiences, it also means people can get across London dead quick (like how some of Norton's guests come straight from a premiere).

Meanwhile, for all its fine qualities, Borehamwood High Street is not quite the same. And Maidstone is in Maidstone.

Try getting there by public transport, or more importantly, getting home from there after an evening recording. Elstree is better set than Maidstone, but both TVC and TLS have decent tube, bus and cab options capable of coping with large volumes of audience.

Big problem TVC now has is that there is no real solution for talent transport. If you need to have a large number of cabs waiting to take talent home - the new Wood Lane set-up is not-great...