The London Studios
The London Studios (also known as 'The London Television Centre') is a television studio complex which forms a part of London Weekend Television's London Television Centre in the heart of London. It is situated on the South Bank next to IBM and the Royal National Theatre.
History
When LWT succeeded ATV for the London weekend ITV franchise in 1968, it bought Associated-Rediffusion's old studios at Wembley (now known as The Fountain Studios). These studios were originally film studios and dated back from the 1920s. Although successfully converted for TV in the 1950s, the new LWT wanted its own, new, modern studios and so designs were soon drawn up.
The site for the development was chosen besides the new Royal National Theatre on the South Bank of the River Thames. It was purchased in 1969 and construction work commenced in 1970 with the centre opening for transmission in 1972, although it was not fully operational until 1974. At that time it was the most advanced television centre in Europe. The builders were Higgs and Hill Limited.
Building
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The studios are easily recognisable by the distinctive 21 storey black and white layered tower (called Kent House), standing proud in the London skyline. Sandwiched between the tower block and the River Thames is the main studio block, housing the three largest studios (1, 2 and 3), the restaurant, the studio cafe, offices, make-up and wardrobe.
On the east side of the site, there is a neighbouring building called Gabriel's Wharf. Previously belonging to Younger's Brewery, this three storey building was added later to the site as a scenery store. When This Morning (a live daytime television programme) moved from its studio in Liverpool, 3000 square feet from the first storey on the riverside was converted into a studio (named studio 8).
Besides studios, the site houses programme production offices, edit suites, dubbing suites, VTR studio booths and graphic booths.
Studios
There have been a total of 9 different studios during the complex's lifespan, but currently there are seven. It should also be noted that there are weather studios producing the ITV national, and some of the network's regional, forecasts.
Studio 1
The largest studio on the complex measuring 8,350 sq ft (776 m2). This studio is home to programmes such as Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, The Graham Norton Show and Al Murray's Happy Hour. The studio has a permanent fixed balcony seating area, which along with movable seating, the studio can accommodate audiences of nearly 600. This makes the studio popular for large audience based shows.
Studio 2
The second largest on the complex measuring 7,271 sq ft (675.5 m2) houses Have I Got News For You and Don't Forget the Lyrics!. The studio can accommodate large audiences of up to nearly 400. The studio can also be used as a bare shell as the audience seating structure can be moved out.
Studio 3
This studio measures 3,136 sq ft (291.3 m2) and houses daily chatshow Loose Women, ITV Sport Specials and Katie & Peter: Unleashed. The studio has also been the home to some news/current affairs shows. The studio can accommodate audiences of up to 150. The studio also has an "in-the-round" seating with up to 108 audience capacity, with the presenters and set in the middle with the audiences seated around them.
Studio 4
Located in the tower block, LWT’s in-vision continuity was broadcast from here until out-of-vision continuity was introduced, when studio 4 was closed. It has since been converted back to offices.
Studio 5
Based at the bottom of Kent House, this studio measuring 2,268 sq ft (210.7 m2) is currently used by GMTV.
Studio 7
Located in the studio block on the river's bank, this studio presents panoramic views over the London skyline, including St. Paul’s Cathedral, through its floor-to-ceiling windows. Measuring 2,050 sq ft (190 m2), studio 7 was home to the London News Network’s local news bulletins from 1993 until 2004. It was built in 1993 for the newly created London News Network, a company which provided local news for the ITV Network in London. Prior to 1993, LWT, the London weekend ITV franchisee, had produced news bulletins for London on Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays from studio 10, whilst Thames Television had provided its own news during the rest of the week from its own studios. Independent Television News succeeded LNN in 2004 though, and London’s local news is now produced in their studios on Grays Inn Road. It is commonly used now as a rehersal room.
Studio 8
This studio, located besides the main complex in the building known as Gabriel’s Wharf is 2,958 sq ft (274.8 m2). Daytime show This Morning has occupied this studio since the show moved to London from Liverpool in 1996. It has 3 large windows overlooking the Thames which appear silver from the outside, restricting people being able to see in from the outside and reducing glare inside.
Studio 9
This small studio was used when ITV2 used in-vision announcers and was located next to studio 7. It is now used for the studio's tapeless recording system allowing editors to edit programmes shortly after they have been recorded.
Studio 10
Studio 10 was on the 10th floor of the tower and was used for London’s weekend and Friday evening’s local news (produced originally by LWT) as well as Crime Monthly before studio 7 was built. In 2003 the studio was converted into offices. The studio is visible from the south bank by looking towards the tower with your back facing St. Paul's cathedral and noting the studio’s windows (which are slightly blue and more clear compared to the other windows).
There has never been a 'Studio 6' on the complex.
ITV
The studios were originally built by the London weekend ITV franchise holder, London Weekend Television. In 1993 Carlton Television won the London weekday franchise from Thames Television, but unlike Thames, Carlton didn’t have any of their own studios or property. Carlton therefore rented space in the tower from 1993 for their own post production and continuity facilities. The rental agreement continued until 2002 when an agreement was reached for Carlton to be permanently based within space used by LWT and for the two to work together as ITV London.
Since 2002, all the ITV plc-owned regions' continuity before national programmes has been presented from the London Studios, as well as continuity before regional programmes in the following regions: Meridian, Westcountry, HTV West, Anglia, the unofficial ITV Thames Valley region and HTV Wales. The complex also houses the continuity of ITV plc's digital channels ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and Men & Motors. The site also handled the playout of all the above until 2007, when the service was outsourced to Technicolor Network Services (TNS) (owned by Thomson). The play-out is now run from TNS's broadcast centre in Chiswick.
TNS now provides network feeds to transmission centres in Leeds (home of the Northern Transmission Centre, which was also taken over by TNS as part of the deal), Glasgow (STV), Belfast (UTV) and St. Helier (Channel Television - which also receives a feed of Meridian Television).
ITV Productions
In 1994, Granada Television took over LWT, thus acquiring the building. When ITV franchises were permitted to take one another over in the 1990s (which had previously been restricted), Carlton and Granada, between the two companies, eventually owned all the franchises in England and Wales. By the time the two companies merged in 2004, all of Carlton’s studios had either been sold, or were surplus to requirement, so were sold soon after. Although the companies merged, and are now one (called ITV plc), Granada still exists as a subsidiary of ITV plc, and own all ITV plc’s studios (wholly in Leeds and London, jointly in Manchester).
Today the studios produce the bulk of original ITV Productions’ programmes, but anyone can hire the studios, meaning the studios are often seen on other channels’ programmes.
The Met Office weather studios which provide national weather forecasts are also based at the London Studios, as well as ITV Creative who promote programmes on the ITV network.
Studio programming
The London Studios is home to many popular game, chat and comedy entertainment programmes. Full list of shows, studio used and network below.