BBC Television Centre
Friday, 9th September 2005 by James Turnbull
The BBC Television Centre in London was the first purpose built television production building in the world and the filming location for many of the BBC's great shows including Doctor Who and Fawlty Towers. In the centre of the 'concrete doughnut' there is a statue of Helios, the Greek god of the sun.
Thanks: Paul Dias & Si Calcutt
Sorry to be a pedant but we are very proud here in Manchester. The first purpose built television facility was the Granada Studios in Manchester, built in 1956. Home to Coronation Street it also saw the first tv appearence by both the Beatles and the Sex Pistols. See it here
View Placemark
I love Doctor Who. Heck when I was London I walked right by where they shot an entire scene in the first ep. I also walked by the BBC studios as well.
BBC TV Center is equally impressive from underground, I got lost in the basement, looking for a meeting room, for a good half an hour before someone took pity on me 🙂
i love you northen git,
shame they stopped the tours of granada they were great
As a follow up to Northern Git, Television Centre was the “BBC’s” first purpose-built centre for television production (29th June, 1960).
Baird Television Ltd. made Britain’s first television broadcast on September 30, 1929 from its studio in Long Acre, London via the BBC’s London transmitter.
The BBC began its own regular television programming from the basement of Broadcasting House, London on August 22, 1932. (between Oxford Street and Regents Park, still the BBC’s Headquarters and home of BBC Radio)
After a series of test transmissions and special broadcasts that began in August, regular BBC television broadcasts officially resumed on November 2, 1936, from a converted wing of Alexandra Palace in London.
Oooodles more info is here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_One
and here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/keyfacts/stories/broadcasting_house.shtml
the bbc tv centre is actually shaped like a question mark (according to the tours that they run there).