Ten Minutes In... ATV Centre Birmingham

The Crossroads Appreciation Society are given a camera, and then spend time wandering around the former ITV Midlands studios known as ATV Centre. The former home of ATV, and more recently Central TV.

This is a version that isn't narrated.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• ATV
• Centre
• Birmingham
• Central
• Television
• ITV
• Midlands

[Feisty1967]

When did ATV studios Birmingham actually open? I know they were building them in '69 as I saw from a previous video I viewed. I assume that all episodes of Crossroads before early '70s would be filmed at Elstree?

[ATVNETWORKLIMITED]

@Feisty1967 ATV's first studios in Birmingham were in Aston Cross and were co-owned with ABC TV Midlands. Alpha TV Studios, which ironically the ATV-ABC funded office block is still standing (and in use) long after its replacement closed. The studio section was demolished and is now a Staples Store. Postcode B6 4DA in Google Maps will take you to the building.

[ATVNETWORKLIMITED]

Just on the comment about the hallways being dark, (The comment has suddently disapeared YT messing about I guess) the studios lit up - bar Studio 1 A - as the bulbs hadn't fused, it seems the hallway ones had been left on as some were glowing at the edge of the bulbs but had all now (Well after ten years on and no repairs going on) had conked out.

[morgansifer]

ATV studios were opened in 1970 by Princess Alexandra. Back then they were the most sophisticated TV studios in Europe. Sad to see how they were allowed to decline to this and subsequent demolition. 37 years is not a very long time.

[DaveyC95]

This is interesting. Don't really remember ATV. It ceased before i was born, but have seen ATV made programmes and the ident which creaks a bit now but is still fab. I did a media studies degree,part of which was a project i did was on ITV regions. All that history and effort and regional brand identity and quality now gone. It is sad and i hate ITV1.

[Feisty1967]

@ATVNETWORKLIMITED Thanks for that info.

[053bss]

There's some nice footage inside the auditorium here on YouTube from an episode of Spitting Image. Search: Spitting Image - Liberal Democrats Meeting.

[sergioMillenovecento]

GREAT

[MsEd209]

yellowbelly06 thanks for your comments but you've basically just said what standenberg said over a year ago.

[ATVNETWORKLIMITED]

@AidanLunn Sorry for the delay, the studio seating can be made out at the point of the pine unvarnished wood running down the right wall.

This was used to make the area look nice for gameshows. There is a photo of the studio in operation and it has 'The Golden Shot' in lights down that wall.