Teddington Studios is a large British television studio complex located in Teddington, South-West London, providing studio facilities for programmes airing on BBC television, ITV, and Channel 4 along with others. The complex also provides studio space for channel continuity.
It is now part of The Pinewood Studios Group together with Pinewood and Shepperton Studios in the UK, and Pinewood Toronto Studios in Canada, Pinewood Indomina Studios in the Dominican Republic, Pinewood Studio Berlin in Germany and Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios in Malaysia.
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The studio began in the early 20th century as film studios when stockbroker Henry Chinnery, owner of Weir House, Teddington, allowed filmmakers to use his greenhouse as a studio. Dedicated studio facilities were then built in the 1910s. The studio was greatly expanded by a partnership of filmmaker E. G. Norman and actor Henry Edwards, and renamed Teddington Film Studios Limited in 1931.
After only one production, Stranglehold (1931), the studio was acquired by Warner Brothers to turn out so-called "quota quickies" - British-made films which fulfilled a legal quota (created by the Cinematograph Films Act 1927) before American-made films could be shown. Warner Bros.-First National continued to make US/UK coproductions at Teddington until The Dark Tower (1943). One Teddington Studios production Murder at Monte Carlo (1934) with Errol Flynn in his first major film role, is considered a lost film.
By the 1950s the studio's fortunes had declined, but in 1958 it was bought by Associated British Corporation (ABC) for use as a television studio. When ABC was replaced by Thames Television (in which ABC's parent company had a 51% stake), Teddington Studios became the main production centre for Thames's entertainment programming (e.g. gameshows, children's programmes, dramas and comedy), while documentary shows, news and sports programming were made at Thames's Euston Road headquarters.
After Thames lost its broadcast franchise in 1992 to Carlton Television, the studio became independent. Without a major broadcaster or studio group owning the studios, the studios future was questioned (as Carlton was going to produce its programmes elsewhere), but it survived and stayed independent for 13 years, when in 2005, the Pinewood Studios Group bought the complex for £2.7m.[1]
The site has 8 studios in total, as well as post production editing facilities.
Studio 1 is Teddington's largest studio at nearly 8,900 square feet (827 m2). It is a fully digital widescreen studio, with audience seating for 500, making it popular for programmes such as Harry Hill's TV Burp for ITV1 and sitcoms The Green Green Grass, After You've Gone, My Hero, Reggie Perrin and Not Going Out (all for BBC1).
Other notable productions made in Studio 1 include Men Behaving Badly (ITV1), Pop Idol (ITV1), Birds of a Feather (BBC1), one series of Parkinson and Black Books (Channel 4).[2]
Historically, many classic series were recorded in Studio 1. These include all of Tommy Cooper's shows produced by Thames Television (1973-1980), The Benny Hill Show, Bless This House, George and Mildred, Man About the House and long-running light entertainment series such as This is Your Life and Opportunity Knocks. The final four series made by Morecambe and Wise were also produced at Teddington's Studio 1 by Thames Television.
Studio 2 measures nearly 5,700 square feet (530 m2) and has been the home to shows such as Today with Des and Mel for ITV1, Kilroy for BBC1 and the first series of Trisha after moving to Five. This studio is popular for programmes which require intimate medium sized space, like Bremner, Bird and Fortune for Channel Four.[3]
Studio 3 is a much smaller studio at 2,098 square feet (195 m2) and is home to many music shows productions and television commercials.
Studio 4 is a small studio at (1,475 square feet (137 m2)). Cbeebies used to own the studio before moving to MediaCityUK
Another small studio, Studio 5 currently broadcasts digital satellite channel, The Chinese Channel.[4]
Until early 2008, this is a small studio at (594 square feet (55 m2)).
Built on the site of the prop store for Studio 2, this small studio was built within weeks for participation TV channel QuizCall, whose content is produced using widescreen cameras.[5] Recently, the studio has been used for Dick and Dom's Funny Business.[6]
This studio, also small, is currently the home of HIgh Flyer which produces Racing UK.[7]
Like many studios, Teddington also includes set and prop storage, green rooms, wardrobe and makeup and provides car parking. However, many businesses are based at Teddington, providing products/services to cater for all a production's needs.
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