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Take a virtual tour of former TV studios where hit shows were made

Tony FisherBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
News imageBBC A picture taken from the production of the television programme Holby City. It features male and female actors around a stretcher with a patient on it. There are two nurses in the background played by female actors and two male actors are in the foreground helping to push the stretcher.BBC
Holby City (pictured) is one of many classic shows that were made at the now-demolished buildings

Fans of TV shows such as Holby City, Top of the Pops, The Muppet Show and Grange Hill can take a virtual wander around the now-demolished studios where they were made.

An online tour of former BBC Elstree Centre buildings has gone live thanks to a project undertaken before they were torn down as part of the site's redevelopment.

Howard Berry from The Elstree Project said, to his knowledge, this was "the first immersive capture of a British film or television studio complex of its kind".

News imageThe Elstree Project An empty TV studio.The Elstree Project
Virtual visitors can move around TV studios to view them from different angles
News imageThe Elstree Project A view of a TV studio from audience seating.The Elstree Project
Take a virtual seat where the audience once watched shows being recorded

More than 400 panoramic images were captured to create a digital record of the studio stages, dressing rooms, production offices, galleries, engineering and mixing rooms.

The buildings are shown during the final period before demolition, following asbestos surveys and intrusive checks.

News imageThe Elstree Project A high view looking down on a studio from the top of some stairs.The Elstree Project
Former productions include Holby City, The Muppet Show, Top of the Pops, Grange Hill and 'Allo 'Allo!
News imageThe Elstree Project A dressing room at a TV studio.The Elstree Project
The dressing rooms, featuring pre-demolition debris, are accessible on the virtual tour

Berry, who has been running the Elstree Project for 16 years, had a crew of 12 people from the University of Hertfordshire helping him film with a 360-degree camera.

He said the most famous and iconic thing filmed at BBC Elstree Centre was The Muppet Show.

"Most people think it was filmed in America, but it was made in Borehamwood.

"The biggest stars got on Concorde to be on The Muppet Show and that is something to be so proud of.

"It really feels quite personal when you are standing in a space knowing The Muppet Show was made there and it has entertained millions of people around the world."

News imageThe Elstree Project A corridor and studio entrance door.The Elstree Project
The corridors and studios, once bustling with action, are pictured silent and empty
News imageThe Elstree Project Racks of computer equipment with wires.The Elstree Project
Visitors can even take a look at some of the buildings' many technical areas

Berry said he had shared the virtual tour with some people in the television industry including Dave Goelz, who was the performer of Gonzo from The Muppet Show.

He said Goelz "was very emotional about seeing spaces he had worked in and never thought he would see again".

News imageThe Elstree Project Exterior of studios with buttons where users can navigate around.The Elstree Project
Users can navigate around the site by clicking on arrow buttons
News imageThe Elstree Project Hallway with pictures on the walls.The Elstree Project

The BBC Elstree Centre campus first opened as a film studio in 1914, and the other half is home to the BBC's soap opera EastEnders.

Work has begun to redevelop the former Fairbanks Building and Neptune House into a campus for the high-end TV and independent film industry.

The new facilities are expected to be operational in late 2027.

News imageHoward Berry An Art Deco white building with a clock above the entrance which is on two floors with a balcony on the top floor. "Fairbanks" is written above the entrance on the ground floor. The building overall is on three floors and has a hedge and lamps outside it.Howard Berry
The Fairbanks Building opened in 1936 and Neptune House opened in 1961
News imageOxygen Studios A computer generated image of a building on several floors which is called "Fairbanks Studios". There is a road in front of the building with people walking on it. There are trees in the foreground on either side of the picture.Oxygen Studios
The former BBC Elstree Centre redevelopment, now called Fairbanks Studios, is set for late-2027 completion

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