Tales of Television Centre, a BBC Four documentary from 2012, gets one nostalgic for a place of work even if one did not work there. The sprawling complex wasn't merely a place of work, just as importantly, as pointed out by several interview subjects, it was a place of immense creativity.
BBC Television Centre — located in White City, West London — was a hotbed of television production for over half a century (1960 to 2013), and its ultimate reconfiguration remains a touchy subject for many Brits. "Why?"
With the help of British television entertainment luminaries such as David Frost, Brian Blessed, David Attenborough, Peter Davison, and Terry Wogan, the how, where, and why are covered briskly but with some necessary detail. And with a lot of smiles.
The Centre was a culture all its own. Magic was in and on the air.
I wish I had worked there. (Here in Toronto we have the CBC's boring Canadian Broadcasting Centre. Only in Canada, eh? Pity.) Many presenters (hosts), actors, comics, technicians, designers, writers, and producers are thankful they did. There's that wistful nostalgia one expects to wrap up a ninety-minute telly documentary titled Tales of Television Centre.
With the help of British television entertainment luminaries such as David Frost, Brian Blessed, David Attenborough, Peter Davison, and Terry Wogan, the how, where, and why are covered briskly but with some necessary detail. And with a lot of smiles.
The Centre was a culture all its own. Magic was in and on the air.
I wish I had worked there. (Here in Toronto we have the CBC's boring Canadian Broadcasting Centre. Only in Canada, eh? Pity.) Many presenters (hosts), actors, comics, technicians, designers, writers, and producers are thankful they did. There's that wistful nostalgia one expects to wrap up a ninety-minute telly documentary titled Tales of Television Centre.
On a humorous final note, I must mention that one thing I found obvious in the building's architectural style was the overall "Soviet" vibe. This uncanny overtone is brought up by a few interviewees. The similarities are striking. (Does it mean anything?)
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After closing in March of 2013, the complex was refurbished, opening anew in 2017 with residential apartments ("flats"), and retail and office space. However, BBC Studioworks maintains three studios, allowing the "Beeb" to live on in parts with a continuing electronic stake in the property.
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