INDEPENDENT TELEVISION
Associated-Rediffusion (1955 - 1968)
The passing of the 1954 'Television Act' allowed for the creation of the UK's very first commercial television network. The Independent Television Authority was established and franchises were issued to different companies around the UK to operate a network of regional stations. Associated-Rediffusion became the franchisee to operate the weekday service in the London area.
Associated-Rediffusion had their headquarters at Television House in Kingsway, central London. However, to produce the majority of their programming they purchased the run down film studios in Wembley Park and set about transforming them into television studios. The two film stages were converted into four television studios, dividing each stage down the centre to create two studios, with the addition of control galleries, broadcast infrastructure and equipment stores.
Associated-Rediffusion had their headquarters at Television House in Kingsway, central London. However, to produce the majority of their programming they purchased the run down film studios in Wembley Park and set about transforming them into television studios. The two film stages were converted into four television studios, dividing each stage down the centre to create two studios, with the addition of control galleries, broadcast infrastructure and equipment stores.
Photographs of the early days of Associated-Rediffusion at Wembley
Studios 3, the smallest of Wembley's studios, boasts the honour of hosting ITV's first live programme, Johnny and Flonny, on the first morning of transmission. Associated-Rediffusion used the studios to produce shows such as No Hiding Place, Ready Steady Go!, Take Your Pick, Stars and Garters and many more in their first years of transmission.
When Associated-Rediffusion bought the studios in Wembley they developed the idea of building a much larger studio on the site. They waited until they had enough knowledge and experience of what they thought they would need and then set about designing Studio 5. Building started in December 1958 and the studio was officially opened on 9th June 1960. At the time it was the biggest purpose-built studio for television in Europe at 14,000sq ft. and was still the largest in the UK until its closure in 2017.
To demonstrate the studio’s size a massive production was staged on its opening night. Entitled An Arabian Night, it involved many animals and set pieces as well as a cast of 300.
When Associated-Rediffusion bought the studios in Wembley they developed the idea of building a much larger studio on the site. They waited until they had enough knowledge and experience of what they thought they would need and then set about designing Studio 5. Building started in December 1958 and the studio was officially opened on 9th June 1960. At the time it was the biggest purpose-built studio for television in Europe at 14,000sq ft. and was still the largest in the UK until its closure in 2017.
To demonstrate the studio’s size a massive production was staged on its opening night. Entitled An Arabian Night, it involved many animals and set pieces as well as a cast of 300.
An Arabian Night archive and photographs of the newly built Studio 5
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The soundtrack from An Arabian Night
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Excerpt which we helped produce for Gold's 'David Jason My Life On Screen' / ITV Studios
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Studio 5 was built as two separate spaces, divided by a huge soundproofed door which allowed the huge studio to be split in two. This allowed two shows to be produced simultaneously, and whenever it was needed, the huge studio could be opened up for big programmes. At the time of building the winches and motors needed to lift the 25-ton doors were sourced from the same company supplying motors to turn gun turrets on battle ships.
Studio 5's winch room and dividing doors
Studio 5 enabled Associated-Rediffusion to begin producing larger shows for the network, such as a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1964. Hippodrome, produced in 1966, also took advantage of the huge studio space on offer and was a joint production with the United States of America.
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Steve Minchin talks about his memories of the early days of ITV at Wembley.
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Keith Martin recalls his work as an announcer for Rediffusion at Wembley.
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Teddy Fader was a lighting director for Associated-Rediffusion. He wrote all of the shows that he could remember coming through Wembley on the back of old scripts. Thanks to David Fader.
London Weekend Television (1968 - 1972)
In 1968 the franchises for the companies operating the ITV network came up for renewal. The Independent Television Authority asked Associated-Rediffusion and ABC Television to merge and create a new provider called Thames Television. Thames then went on to operate the weekday franchise in London, and were based at Teddington Studios in south-west London.
The newly created London Weekend Television (LWT) took over the London weekend franchise, and used Wembley between 1968 and 1972. LWT had planned to build new studios on London's southbank which became known as The London Studios and was ITV's headquarters until their sale in 2018. The plan therefore was to only use Wembley temporarily. In these interim years LWT used Wembley to create many shows that are still popular today. On The Buses, Upstairs Downstairs, Please Sir! as well as many shows featuring the Two Ronnies and Sir David Frost, such as Frost on Sunday began their lives here.
The following photographs, archive and video content is from just a handful of the shows that LWT produced out of Wembley:
The newly created London Weekend Television (LWT) took over the London weekend franchise, and used Wembley between 1968 and 1972. LWT had planned to build new studios on London's southbank which became known as The London Studios and was ITV's headquarters until their sale in 2018. The plan therefore was to only use Wembley temporarily. In these interim years LWT used Wembley to create many shows that are still popular today. On The Buses, Upstairs Downstairs, Please Sir! as well as many shows featuring the Two Ronnies and Sir David Frost, such as Frost on Sunday began their lives here.
The following photographs, archive and video content is from just a handful of the shows that LWT produced out of Wembley:
Photographs from LWT's time at Wembley
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Barry Cryer talks about his memories of working with the Two Ronnies and Sir David Frost at Wembley
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Tony Nuttall recalls working for Rediffusion and LWT at Wembley
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Martin Kempton explores the entire history of Wembley Park Studios
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When LWT left Wembley in 1972 the studios fell into a state of disrepair until their next occupant came along some years later...
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