East Midlands

Once upon a time in television land 'Central TV' was a household name with its numerous hit game shows and popular dramas.

Even feature films were recorded inside its enormous studios in Nottingham.

Game for a laugh

Game shows became the 'bread and butter' of the Nottingham studios and celebrities made their way in chauffeured limos to host favourites like 'The Price is Right', 'Supermarket Sweep', 'Blockbusters', and the cult classic 'Bullseye'.

Jim Bowen remembers these busy times:

Jim Bowen - fond memories.

"They were the happiest 15 years of my showbiz career. We were making a massive contribution to the network and we were all walking with our heads held high."

Audio - listen to Jim's extended Inside Out interview.

Originally recorded in southern England 'Catchphrase' was another game-show that made its way north.

Roy Walker remembers the scale of the TV productions. "The studios were so grand," he recalls.

"It was like the Hollywood of the TV world - we made 26 shows in two weeks - that was how efficient everybody was!"

Sitcoms and serials

From late night to prime time, programmes were made at a relentless rate and many of the cast and crew working in Nottingham were working on sitcoms and drama.

Classics included favourites like 'Boon' with Michael Elphick and the 'Upper Hand' starring Honor Blackman.

Auf Wiedersehen - Lenton is Newcastle!

Another success story was 'Auf Weidersehen Pet', a drama based on hard up builders from Tyneside heading to Germany in search of work.

It proved to be a massive hit with the ITV audience who didn't know that Nottinghamshire often doubled for Newcastle and Dusseldorf.

Actor Tim Healy, aka 'Dennis the gaffer', told Inside Out, "The writers took a big gamble in using working class actors and I think it paid off.

"When I started the studios on Lenton Lane were thriving and it was a big part of Nottingham. I think it's so sad it's now gone!"

Take-overs and cutbacks

Around the same time another hit drama was in production.

'Shine on Harvey Moon' was set in the East End of London shortly after the Second World War and starred the popular actress Linda Robson.

Linda Robson - shining on ITV.

"It was an amazing cast and an amazing crew," says Linda.

"My career really started in Lenton Lane, so I've got such fond memories of the place."

But by the 1990s change was looming. In 1994 the media giant Carlton, which already owned other parts of ITV, increased its share in Central.

In effect it was a take-over and the old Central disappeared.

Cutbacks started and rumours emerged that the studios were under threat.

At the Crossroads

Then in 2001 after a break of 13 years Carlton decided to resurrect a classic. It cost a small fortune but the return of 'Crossroads' was seen as a life line for the Lenton Lane studios.

Initial reaction from the critics wasn’t bad but before long the new 'Crossroads' was struggling for ratings.

At a Crossroads - cast of the soap.

Kathy Staff of Nora Batty fame and one of its biggest stars famously left the show after concerns with the storylines.

She says, "It was a mistake going back really and it turned out to be a big disappointment."

The first 'Crossroads' had run for around 4,500 episodes.

'Crossroads - the return' managed around 400 before it was axed.

It was a big blow for the studios.

While the programmes for ITV’s digital channels were keeping some staff and studios busy, the low budgets weren’t enough to support the massive Lenton Lane site.

Fewer productions, reduced cash flow and yet another financial shake-up at ITV with the merger of 'Carlton and Granada' meant the studios in Nottingham were living on borrowed time.

End of the road?

Early in 2004 the news everyone feared finally became a reality. It was announced the now famous facilities on Lenton Lane would close.

The studios and site would eventually be sold off.

But this isn’t the end of the story.

2007 saw ITV’s commitment to the East Midlands weakening once more.

According to the latest plans, ITV’s regional newsrooms will reduce from 17 to nine.

Field of dreams - Central TV studios.

News programmes from the East could merge with the West Midlands taking ITV back to a news era that pre-dates Central.

These plans are still under discussion and need OFCOM’s go ahead.

But 2008 may mark the end of ITV’s commitment to a stand alone news programme for the East Midlands.

It could be the end of an era in TV production which has so many fond memories for both audiences and stars of its heyday.