UPDATE! Sleuthing to discover new house plans - GARDEN STUDIOS?!

[Sawyer]

Some of you may find this interesting. I managed to find the original Big Brother 2002 house planning application on the Hertsmere council website.

https://www6.hertsmere.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=ZZZZZ8IFJV362

The application was submitted in December 2001, for a May 2002 launch, so they had approx 5 months to turn it around from a disused water tank, to a functioning Big Brother house.

Anyway... I have been keeping an eye on planning applications for Bovingdon, despite current rumours that it BB2023 will not be there, I have kept an eye nonetheless. I will now look over other council websites to see what I can find and I'll keep you posted.

Side note: If a standalone, purpose built house is to be constructed, they will have to submit planning applications for public view... a good example of this is what BBC Elstree has just done down the road with the demolition of the old EastEnders lot, and have just submitted plans for new sets (for EastEnders) to be built on the old lot. I'll include the link below so you can see what I mean.

https://www6.hertsmere.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=RHQSL6IFMKG00

Just thought I'd let you all know... a bit of crowd sourced sleuthing might help us find something sooner.

[Sawyer]

I have gone through every TV studio in and around London with backlot facilities, looked at their borough council website and searched for the studio on the respective planning website, and nothing... I just cannot see that the house will be a standalone building, with it being inside an existing building more likely (see, scared of the dark)

Studios ive looked at
Longcross
3 mills
Elstree
Pinewood
Shepperton
Cardington
Farnborough
Arborfield
Bray
Warner Bros, Leavesden
Bovingdon
Sky Studios Elstree

Also looked at Media City and Space in Manchester.... nothing!

[BBDodge]

I've been checking the Hertfordshire local council planning sites every week. I'll just leave it to Sawyer as he has it covered!

[Sawyer]

Hahaha feel free to help out! ��

[arista]

Is it not a Kent Studio area
ITV have Hired.?

[Sawyer]

Is it not a Kent Studio area
ITV have Hired.?

Where did you hear this?

Just had a look on Maidstone Borough Council for Maidstone studios - nothing on there

[Sawyer]

Also tried


London North Studios, Mill Hill
Apple/MBS Film Studios, Aylesbury
Shinfield Studios, near Reading
Sky/Universal Studios, Elstree
Winnersh Film Studios
Wycombe Film Studios (Wycombe Air Park)
RD Studios, Park Royal
Troubadour Brent Cross Studios
Eastbrook Studios, Dagenham
London Film Studios, Enfield
Sunset Waltham Cross Studios
Marlow Film Studios
Hertswood Studios, Borehamwood
Holyport Studios, near Maidenhead

[Sawyer]

Job posting indicated house will be in London

https://twitter.com/LukeelkinsTV/status/1655967650579730433?s=20

[Sawyer]

https://www.thetalentmanager.com/tv-jobs/56862/line-producer-live

This job posting also confirms that on location shooting will be London Based

[BigAsher]

That job posting was only put up 4 days ago. I wonder whether that means they have secured a location now

[BBDodge]

Most studios are in or around London. When the revamp was first announced last year they were said to be looking at 3 sites in the London area. The staff already hired would have been hired on the basis of the show being there so this new job ad doesn't add anything to that.

[Sawyer]

https://twitter.com/bigblagger/status/1658365521484554240?s=20

Looking at their website, it appears the house will be inside a soundstage with the garden potentially attached to the rear.

Orchard or Lilly campus looks to be the most likely, with space to the rear of both that would provide space for an external garden.

https://www.gardenstudios.io/lily-garden-studios

https://www.gardenstudios.io/orchid

I'm disappointed that it won't be a purpose build standalone house, but what can you do?!

I have looked at Brent Borough Council, which is where Garden Studios HQ is, and there are no new planning applications since 2021. Whether or not they would need to submit planning to attach a garden or not, is another matter :shrug:

https://pa.brent.gov.uk/online-applications/advancedSearchResults.do?action=firstPage

[BBDodge]

Aha, we have a venue!

This is a 1-year only deal at a substitute house. If ITV pick up the series then I'm sure they will book the studio they originally intended to shoot at.

[Sawyer]

Aha, we have a venue!

This is a 1-year only deal at a substitute house. If ITV pick up the series then I'm sure they will book the studio they originally intended to shoot at.

Finally!!! Hugely disappointing we're not going to get a standalone building to see being built though...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1960000/images/_1964547_ext_c4_150.jpg

2002 was an exciting time.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1964547.stm

[Vanessa]

https://twitter.com/bigblagger/status/1658365521484554240?s=20

Looking at their website, it appears the house will be inside a soundstage with the garden potentially attached to the rear.

Orchard or Lilly campus looks to be the most likely, with space to the rear of both that would provide space for an external garden.

https://www.gardenstudios.io/lily-garden-studios

https://www.gardenstudios.io/orchid

I'm disappointed that it won't be a purpose build standalone house, but what can you do?!

I have looked at Brent Borough Council, which is where Garden Studios HQ is, and there are no new planning applications since 2021. Whether or not they would need to submit planning to attach a garden or not, is another matter :shrug:

https://pa.brent.gov.uk/online-applications/advancedSearchResults.do?action=firstPage
Omg that's not far from me. I could go in the audience. If they'll still have it. :dance:

[Glenn.]

There doesn’t seem to be much space for a garden or eviction crowd area at them sites.

[BBDodge]

Orchid 1 stage has a "Roofed outdoor shelter of 285 sq.m / 3,068 sq.ft Ideal for catering and crew services". Could be used as the smokers' area or garden.

Orchid 1 also has 2 smaller stages (Orchid 2a & 2b) within the same block. They could be used as task rooms.

[BBDodge]

This is what Orchid 1 looks like:

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.536533,-0.2668002,3a,75y,231.99h,104.46t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sq3lLK-7DrJzzsgLTD8h35Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

The bit jutting out at the front is office space. The stages are the big structure behind. There's an open area in front which could accommodate an eviction crowd.

Edit: Apologies, that's Iris Stage, not Orchid. Orchid 1 is the stage highlighted in blue in the middle of the photo above.

[Sawyer]

Plans for Orchard 1, which includes open space for garden.

I'm thinking internal eviction set/crowd and external garden is the most likely setup

They could even take all 3 orchards - 2 for eviction/launch set, 1 for the house and 3 for production

https://i.ibb.co/2yNz4Zh/Screenshot-2023-05-16-at-18-39-58.png (https://ibb.co/BtNhMn3)

[BBDodge]

‘Garden Studios is the ideal location for filming the new Big Brother series,’ a source said.

‘Not only is it London-based but it’s only been open for a year and promises the highest standard of production and also a commitment to sustainability.’

They continued: ‘Elstree Studios became famous for Big Brother and its live studio audience and bosses are hoping Garden Studios will grow to be as loved as the show’s first [sic] iconic home.’

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12088527/Big-Brother-house-location-revealed-shows-brand-new-ITV2-series-begins-autumn.html

[kingston]

Safe to say the new home base for the live audience will be a studio... They could still do an outdoor crowd but it will be much smaller than it has been in the past.

[UserSince2005]

How ironic that’s it’s called Garden studios, yet doesn’t have a garden for the house

[BBDodge]

Well they weren't going to name their facility Industrial Estate Studios.

[madman411]

This is quite BBUSA. I live near CBS Radford Studios where they produce BBUSA and have even worked on that lot before. The entire house is constructed within a soundstage and part of the car park next to the stage was modified to be the garden. I could see this being the case for the next iteration of BBUK.

Hopefully if the series is done correctly, it'll be renewed and they'll build a purpose-built house.

[arista]

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/05/16/09/71036781-12088527-image-a-10_1684226390126.jpg

[Sawyer]

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/05/16/09/71036781-12088527-image-a-10_1684226390126.jpg

How recent is this?

[Oliver_W]

How ironic that’s it’s called Garden studios, yet doesn’t have a garden for the house
Hm, there are some chav estates near me named after what they were built on - Poppy Fields, Woodland Valley, etc.

There doesn’t seem to be much space for a garden or eviction crowd area at them sites.
Probably taking the BBUSA/Canada route.

[Tony1111]

Ahh! It's so wonderful to be back on this forum, I'm really looking forward to following BB again with all you folk!

[Jodie.]

https://twitter.com/supertv247/status/1681304429184831489?s=46

[BBDodge]

Those photos above highlight different stages within the same studio complex. The Orchid campus in the green highlighted block and the Iris campus in pink.

Can't see any space for a free standing house. Must be built within one of those blocks with a garden area attached where the car parking space is.

[madman411]

Those photos above highlight different stages within the same studio complex. The Orchid campus in the green highlighted block and the Iris campus in pink.

Can't see any space for a free standing house. Must be built within one of those blocks with a garden area attached where the car parking space is.

It looks like they're going with building a house as essentially a set on a soundstage, which will likely have some sort of modification attached to it that will lead to a garden built in a car park - likely through some large loading doors that will be dressed to be a part of the interior house set.

My guess is the "live studio audience" on eviction nights will be on another set. I'm smelling BBUSA/Julie Chen vibes. I'm also going to assume the gallery (control room) will be on the 2nd stage which will likely be where the interview set will be. Maybe no walking from the car through the rowdy crowds/exiting the house to a swath of people on this iteration.

The house at Elstree was essentially in a custom built studio, but I'm not liking this format already. I'll watch and hopefully I'm pleasantly surprised. I'm glad ITV found a studio, but this one seems immensely cramped, particularly on what exterior space there seems to be available. The Bovingdon studios would've made more sense to me.

[BBDodge]

Well, this was their fallback choice. If the show had happened in the Spring it would have been at their first choice studio. Maybe that was Bovingdon, though as ITV own it I'm not sure why it would have been unavailable - is something else shooting there in October?

I hope this revival is a success and future series are commissioned so a purpose built house can be constructed with a proper garden and space for more lavish tasks.

[UserSince2005]

I dont know why they are bothering, they obviously dont have an adequate budget.

[BigAsher]

Well, this was their fallback choice. If the show had happened in the Spring it would have been at their first choice studio. Maybe that was Bovingdon, though as ITV own it I'm not sure why it would have been unavailable - is something else shooting there in October? Yeah that was what I was thinking, hopefully this is just a temporary house.