BBC Elstree Centre

BBC Elstree Centre, sometimes referred to as BBC Elstree Studios, is a television production facility located on Clarendon Road in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

The site was the first of several such complexes referred to as "Elstree Studios" located in the area. Originally film studios, in the late 1950s the site was converted for use as a television studio, becoming the main production site for Lew Grade's Associated Television (ATV) franchise for the ITV network. After ATV became Central Television and moved to a new Midlands-based site, it was sold to the BBC in 1984. It is currently a production base for BBC Television with studios run by the BBC's commercial subsidiary BBC Studios and Post Production.

The site includes the external set for the long-running soap opera EastEnders and drama Holby City. With the closure of BBC Television Centre, Studio D at the site has been utilised for many of the BBC's large studio productions such as Children in Need and the BBC's 2015 General Election coverage.

The Neptune Film Company opened the first studios in Borehamwood in 1914. It contained just a single 70ft windowless stage (the first "dark stage" in England), relying on electricity from a gas-powered generator for lighting. At the time, this was an innovation, as the majority of early films were shot in large glass-roof studios which relied on natural light. It was said that Borehamwood was chosen as it had a good London train service but was far enough away to avoid the then-regular London fogs. Production ceased during 1917 and the studio was sold to the Ideal Film Company who used the site up until 1924.

During 1928, the studio was sold to Ludwig Blattner who connected it to the electricity mains and introduced a German system of sound recording. The Blattner Studio was leased to Joe Rock Productions during 1934 and two years later it purchased the site.Rock Productions built four new large stages and began making films including the drama film The Edge of the World (1937), directed by Michael Powell.

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