Post by Teddy Bear on Feb 15, 2014 16:46:54 GMT
Never watched it, never likely to. What I do know about it makes me incredulous when in response to finding out that it is due to dismantle the existing set and rebuild a new one that will cost at least £15 Million, the BBC responds with: A BBC spokesman said: ‘EastEnders is hugely important to licence fee payers.
Perhaps somebody will enlighten me about just what makes this series 'hugely important'. All I understand so far is it shows the lack of vision the BBC has in what really constitutes importance to human beings.
One thing I'm very sure about - it sure isn't EastEnders.
Perhaps somebody will enlighten me about just what makes this series 'hugely important'. All I understand so far is it shows the lack of vision the BBC has in what really constitutes importance to human beings.
One thing I'm very sure about - it sure isn't EastEnders.
EastEnders set to be demolished and rebuilt from scratch at a cost to the licence fee payer of £15m
By Alisdair Glennie
The residents of Albert Square have been struggling to make ends meet for almost three decades.
Now, thanks to the BBC, they are set to get a massive cash injection, as it emerged a new EastEnders set will cost licence fee payers £15million.
The corporation was accused of trying to hide the enormous cost of the work until it was revealed in a secret tender document yesterday.
A project codenamed E20 – after the postcode of the fictional borough of Walford in EastEnders – will see the current set, built in 1984, demolished and rebuilt from scratch at the BBC’s studios in Elstree, Hertfordshire.
The tender document said the BBC was prepared to spend ‘in excess of £15million’ on the new lot, which will include a temporary set in which the soap will be filmed until a permanent home is built. The corporation is currently seeking specialist designers and architects to make sure the current set is exactly replicated, including its ‘weathered and damaged building/structure facades’.
It had previously refused to reveal the cost of the new site, which will be 20 per cent larger than the existing set, claiming the information was ‘commercially sensitive’.
The cost was criticised by Tory MP Rob Wilson, who has repeatedly questioned the amount the BBC spends on its huge property portfolio. He said: ‘Why is the existing set so unsuitable that they need to fork out £15million on a replacement?’ Last month, EastEnders executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins – who took charge of the show last year – revealed he wants the new Albert Square to ‘reflect the modern world’.
The new set will have a new high street and police station. Show bosses said it would allow ‘greater editorial ambition and improve working conditions for staff’.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘EastEnders is hugely important to licence fee payers. This is purely a tender document to give an indication of the scale of the project.’
- Corporation was accused of trying to hide enormous cost of work
- Project, codenamed E20, will see the set built in 1984 knocked down
- New site will be erected in BBC studios in Elstree, Hertfordshire
- It is believed the new area will be 20 per cent larger than its previous home
By Alisdair Glennie
The residents of Albert Square have been struggling to make ends meet for almost three decades.
Now, thanks to the BBC, they are set to get a massive cash injection, as it emerged a new EastEnders set will cost licence fee payers £15million.
The corporation was accused of trying to hide the enormous cost of the work until it was revealed in a secret tender document yesterday.
A project codenamed E20 – after the postcode of the fictional borough of Walford in EastEnders – will see the current set, built in 1984, demolished and rebuilt from scratch at the BBC’s studios in Elstree, Hertfordshire.
The tender document said the BBC was prepared to spend ‘in excess of £15million’ on the new lot, which will include a temporary set in which the soap will be filmed until a permanent home is built. The corporation is currently seeking specialist designers and architects to make sure the current set is exactly replicated, including its ‘weathered and damaged building/structure facades’.
It had previously refused to reveal the cost of the new site, which will be 20 per cent larger than the existing set, claiming the information was ‘commercially sensitive’.
The cost was criticised by Tory MP Rob Wilson, who has repeatedly questioned the amount the BBC spends on its huge property portfolio. He said: ‘Why is the existing set so unsuitable that they need to fork out £15million on a replacement?’ Last month, EastEnders executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins – who took charge of the show last year – revealed he wants the new Albert Square to ‘reflect the modern world’.
The new set will have a new high street and police station. Show bosses said it would allow ‘greater editorial ambition and improve working conditions for staff’.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘EastEnders is hugely important to licence fee payers. This is purely a tender document to give an indication of the scale of the project.’