Granada Studios
Granada Studios is a television studio complex and events venue on Quay Street in Manchester, England, with the facility to broadcast live and recorded television programmes. The studios were the headquarters of Granada Television from 1956 to 2013. After a period of closure, five of the six studio spaces reopened in 2018. The studios are the oldest operating purpose-built television studios in the United Kingdom pre-dating BBC Television Centre by five years.
| Manchester Studios (All Studios) | |
|---|---|
Granada Studios | |
Granada House with the original two-storey studios in the foreground pictured in 2006. The broadcasting tower and the red Granada TV logo on Granada House have since been removed. | |
| Former names | The Manchester Studios Granada (1956–1971) 3SixtyMedia Studios (2000–2013) |
| Alternative names | Manchester Studios All Studios Manchester |
| General information | |
| Type | Events Venue Television studios |
| Location | Manchester, United Kingdom |
| Address | Quay Street Manchester M60 9EA |
| Coordinates | 53.478879°N 2.255808°W |
| Current tenants | All Studios |
| Construction started | 1954 |
| Completed | 1962 |
| Inaugurated | 3 May 1956 (first broadcast) |
| Renovated | 1987 (for Granada Studios Tour) 2006 (to Bonded Warehouse) |
| Renovation cost | £3m (1987) |
| Owner | Allied London and Manchester City Council |
| Landlord | Allied London (All Studios) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Ralph Tubbs |
| Other designers | Sidney Bernstein |
They were previously home to the world's longest-running serial drama, Coronation Street, as well as other long-running shows such as the quiz show University Challenge and the current affairs documentary series World in Action. As well as being the oldest television studios in the United Kingdom, the studios also held the Beatles' first television performance in 1962 and the first general election debate in 2010.
Until 2010, the main building, Granada House, had a red neon "Granada TV" sign on the roof, which was a landmark for rail passengers travelling from the west into Manchester city centre. A broadcasting tower was erected at the behest of Sidney Bernstein to give the studios an embellished and professional appearance. The three largest studios each covered over 4,500 square feet (420 m2).
The studios were managed by ITV Studios and BBC Resources through a joint venture company, 3SixtyMedia from 2000 until 2013. After a dip in production during the early 2000s, the studios underwent a revival from 2009 until their closure. Countdown moved to Manchester from the Leeds Studios in 2009 and the facility had numerous new commissions including The Chase, Divided, Take Me Out and High Stakes.
The studios closed in 2013, and ITV Granada and ITV Studios moved to Dock10's studios at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays. Later that same year, the Granada Studios was sold for £26 million to Allied London and Manchester City Council. Allied London's initial plans for the site involved transforming the studios into residential space. However, plans were changed in 2017 to maintain the studio complex due to demand, and most studio spaces were reopened in 2018. Although there were calls to preserve the old Coronation Street exterior set, it was demolished as part of redevelopment work in 2017. Other areas knocked down were Studio 4 and the remaining Granada Studios Tour entrance. The studios' former office block, Granada House is being converted into a hotel and office space.