The Maidstone Studios

The Maidstone Studios, formerly called TVS Television Centre, is a television studio complex with radio studio facilities based at Vinters Park in Maidstone, Kent UK. It is home to a varied selection of independent British television programming including quiz shows such as Catchphrase and popular children's shows such as CITV's Art Attack. From 2011, the Maidstone Studios is the home of popular ITV dating show Take Me Out.

ITV
The site was first chosen by the then incumbent South of England ITV company Southern Television in 1979, and purchased the following year, for a proposed new studio facility should they win the Independent Broadcasting Authority contract for the South and South-east of England in 1981. However, following the loss of their franchise, they sold the site to the successful applicant Television South (TVS) at a premium. In fact it was part of the agreement between TVS and the IBA that TVS must provide a studio facility for the South East region if TVS were to win the contract (although Maidstone was not specified by the IBA). The complex first opened in late 1982 and provided significant output for the company alongside long-standing facilities in Southampton (which they also purchased from Southern).

The site was used frequently for production, as a regional office and as a newsgathering hub, with the South East edition of Coast to Coast being based here from the completion of the studio complex, having previously been located in Dover.

Independent Ownership
When TVS lost their ITV franchise to present licensee Meridian, the Southampton studios were sold to the new company but the Maidstone facility was retained, with a view to TVS becoming an independent production company. Meridian initially continued to rent space in the building as a production centre for the south east edition of Meridian Tonight, before moving to their own centre near New Hythe between 1994 and 2004. The newsgathering operation returned to Maidstone Studios in 2004, though the studio for the programme moved to Meridian's new base at Whiteley in Hampshire.

TVS, including the Maidstone Studios, were quickly bought by International Family Entertainment Inc. and the studios were used as an independent production facility. IFE subsequently launched a UK version of The Family Channel based in The Maidstone Studios, using some elements of the TVS programme archive. Flextech were a partner in the venture, taking a 39% stake in the business. In 1996, the studio complex was sold by International Family Entertainment Inc. to Flextech when there acquired the remaining 61% of the UK Family Channel business.

During 2002 the new owners of Flextech, Telewest Communications plc, overhauled the structure of the operations which resulted in the disposal of the studios

For a short period between 2006–2012, a company called "TVS Television Productions Ltd" were based in offices at The Maidstone Studios. The name "Television South Ltd", "TVS" and the colour logo device had been re-registered to lighting cameraman Keith Jacobsen, who traded as an independent production company with no links to the original. The 'new' TVS ceased trading on 9 March 2012.

The studios were bought in 2002 by a local consortium of businessmen under the name "Dovedale Associates" for £4.25m, headed by ex-BBC producer Geoff Miles. Geoff said: 'We simply recognized an opportunity to develop and expand what is already a first class facility'. In 2005 a £2 million refurbishment programme took place, as part of "Dovedale Associates" business plans for the complex. A new Studio 5 was opened, which covers 12,000sq ft and accommodating  a 1,000-strong audience. Maidstone TV Studios claim "it is the largest independent studio in the South East". It is their flagship HD-ready studio.

Studio Facilities

 * Studio 1 - 2,000 square feet - small/medium size sets
 * Studio 2 - 6,000 square feet - medium/large size sets
 * Studio 3 - 500 square feet - small sets/presenting
 * Studio 4 - 250 square feet - interviewing/blue screen/continuity
 * Studio 5 - 12,000 square feet - large/huge sets

Studios 2 and 5 have room for seating, 200 and 2,400 respectively as well as room for sets. Studios 2 and 3 have large production galleries. Studios 1 and 2 can switch output from 16:9 to 4:3.

Studio 5 is a fully HD, with laser smoothed studio floor, large HD production gallery and equipment. Studio 5 also includes large scene dock doors to allow easy access for people, scenery and vehicles. It is the third largest television studio in the UK, only The Fountain Studios' Studio A&B and MediaCityUK's Studio 1 having a larger area.

Maidstone also had 10 edit suites, 4 dubbing suites, dressing and green rooms, production and wardrobe departments, scenery departments and transmission and playback facilities.

On the Maidstone Studios premises is an award winning data centre called Custodian DC.

Productions

 * Art Attack - TVS - later Media Merchants for Scottish Television and for ITV
 * Prove It! - SMG Productions/GeronimoTV for CITV
 * Finders Keepers - TVS later Scottish Television for ITV
 * What's Up Doc? - TVS later Scottish Television for ITV
 * It's a Mystery - Media Merchants for Meridian and ITV
 * WOW! - Media Merchants for Meridian and ITV
 * The Basil Brush Show - The Foundation for BBC
 * Ministry of Mayhem - ITV Productions/The Foundation for ITV
 * The Mint - ITV Play, April 2006
 * Cape Wrath - Channel 4, September 2006
 * Dale's Supermarket Sweep - TalkbackTHAMES for ITV, 2007
 * Duel - for ITV
 * Big Weekend After Show Party - BBC Radio 1, Saturday 10 May 2008 10pm till 6am, 2,500 people danced to sets from top DJs including Danny Rampling and Pete Tong
 * Gesstimation - Initial for BBC
 * 1 vs. 100 - Endemol for BBC
 * Don't Stop Believing - Shine TV/GroupM for Channel 5
 * ''Got to Dance - Sky1
 * The Door - for ITV1
 * Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge - The Foundation for CITV and Disney XD (filmed on location in France)
 * Trisha Goddard (TV series) - 2006 - Finish

Other uses

 * Until 2007, Radio Caroline broadcast from the complex.
 * In 2010 Maidstone Studios will be used for an anti-speeding TV advert, it will air on ITV between January 15 and mid-February.
 * Recently old office space in Maidstone Studios has been converted into a fully functioning data centre offering rack space to small businesses. "Custodian Data Centre" also won the "Green" data centre award 2009 which was a Europe-wide award.