Elstree Studios gets the action

2:29pm Tuesday 1st May 2001

There is good news for ratepayers in Potters Bar as Hertsmere Borough Council reaps a rich financial reward from a revitalised Elstree Studios.

The company which took over Elstree Studios a year ago is now looking towards expansion because it is struggling to cope with the demand for filming facilities. Elstree Film and Television Studios Ltd (EFTS) has just won a contract to house the UK office of the makers of the Star Wars films, Jak Productions, for the next two years.

The Jim Henson Company, which produced The Muppets, is also based at the Elstree Way studios, where the filming stages are all booked up for much of the summer.

Since handing control of the studios to the management company in March last year, Hertsmere Borough Council has received £850,000 from the facility it bought in 1996.

Council leader Stuart Nagler, a non-executive director at the studios, said: "It is right the residents of the borough should see the studios doing so well and see a good return on the investment."

The council has spent £12million on the studios in the past five years, increasing the number of stages for filming movies and TV programmes from three to seven.

Neville Reid, who runs EFTS with fellow director Julie Wicks, said: "It has been brilliant to see the place full, with hundreds of people here and every stage being used."

Earlier this year the studios hosted its biggest production since it was re-opened, a £25million film of Jack and the Beanstalk which brought in a cast and crew of 750.

The Henson Company is making its latest children's show, The Hoobs, at the studios, where Tell Tale Productions is also shooting its kids programme, The Tweenies.

Celador Productions, which makes Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, recently completed its fifth series of the show using its permanent set at the studios.

Presenter Chris Tarrant said: "It's a great team up at Elstree who work really hard to make the series run smoothly."

EFTS, which had a turn-over of £2.7million last year, is keen to use space at the site to build extra filming stages, which could be used for big budget movies.

Director Julie Wicks put the studios' recent success down to the council's financial support and the hard work of the ten staff working for EFTS.

"We are just absolutely delighted with the way things are going."