Elstree wins Red or Black?

The first outing of the Simon Cowell-led show, in which a contestant won £1m on the spin of a roulette wheel, was based at Fountain Studios in West London.

The new 5 x 60-minute series will move into Elstree’s 15,000 sq ft Stage 2 when The Voice UK, which is also based at the facility, concludes.

“It’s great for us. The Voice is going really well and Big Brother has renewed its contract for another two years,” Elstree managing director Roger Morris told Broadcast, adding that the facility had recorded an “exceptional” year, thanks in part to a rise in TV work and lower costs.

Fountain managing director Mariana Spater attributed the move to the changes in the Red Or Black? format and potential clashes with Fountain’s other shows.

Morris said sales at the Borehamwood facility had increased by 17% over the past 12 months, with profi ts up seven times on the previous year. The full figures will be released in three to four weeks. Morris added:

“The mix of film and TV is still 50/50, but we have filled in gaps with other bits of business; at the moment, we have Westlife rehearsing, for example.

“We have cut down some of the costs to lower our break-even point, from power consumption to telecoms and broadband and making sure that subcontractors
are paid the right amount. We have also increased the yield of the site by freeing up other parts to rent out.”

A third large stage should be operational in 12 months. The proposed 30,000 sq ft stage was first mooted in August 2010.

Morris said: “It’s a case of clearing the site and fitting building work around productions we have at the facility. A 30,000 sq ft stage seems to be the optimum size to capture more of the work we are already getting.”

Casting agency Ray Knight recently moved to Elstree, where the tenancy rate is now 75%.