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 has been home to a varied selection of independent British television programming including quiz shows, such as the original run of Catchphrase and popular children's shows such as CITV's Art Attack. Since 2011, the Maidstone Studios has been the home of popular ITV dating show Take Me Out.

History

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 new dual South and South-east of England region 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 new 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).

Maidstone

Coordinates: 51°16′19″N 0°31′44″E / 51.272°N 0.529°E / 51.272; 0.529

Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, 32 miles (51 km) south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it with Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade as the centre of the agricultural county of Kent, known as the Garden of England. There is evidence of a settlement in the area dating back to beyond the Stone Age.

The town is in the borough of Maidstone. In 2011, the town had a population of 113,137, about 73 per cent of the population of the borough.

Maidstone's economy has changed over the years from being involved in heavy industry, to more light industry and service industries.

Toponymy

Saxon charters (c975) show the first recorded instances of the town's name, de maeides stana and maegdan stane, possibly meaning stone of the maidens or stone of the people. The latter meaning may refer to the nearby megalith around which gatherings took place. The name evolved through medestan/meddestane in the Domesday Book with possible variation Mayndenstan, in 1396. The modern name appeared by 1610. It has been suggested that the name derives from stones set into the river to allow clothes to be rinsed in the cleaner water away from the banks.

Maidstone (disambiguation)

Maidstone may refer to:

Places

Other

See also

Maidstone (UK Parliament constituency)

Maidstone was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The parliamentary borough of Maidstone returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) from 1552 until 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member. The borough was abolished in 1918 and replaced with a county division of the same name, which was abolished for the 1997 general election, and partially replaced by the new Maidstone and The Weald constituency.

History

Before the 19th century

Maidstone was first enfranchised as a parliamentary borough, electing two Members of Parliament, in 1552; at the time it was one of the largest English towns not already represented, and was one of a number of boroughs either enfranchised or re-enfranchised during the reign of Edward VI. However, barely had it won the right than its charter was cancelled after the accession of Mary I as a punishment for the town's part in Wyatt's Rebellion. This was the only recorded instance of a borough's right to return MPs being directly revoked until Grampound was disfranchised for corruption in the 1820s (although there were other cases of temporary suspension or of the right lapsing through disuse in medieval times, when representation was less valued).