From EastEnders to The Muppet Show: The Elstree Centre programmes

‘Allo ‘Allo (BBC)

In 1988 the wartime sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo moved from the BBC’s Television Centre to Elstree when, with hopes of a USA deal, the BBC commissioned 26 episodes. With more space to play with the outside set of Café Rene became a semi-permanent structure in the former ATV Garage building. ‘Allo ‘Allo starring Gordon Kaye as Rene revolved around his efforts to assist the resistance in getting two British airmen out of Natzi occupied France and back to England. The farce ran for over eighty episodes between 1982 and 1992.

Celebrity Squares (ATV)

The ATV game show was based on the Merrill Heather and Bob Quigley devised American show, Hollywood Squares. The format of the show was Noughts and Crosses with famous faces thrown in for good measure. Two members of the public, one playing as the circle – the other as a cross, would pick one of nine celebrities who were sat in a large row of boxes, three-by-three, to answer a question.

If the star got the question right that box became either a cross or a circle depending on which contestant was in gameplay. Whoever was first to get three in a row, or won five boxes won the round. The UK version was fronted by comedy legend Bob Monkhouse who had previously worked at the Elstree centre on The Golden Shot quiz before it relocated to Birmingham.