BBC Television Centre 1999: A Look Back at the Star Terrace and its Commemorative Plaques
The BBC Television Centre, a prominent landmark in London, once housed the Star Terrace, a unique space dedicated to celebrating the relationship between the BBC and its audience. In the late 1990s, specifically around 1999, this area featured a collection of 24 commemorative plaques installed by the Heritage Foundation in collaboration with the BBC. These plaques, randomly placed across the terrace, aimed to engage visitors as they awaited entry into the television studios.
Originally, a comprehensive history trail showcasing major talents both in front of and behind the camera was planned for BBC Television Centre. However, this ambitious project was abandoned with the impending closure of the Television Centre. Each plaque featured an image of clapping hands, symbolizing the connection between the audience and the celebrated BBC personalities. The plaques honored individuals like Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, whose theme song lyrics, penned by Sylvie Dee, were even inscribed on one plaque: “Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love.”
By 2012, the BBC Television Centre building was put up for sale, raising concerns about the fate of the Star Terrace plaques. Plans emerged for relocating memorials, including those from the Blue Peter Garden, to Salford as part of the BBC’s move. Following the BBC’s departure in 2013, the building underwent redevelopment, with a partial return of the BBC around 2017. Despite fears of their loss, reports in 2019 confirmed the plaques’ continued presence at the redeveloped site.
One plaque, originally honoring Eric Morecambe, has found a new home at the Eric Morecambe Centre in Harpenden. Donated by a local resident, the plaque, now notably blue, is prominently displayed in the theatre foyer alongside portraits of Eric and his wife Joan. This relocation exemplifies the enduring legacy of these commemorative pieces from the BBC Television Centre’s Star Terrace. The transformation of the plaque into a blue color signifies a shift in its presentation since its time at the BBC Television Centre in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
