About

I’m Ben, an enthusiast of behind-the-scenes television – specifically studios and sets. I’ve been exploring and documenting these locations on and off since 2009, and created HARDCORE SETS in 2023 as a way of sharing some of my photos with those who are as curious as I am.

These photos are supplemented by the likes of in-depth research, maps, videos, and the occasional anecdote which I hope will spark an interest for like-minded folk. Please feel free to correspond with me at ben@hardcoresets.com.

And for those who are baffled by my love of TV studios, here’s part of a quote which I think sums it up quite nicely:

“I know it’s only a building. I know it’s an inanimate object and it doesn’t have a heart. But it has a spirit…”

— Sir Terry Wogan on BBC Television Centre

♡ If you like this site, you’ll probably enjoy these ones too:

TV Studio History
Martin Kempton takes us on a trip down memory lane with a very comprehensive history of television studios in London and beyond.

theStudioTour.com
Jon Primrose is another Brit with a passion for studio history. His website focusses on Universal Studios Hollywood but also covers UK studios.

Transdiffusion
What started off as a 1960s pirate radio station run by schoolboys is now an internet archive of British broadcasting. Their Televault is well worth a look!

ITV’s Emmerdale Behind the Scenes
A spin-off of Alan Turnbull’s Secret Bases website, this site goes behind-the-scenes of Emmerdale, with a focus on filming locations and an excellent map! Also includes some interesting trivia about other UK soaps.

Studio A
A site from The TV Room featuring photos and videos of broadcast buildings, studios, and outside broadcast (OB) units in the UK and Ireland.

TVARK: Studios & Buildings
A fantastic photographic archive of television studios and buildings from across the UK, including some amazing shots of the Granada TV Centre.

RIBApix: Radio & television studios
A vast collection of photographs of TV and radio studios across the world, held by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Copyright disclaimer

Unless otherwise stated, the text and images on this website belong to HARDCORE SETS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To request the use of any content outside the terms of this license, please email me.

Photos which are credited to another party are shown for historical reference purposes and belong to their respective copyright holder. These are published in good faith and in line with international fair use and fair dealing principles.