![The Prospect Studios logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/The_Prospect_Studios_logo.png)
The Prospect Studios (also known as ABC Television Center
est'') is a lot containing several
television studio
A television studio, also called a television production studio, is an installation room in which video productions take place, either for the production of live television and its recording onto video tape or other media such as SSDs, or for t ...
s located at 4151 Prospect Avenue in the
Los Feliz neighborhood of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, at the corner of Prospect and Talmadge Street (named in honor of silent screen star
Norma Talmadge), just east of
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
. For more than fifty years, this facility served as the
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to:
Geography Australia
* Western Australia
*Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia
* West Coast, Tasmania
**West Coast Range, mountain range in the region
Canada
* Britis ...
headquarters of the
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Cali ...
(ABC) before the network moved its main headquarters to the
Walt Disney Studios in 1996. From 1949 to 1999, ABC-owned Los Angeles television station
KABC-TV was also located there. The station moved to a new state-of-the-art facility located on a portion of Disney's Grand Central Creative Campus (GC3) in nearby
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...
, in December 1999. The
Walt Disney Company, which acquired ABC, continues to own and operate the facility to this day.
History
The
Vitagraph
Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, ...
Studio opened in 1913. This studio at Prospect Avenue and Talmadge Street replaced its prior West Coast studio at 1438 2nd Street, Santa Monica.
The original silent film plant included two daylight film stages, support buildings and many exterior film sets.
The company added another 10 acres to the lot in 1920. In the 1920s, production was moved from its East Coast studio.
In April 1925, Vitagraph's founder Albert Smith sold control in the company to the
Warner Brothers
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
.
In 1927, the facility became The Warner East Hollywood Annex and was used for many large-scale films. Here, in 1927, Warner Bros. shot portions of ''
The Jazz Singer'',
the first film with synchronised sound, using the
Vitaphone
Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one th ...
process. The "interior" club scenes for the film were shot in Stage 5, still located today in the center of the Studio Lot. In the 1930s and '40s, Warner Bros. continued to shoot on the Lot using large water tanks, ship and backlot sets.
In 1948, the property was sold to the newly formed
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Cali ...
,
[ and the lot was re-equipped for television as the ABC Television Center. ABC proceeded to base their new Los Angeles television station, KECA-TV (now KABC-TV) in the newly purchased lot, a year later. Construction on the studio lot to bring it to its current form took place in 1957. ABC still uses the Prospect facility as a network retransmission center for its programming. Many memorable television shows, including those produced for ABC, other networks or syndication, have been produced in the studios. The third JFK/Nixon debate was partially held in this studio on October 13, 1960, with Kennedy in a New York studio, while Nixon and the interviewing panel were based at the Prospect lot, albeit in separate studios to insure fairness between the candidates. '']American Bandstand
''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pro ...
'' started recording there in 1964 (moving from Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
). ABC's longest running program, ''General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
'', now in its 59th year on the air, has been taped at this location since the mid-1980s after relocating from the Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood. Many other classic television shows were also produced there including '' The Lawrence Welk Show'', ''Barney Miller
''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th St in Greenwich Village. The series was broadcast on ABC Network from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982. It was created ...
'', '' Fridays'', ''Mr. Belvedere
''Mr. Belvedere'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on ABC from March 15, 1985, to July 8, 1990. The series is based on the Lynn Aloysius Belvedere character created by Gwen Davenport for her 1947 novel ''Belvedere'', which was later ...
'', '' Welcome Back, Kotter'', ''Benson Benson may refer to:
Animals
*Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain
Places Geography
Canada
*Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality
*Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet
United Kingdom
* Benson, Oxfordshire ...
'', and ''Soap
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
''. ''Barney Miller
''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th St in Greenwich Village. The series was broadcast on ABC Network from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982. It was created ...
'', ''Benson Benson may refer to:
Animals
*Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain
Places Geography
Canada
*Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality
*Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet
United Kingdom
* Benson, Oxfordshire ...
'' and ''Soap
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
'' were also shot at Sunset Gower Studios.
Four of the most well-known game shows in television history were recorded at ABC Television Center: '' Family Feud'' (1976–85, hosted by Richard Dawson), ''Let's Make a Deal
''Let's Make a Deal'' (also known as ''LMAD'') is an American television musical comedy variety-game show that originated in the United States in 1963 and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The program was created an ...
'' (1968–76, hosted by Monty Hall), '' The Dating Game'' (1965–74, hosted by Jim Lange), and '' The Newlywed Game'' (1966–74, hosted by Bob Eubanks). Other game shows taped there included '' The Better Sex'' (1977–78, hosted by Bill Anderson and Sarah Purcell), '' Break the Bank'' (1976–77, hosted by Tom Kennedy Thomas or Tom Kennedy may refer to:
Politics
*Thomas Kennedy (Scottish judge) (1673–1754), joint Solicitor General for Scotland 1709–14, Lord Advocate 1714, Member of Parliament for Ayr Burghs 1720–21
*Thomas Kennedy, 9th Earl of Cassilis ...
for the daytime and Jack Barry for syndication), '' Match Game'' (1990–91, hosted by Ross Shafer
Ross Alan Shafer (born December 10, 1954) is an American comedian, network television host, and motivational and leadership speaker/consultant. He has authored nine business books, won a stand-up comedy competition, and earned six Emmys as a netw ...
), '' Password'' and '' Password All-Stars'' (1971–75, both hosted by Allen Ludden).
John Davidson, along with Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
quarterback Fran Tarkenton and Cathy Lee Crosby co-hosted ''That's Incredible!
''That's Incredible!'' is an American reality television show that aired on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network from 1980 in television, 1980 to 1984 in television, 1984. In the tradition of ''You Asked for It'', ''List of ...
'', an ABC show that ran from 1980 to 1984, and considered one of the first true shows of the reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
genre. ABC's long-running show, '' America's Funniest Home Videos'', taped here from 1990 to 1993 during the era of Bob Saget.
The Los Angeles Bureau of ABC News was also located at The Prospect Studios until it was moved to the KABC-TV studios in Glendale in 2011. The facility also served as broadcast headquarters for ABC's coverage of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games.
In 1996, ABC became part of The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
. As the television and film industry entered the next millennium, the lot by 2002 was renamed The Prospect Studios.[ In 2002, the property underwent a major renovation to position its facilities for the future and new technical innovation.
Current shows besides ''General Hospital'' produced here include ABC's medical drama '' Grey's Anatomy''.]
Films produced at the studio
*'' Captain Blood'' (1935)[
*'' The Jazz Singer'' (1927)][
*''Sea Hawk'' (1940)][
*''Noah's Ark'' (1928)][
]
Shows produced at the studio
*''1984 Summer Olympic Games
The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...
''
*''ABC World News Tonight
''ABC World News Tonight'' (titled ''ABC World News Tonight with David Muir'' for its weeknight broadcasts since September 2014) is the flagship daily evening news broadcasting#television, television news program of ABC News, the news division ...
'' (periodically anchored out of Los Angeles; segments also produced here)
*'' All-Star Blitz'' (1985)
*''Amanda's
''Amanda's'' (also known as ''Amanda's by the Sea'') is an American sitcom television series based on the 1970s British sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'' that aired on ABC from February 10 to May 26, 1983. The series starred Bea Arthur as Amanda Cartwrig ...
''
*''American Bandstand
''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pro ...
'' (1957-1987)[
*'' America's Funniest Home Videos'' (1990–1993, 1996–1997)
*'' America's Funniest People'' (1990–1992)
*'']Animal Crack-Ups
''Animal Crack-Ups'' is an ABC game show which aired in primetime from August 8 to September 12, 1987, after which it aired on Saturday mornings from September 12, 1987, to December 30, 1989, and again from June 2 to September 1, 1990. It was pro ...
'' (1987–90)
* ''American Journal
''American Journal'' (alternately titled ''American Journal: Coast to Coast'' for its final season; also known as ''AJ'') is a syndicated television newsmagazine program that ran from 1993 to 1998. The series was distributed by King World Produc ...
'' (1993–94)
* ''AM Los Angeles'' (shown locally on KABC-TV)
*''Bargain Hunters''
*''Barney Miller
''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th St in Greenwich Village. The series was broadcast on ABC Network from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982. It was created ...
''
*''Benson Benson may refer to:
Animals
*Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain
Places Geography
Canada
*Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality
*Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet
United Kingdom
* Benson, Oxfordshire ...
''
*'' The Better Sex''
*'' Break the Bank'' (1976 on ABC Daytime; 1976–77, syndicated nighttime version)
*''Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak
''Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak'' is an American television game show that aired on ABC from January 6 to April 4, 1986. British television personality Bruce Forsyth hosted the series, the only time he hosted a series outside of his native United K ...
'' (1986)
*'' The Dating Game'' (1965–73)
*'' The Dick Cavett Show''
*'' Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' (musical performances)
*'' Diff'rent Strokes'' (final season, 1985–86)
*''The Dolly Parton Show
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
''
*'' Double Talk'' (1986)
*''The Ernie Kovacs Show
''The Ernie Kovacs Show'' was an American comedy show hosted by comedian Ernie Kovacs, first shown in Philadelphia during the early 1950s, then nationally. The show appeared in many versions and formats, including daytime, prime-time, late-night, ...
''
*''Eyewitness News
''Eyewitness News'' is a style of television news presentation that emphasizes visual elements and action video, replacing the older "man-on-camera" newscast.
History Pioneered by Westinghouse
The earliest known use of the ''Eyewitness New ...
'' (KABC-TV edition)
*'' Family Feud'' (1976–1985)
*'' Fridays''
*''General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
'' (1963–present)
*'' Grey's Anatomy'' (2005[–present)][
*'']Hail to the Chief
"Hail to the Chief" is the personal anthem of the president of the United States, adapted by James Sanderson from an original Scottish Gaelic melody.
The song's playing accompanies the appearance of the president of the United States at many ...
''
*''High Rollers
''High Rollers'' is an American television game show that involved contestants trying to win prizes by rolling dice. The format was based on the dice game shut the box.
''High Rollers'' debuted on July 1, 1974, as part of NBC's daytime lineup ...
'' (1986 pilot only)
*'' Hot Seat''
*'' It's a Living'' (1st 2 seasons only)
*'' It's Garry Shandling's Show'' (first two seasons)
*''The Krypton Factor
''The Krypton Factor'' is a British game show produced by Granada Television for broadcast on ITV. The show originally ran from 7 September 1977 to 20 November 1995, and was hosted by Gordon Burns and usually broadcast on the ITV network on ...
'' (1981 US Version)
*''Let's Make a Deal
''Let's Make a Deal'' (also known as ''LMAD'') is an American television musical comedy variety-game show that originated in the United States in 1963 and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The program was created an ...
'' (1968–76 seasons)[
*'' The Lawrence Welk Show'' (some seasons; others were at the Hollywood Palladium)]
*''Live with Regis and Kelly
''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts since ...
'' (a week of shows in Los Angeles, March 2007)
*'' Love Connection'' (1984–87)
*'' Married... with Children'' (Seasons 1 and 2 episodes only)
*'' Match Game'' (1990–1991)
*''Moesha
''Moesha'' () is an American television sitcom that aired on UPN from January 23, 1996, to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Denise Mitchell, an African-American teenager living with her upper middle class famil ...
'' (season 1 only)
*''Mr. Belvedere
''Mr. Belvedere'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on ABC from March 15, 1985, to July 8, 1990. The series is based on the Lynn Aloysius Belvedere character created by Gwen Davenport for her 1947 novel ''Belvedere'', which was later ...
'' (1985–1990)
*'' The Newlywed Game'' (1966–74)[Kaufman, p. 131]
*''The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
'' (periodic West Coast shows)
*'' Password'' (1971–75)
*'' Port Charles''
*'' Rhyme and Reason''
*'' Robotica (TV series) 3 seasons (2001-2002)
*''Run for the Money'' (1987 pilot produced by Reg Grundy Productions
Reg Grundy Organisation (founded as Reg Grundy Enterprises, later known as both Reg Grundy Productions and Grundy Television and known informally as Grundy's) was an Australian-based multinational mass media company, primarily involved in tele ...
; later became ''Going for Gold
''Going for Gold'' is a British television game show that originally aired on BBC1 between 12 October 1987 and 9 July 1996. It was revived for Channel 5 from 13 October 2008 to 20 March 2009.
Background 1987–96
''Going for Gold'' was origi ...
'' in Great Britain)
*'' Second Chance''
*'' The Shield'' (2006)[
*'' Seven Keys'' with Jack Narz (1960–65)
*'' Showoffs'' (1975)
*'']Soap
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
''
*''Soap Talk
''Soap Talk'' is a television talk show on SOAPnet hosted by Lisa Rinna and Ty Treadway. It debuted in 2002 and ended in 2006. The reason for the show's cancellation was due to SOAPnet expanding their programming away from a soap opera-related foc ...
''
*''The Sonny and Cher Show
''The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour'' was an American variety show that starred American pop singers Sonny Bono and Cher, who were married to each other at the time. The show ran on CBS in the United States, and premiered in August 1971. The show was ...
'' (1976–1977)
*'' Space Patrol'' (1950–1955)
*'' Split Second'' (1972–75)
*''That's Incredible!
''That's Incredible!'' is an American reality television show that aired on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network from 1980 in television, 1980 to 1984 in television, 1984. In the tradition of ''You Asked for It'', ''List of ...
''
*''That's My Mama
''That's My Mama'' is an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the ABC network from September 4, 1974 until December 24, 1975. There are 39 episodes of this series. ''That's My Mama'' was never a ratings success, having alw ...
'' (some Season 1 episodes taped at CBS Television City)
*'' Three's a Crowd''
*'' Three's Company'' (Some of 1st season)
*''Trivia Trap
''Trivia Trap'' is an American game show produced by Mark Goodson Productions. It was created by producer Goodson and originally ran from October 8, 1984 to April 5, 1985 on ABC. The game featured two teams of three contestants each competing again ...
''
*'' The View'' (periodic West Coast shows)
*'' Welcome Back, Kotter''
*''We Got It Made
''We Got It Made'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from September 8, 1983, to March 10, 1984, and in first-run syndication from September 11, 1987, to March 30, 1988. It starred Teri Copley as a young woman who works as ...
'' (1987-88 syndicated version)
*'' What's Happening!!''
*'' Who's The Boss?'' (1985-1992)
*'' You Asked for It''
External links
The Prospect Studios
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prospect Studios, The
Television studios in the United States
American Broadcasting Company
Disney production studios
Walt Disney Studios (division)
Buildings and structures in Los Angeles
1915 establishments in California