Home to the stars

Fairfax has published a nice yarn about residents of Studio Nine, the former GTV9 Bendigo Street premises that were developed into apartments.

Readers will recall I have published a number of articles over the years about the changes (would have loved the TV Tonight office to have taken up residence…. oh well, I’m told I was the last-ever to sign the gatehouse visitor entry!).

Recent resident Peter Sharpe says, “Studio Nine is well laid out and there is lots of space around you. On our floor there is only two apartments, and the floors underneath only have about four. What I would not abide is an apartment where you walk down a long corridor with lots of doors off it – that would be to me, ‘I am living in a hotel now’.”

Legendary Pete Smith says he is always visiting the street and remains friends with locals.

“When you think about the number of stars that came through that place, not just homegrown stars, but visiting too, you start a list and you’d never stop,” he said.

“Everyone from Bob Hope to Sophia Loren and Jimmy Stewart, you name it, they all came through Bendigo Street studios, whether for the Graham Kennedy shows in the early days, or Don Lane shows. Prime ministers came through.”

You can read more here.