Ealing Studios

Ealing Studios (sometimes called Ealing Film Studios) is a famed British film company and facilities provider located in the London borough of the same name. Studios have existed on the site since 1896, making it officially the oldest studio lot in the world. However, the Ealing legacy on the site dates back only to 1929, and it has only been called "Ealing" since 1931.

As a recording studio
While far more important to the British film industry in general than to Doctor Who, it nevertheless played a significant role in recording filmed inserts that were edited into the principally videotaped Doctor Who episodes. Thus, most model work and special effects were filmed at Ealing. It was used more heavily in the monochromatic era than the color one; almost every William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton story availed themselves of Ealing's facilities. Nevertheless, it was still quite heavily used until The Five Doctors. Its usage on Doctor Who may have diminished in an effort to record more special effects on video so that they matched visually with the videotaped scenes into which they were spliced.

Ealing wasn't used again by Doctor Who until the filming of the Tenth Doctor adventures, "The Satan Pit" and "The Impossible Planet". As in the past, Ealing was used for special effects recording only, being a suitable location for the filming of the practical effect of fire.

As an exterior location
The studio's exteriors have been seen in the program as well, notably as the backdrop to Ian and Barbara's return to London in The Chase, and as the backdrop to a WOTAN battle in The War Machines.