Would you like to take a tour of Sherlock’s flat at 221B Baker Street? Ride with the Stig on a rollercoaster racetrack? Or perhaps join the Doctor for an intergalactic journey through time and space in the Tardis?
Experiencing your favourite BBC characters up close and personal could become reality with news that Kuwaiti-funded developers are planning a £2bn theme park and holiday resort in north Kent.
The London Paramount resort will be a tie-up between the US studio responsible for the Godfather and Star Trek films and BBC Worldwide, the corporation’s commercial arm, which has signed a development agreement for the park.
The resort, in Kent’s Swanscombe peninsula, is pegged for an opening in Easter 2020, combining “the glamour of Hollywood with the best of British culture”, according to developers.
BBC executives will be hoping to avoid the fate of other theme parks linked to a character known for his BBC appearances (though the corporation had nothing to do with them): Noel Edmonds’ creation Mr Blobby. The first park, Blobbyland in Lancashire, closed down just three months after opening in 1994, resulting in a £2m loss for the local council. The second in Somerset, lasted a little longer, closing in 1999.
But with a whole host of popular characters and shows to pick from, the BBC should find no shortage of inspiration for adrenaline junkies. Look out for a water-themed ride called Atlantis, which makes a big splash but then flops right down. Or the Old Vic ghost train, where you enter theme pub where visitors can expect surly service and a blazing row among the regulars.
What rides would you like to see? (And you can be funnier then us, surely.) Let us know in the comments below.
