ABC Didsbury

Between 1956 and 1969, the old Capitol Theatre at the junction of Parrs Wood Road and School Lane served as the northern studios of ITV station ABC Weekend Television.

Early episodes of The Avengers and programmes such as Opportunity Knocks were made in the studios. Local groups including Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders made guest appearances.  Life 'n' Soul's opportunity Knocks appearances were recorded here.

ABC ceased to use the site in 1968 when it lost its ITV franchise, on its merger with fellow ITV company Rediffusion.

The site was then used briefly by Yorkshire Television until its own facilities in Leeds were ready. 

In 1971, the studios were acquired by Manchester Polytechnic, who used it for cinema, television studies and theatre. 

The building was demolished in the late 1990s to make way for a residential development but the name lives on in the form of a new theatre space in the heart of the M.M.U. campus in the All Saints area along Oxford Road, just to the south of Manchester city centre.