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There's a chance CBS might sell the historic Television City studios

From 'The Carol Burnett Show' to 'The Price Is Right,' 60 years of classic TV history was made here.

September 28, 2017, 11:07AM By MeTV Staff

CBS originally purchased the site that would become Television City in 1952. It was a sports/entertainment stadium then, but it eventually morphed into eight impressive studios where hundreds of shows would be broadcast live or taped for TV audiences. That's when it became a place where TV memories are made, and now it's potentially all up for sale.

For how much? To viewers, the value of Television City in TV history is priceless. It has consistently put out some of television's very best productions, including the entire run of The Carol Burnett Show, hugely popular variety shows like The Red Skelton Show, influential early hits like The Twilight Zone, groundbreaking series like All in the Family and its spin-offs The Jeffersons and Good Times, enduring game shows like The Price Is Right, and formative talk shows like The Merv Griffin Show.

The legacy of Television City studios in TV history feels inexhaustible when you look back on it, but according to the Los Angeles Times, it's being valued now between $500 million and $750 million. Add to that this note from The Los Angeles Times, which suggests its location in L.A.'s Fairfax district near the Farmers Market and Grove shopping center could boost that figure to $900 million. Either way, it's a big number for a big piece of TV history, and it seems it's enough that CBS is considering selling the studio property and ending its productions there.

Today, that includes popular reality shows like American Idol and America's Got Talent, as well as talk shows like The Late Late Show with James Corden and Talking Dead.

Loyal viewers should know that CBS wasn't exactly looking to unload its historic studios, though, and the potential sale only came about after they received an unsolicited offer. Currently, CBS is simply looking into the proprety details to consider the offer, and no further information is available.

There's no telling yet whether CBS will pull the trigger and end its 65-year run at memorable Television City, but we'd like to suggest instead that CBS perhaps listen to some good advice that Vicki Lawrence gave as the star of Mama's Family (which also filmed at Television City). As Mama once said, why not "open up the door and let the good times roll…."