Hollywood superstar Kate Winslet and screen legend Peter O'Toole have been rubbing shoulders with the likes of The Tweenies and The Hoobs at Elstree Studios over the past few weeks.

Filming for Mick Jagger's romantic thriller Enigma, based on the exploits of British code-breakers during the Second World War, was completed at Elstree Film and Television Studios (EFTS) last week.

The Henson Company, which was responsible for creating The Muppets and Sesame Street, recently moved into the Elstree Way studios to begin work on a new children's show, The Hoobs.

Considering that pre-production work on the latest film in the Star Wars series will also be undertaken at EFTS, the future is looking bright for the studios under its new management company.

Director of studios Neville Reid said that, due to the company's success since its launch earlier this year, EFTS is now looking into the possibility of building new facilities at the site.

'We are free from local government regulations and the industry is now realising that by dealing with us it is no longer dealing with a council,' he said.

Enigma, which stars Kate Winslet and Saffron Burrows and began shooting at EFTS in January, is being produced by Mick Jagger's Jagged Films and Broadway Films.

Production manager Peter Heslop said: 'The studios have looked after us very well, and whenever we needed extra help or space they have come to our assistance.'

He explained that he expected to return to EFTS later in the year to begin pre-production work on the new Star Wars film, before flying out to Tunisia to film on location.

A total of 250 episodes of The Hoobs are due to be made at the studios by The Jim Henson Company, which was previously based at ATV Studios, before it was transformed into the BBC Elstree Centre.

The character-based show is designed to appeal to pre-school viewers, and will be broadcast on Channel Four from next year.

Another children's television programme made at EFTS is The Tweenies, which is the fastest-selling pre-school programme in the history of the BBC, having generated more than £40 million in just seven months.

Last week Tell-Tale Productions, which makes the show, announced that the Tweenies were going on tour with a stage show, which will be performed in Birmingham between Christmas and New Year.

Actor Peter O'Toole travelled to the studios recently to star in the feature film The Final Curtain, a comedy set in the topsy-turvy world of contemporary British showbusiness.

Tiger Aspect Pictures and Working Title are expected to finish work on another film, Tosspot, which features comedy actress Kathy Burke and Lee Evans, at EFTS at the end of this month.

Meanwhile, Celador Productions, which is responsible for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, is preparing for its fourth series at Elstree Studios, which will take place in the Autumn. Celador is also using the studios to create a new quiz show, The People Versus, which will involve contestants answering questions fielded by viewers at home.

EFTS was launched in March as an independent company to manage the studios on behalf of Hertsmere Borough Council.