In the early 1990s, the BBC experimented with digital media and interactive publishing through a semi-independent group based near Russell Square in London. This period, from roughly 1993 to 1996, marked the BBC’s first steps toward what would later evolve into projects like *The Digital Village* and *h2g2*. The group operated from offices above the **Times Mirror** building near **Russell Square**, within the Bloomsbury media cluster. It was informally known as the **BBC Digital Media Unit** or **BBC Multimedia**, and was linked to early CD-ROM and interactive projects produced under **BBC Enterprises Interactive**.
# Projects and Context The Russell Square team explored: - Interactive documentaries and CD-ROMs connected to BBC television productions - Experiments with multimedia storytelling and early web formats - Collaborations with external studios and creative technologists Among those connected were **Robbie Stamp** and **Richard Creasey**, both with BBC backgrounds, who would later co-found **The Digital Village (1996)** with **Douglas Adams**.
# Connection to Douglas Adams
During this period, Adams consulted on several digital media experiments, including prototypes for *Last Chance to See* and interactive fiction concepts. The creative and technical network formed around these offices eventually became the foundation for *The Digital Village* — the company that produced *Starship Titanic* and *h2g2.com*.
## Location
- **Area:** Russell Square / Bloomsbury, London WC1
- **Building:** Above or adjacent to the **Times Mirror** offices on Southampton Row
- **Years active:** circa 1993–1996
## Related
- The Digital Village
- h2g2.com 
- bbc.co.uk