In the Santa Clarita Valley, we are fortunate to be able to attend live tapings of many of television’s most popular programs. If you grew up in southern California, you probably remember standing in line to see tapings of your favorite shows.
While television has changed dramatically over the years, the opportunity to watch tapings is still there. Here are some tips to make the experience memorable.
Audience Tips
Be sure to get there early if you want a good seat (or any seat at all, as studios overbook the tickets).
Expect to stay at least three hours, especially for sitcoms, which can take a long time as scenes get reworked and reshot. Bring a snack, water and a book for downtime. At longer tapings, audience members might be treated to pizza, but don’t count on it.
Bring a sweater; studios are kept notoriously cool to compensate for the hot lights on stage.
Many, if not all, shows require you to leave cellphones, cameras, backpacks or other items at home or you will need to check those items with security and retrieve them as you exit.
How to Get Tickets
The best way to get tickets is to seek out the show you want to see online and see if they have a direct ticket portal. However, most television programs now use online ticket reservation sites to attract audience members and game show contestants.
On-Camera Audiences, Inc. is one of the largest companies involved in finding audiences for popular shows.
For tickets to the following visit on-camera-audiences.com/us if you are looking for tickets to:
America’s Funniest Home Videos, America’s Got Talent, American Idol, American Ninja Warrior, Beat Shazam, Big Brother, Card Sharks, Celebrity Big Brother, Celebrity Family Feud, Dancing with the Stars, I Can See Your Voice, Jeopardy!, MasterChef, Password, Press Your Luck, Snake Oil, So You Think You Can Dance?, The Masked Singer and The Price is Right.
Visit the following sites for tickets to the individual shows.
NBC sitcom Lopez vs. Lopez 1iota.com/show/1317/lopez-vs.-lopez.
CBS sitcom George & Mandy’s First Marriage
1iota.com/show/1744/georgie-&-mandys-first-marriage.
NBC sitcom Night Court 1iota.com/show/1735/night-court—season-3
Other shows visit 1iota.com
L.A. Based Talk Shows
There aren’t as many Los Angeles-based talk shows as there used to be, but there are still shows worth attending.
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Tickets visitburbank.com/blog/jennifer-hudson-show-tickets
A one-hour show that films five times per week at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank.
The Talk
Tickets 1iota.com/show/164/the-talk
Led by TV personalities Amanda Kloots, Akbar Gbajabiamila, Natalie Morales, Jerry O’Connell and Sheryl Underwood. The show tapes at the Radford Studio Center in Studio City.
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Tickets 1iota.com/show/1/jimmy-kimmel-live
For day-of-taping tickets, a standby line forms in front of the studio about 90 minutes before call time. Taping times are typically Monday–Thursday, at 3:45 p.m. at the El Capitan Entertainment Centre, 6840 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028. Tapings typically last about 90 minutes
After Midnight
Tickets 1iota.com/show/1646/after-midnight
You’ve likely seen comedian Taylor Tomlinson’s Netflix stand-ups, now, she’s the late-night host of CBS’ After Midnight that pokes fun at what captures the internet’s attention. Tapes at Paramount Studios on Gower Street in Los Angeles.
Real Time with Bill Maher
Ticket information (323) 575-7800
If you enjoy politics, current affairs and entertainment join Maher and his guests. Tickets are only available in person and distributed at three locations near Television City, on the street outside Television City on Beverly Boulevard, outside Whole Foods on Fairfax and 4th and outside the AC Hotel by Marriott Beverly Hills on Wilshire and La Jolla.
Game Show Casting
Before applying for any game show be aware that you cannot be related to anyone who works for the game show, or the network or production company involved with the show. With so many residents of the SCV involved in some facet of “the business” you might have connections to a show and not realize it. Do your research before applying.
Here are a few game shows you might want to check out:
Let’s Make a Deal The casting application is available at www.lmadcasting.com.
Wheel of Fortune The casting application is available at www.wheeloffortune.com/join/be-a-contestant.
If you want tickets to attend a Wheel of Fortune taping visit tickets.wheeloffortune.com.
Lucky 13 castingwithjoy.com/lucky13
Lucky 13 is a new game show that features Shaquille O’Neal and Gina Rodriguez. Kevin Bacon is the executive producer. Contestants are challenged with 13 true-or-false question. But there is a twist.
Seat Fillers
In addition to audience members for sitcoms and game shows, seat-fillers are needed for many award shows. When the winner waltzes up to the stage to accept their award someone needs to take their seat so the audience always looks “full” when the camera shows audience reaction shots.
OS/LA Productions is a professional audience and seat filler company. Among the shows it “casts” are the Golden Globes, Critic’s Choice Awards and The ESPYS. To get on their list, visit oslaproductions.com.
Another company that provides seat filler services is seatfillersandmore.com.
Among their clients are The Grammy Awards, The Emmy Awards, The BET Awards, BET Hip Hop Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Survivor Finale, Miss America Pageant and Billboard Music Awards.
