How to Get Tickets to TV Shows Taped in Los Angeles

Welcome to Hollywood! You've finally made your way out to Los Angeles and can't wait to see your favorite actors and actresses. But unless you plan on stalking them (which I don't recommend) or haunting the popular places where your favorite stars like to hang out (which is also a crap shoot), the only guaranteed way to see some of your favorite TV stars is by attending a taping of their TV show or the talk show that they're going to be a guest on. This article will outline the best ways to get tickets to see the tapings of your favorite TV shows in Los Angeles.

If you're looking to spot your favorite actor on a TV drama, you're pretty much out of luck. Dramas don't allow audiences to watch them at work so unless they happen to be taping on location where you are, don't count on seeing McDreamy at Seattle Grace any time soon except on your TV set. If you're looking for your favorite comedy actor/actress, though, you may have better luck. Although multi-camera comedies have fallen out of favor with shows like The Office and 30 Rock, there are still a few comedies that are filmed in front of a live studio audience. Shows like Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, According to Jim, and even a few shows your kids might watch like Disney Channel staples Wizards of Waverly Place and The Suite Life on Deck allow audiences to come in and watch a taping. One of the companies which handles the tickets for many of these shows is Audiences Unlimited. Go to their website (www.tvtickets.com) and look for the show you're interested in. They also handle the tickets for TV shows like Dr. Phil, The Price is Right and America's Funniest Videos so if you're looking to attend a taping, this should be your first stop. Tickets are free, and if you are with a large group, they may even pay you to attend a show. Why? Truth is, it can sometimes be hard to fill the audiences for these shows so if they can get a large group to attend, they're willing to pay a small fee for their attendance. I've even see them advertised as fundraisers for groups.

Side note if you're attending a comedy taping. Although the show is only half an hour, don't expect the taping to be that long. Tapings can go on for several hours (even up to 5 or 6!) because they usually tape a scene several times before they'll move on to the next scene. So be prepared to laugh several times at the same jokes over and over again. Good news is that most shows will provide pizza or snacks to the audience. Also, many shows have a stand-up comedian come in to "host" the proceedings, who will clue you in as to what's going on as well as entertain you in between scenes.

Another company that handles many TV shows is On-Camera Audiences, which can be found at www.ocatv.com. They handle many reality TV shows like Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, and Don't Forget the Lyrics as well as late night shows The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and MadTV. And for your tween, they also handle the tickets for Hannah Montana.

For late night shows Jimmy Kimmel Live and Last Call with Carson Daly, go to the website www.1iota.com. This website also handles many special events like MTV's Video Music Awards.

The Tonight Show

If you want to catch Jay Leno before he hands over the reins of The Tonight Show to Conan O'Brien in May 2009, you can request tickets by mail. You need to send a self-addressed stamped envelope with a letter listing your desired date of taping and three alternate dates. You can request up to 4 tickets, and audience members must be at least 16 years old. All mail requests should be submitted at least 6 weeks in advance and are processed on a first come, first serve basis.

If you didn't plan that far in advance for your trip, you can still try to get standby tickets. Tickets are available on the day of the show at the NBC Ticket Box, located in Burbank. The NBC Ticket Box opens at 8:00 a.m. Tickets are limited to two per person.

http://www.nbc.com/Footer/Tickets/

The Ellen Degeneres Show

To get tickets for Ellen Degeneres' TV show, which also tapes in Burbank, you need to fill out the ticket request form at http://ellen.warnerbros.com/tickets/. A representative from the audience department will call to confirm your tickets. Audience members must be at least 14 years old, and minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Well, there you have it. The best ways to get tickets to the tapings of TV shows in Los Angeles. You may not get to snap your own paparazzi-like photo, but it is a good way to see your favorite stars up close and personal and see your favorite shows taped right before your very eyes!