Who Else Has Been To A Taping Of A TV Sitcom?

[RalphMouth]

we got back from SoCal 5 days ago and had a blast-
did DL, DCA, Knotts, SD Zoo & Sea World but also had the pleasure of
seeing the taping of ABC tv's "According To Jim."

This was one of the highlights of our trip

You can get free tickets up to 30 days in advance to various sitcoms like
"Joey", "According To Jim", "2 1/2 men", "That 70's Show" just to name a few.
Taping is usually around 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. and can last 2-4 hours.

We arrived at CBS studios in Studio City (not the CBS where The Price Is Right is taped) around 3:45 p.m. for the 6 p.m. taping. I recommend getting there no later than 3:45 p.m. even though the parking garage doesn't open up till 4:15 p.m. as these shows are very popular & having a ticket doesn't guarantee you anything.

As people showed up we were sat down in order of arrival. People were given
cards with a number on them so we knew what our priority numer was.
We were seated around 5:15 p.m. and were entertained by our MC until taping started.

You actually sit in front of the sets where some of your favorite stars work each week. Your laughter is whats heard on each show. In between shots, CBS passed out sandwiches, bottles of water & cookies.

Jim Belushi spoke to the audience several times & couldn't stop thanking us for being there. Be aware that no cameras or cell phone are allowed.

I'm including a link to where you can get these FREE tickets. Unfortunately the shows that you know & love have just gone into haitus until early August but there are plenty of 'pilots' that are available to watch. Some of them star Dean Cain, Fred Savage, Jane Curtain, Marilu Henner, Annie Potts, Camryn Manheim, Nancy Travis and William Devane.

Most shows have age limitations (either 16 & over or 18 & over)

http://www.tvtickets.com/default.htm

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Great review & thanks for the link

I'd have to pull my kids out of school to see any of these, so we don't go.

When I was younger, though, I used to go see Chico & the Man w/Freddie Prinze, some game shows, including Family Feud, Family Ties, oh, and Johnnie Carson show. It's an interesting experience

I think the last one I saw was Home Improvement - probably the second show before Tim Allen became famous...

 

[chocolatelover]

I went with my 1 daughter in February to see 8 Simple Rules. She was thrilled seeing David Spade. I went with my other daughter in December to Complete Savages, she was thrilled seeing Erik Von Detten! Now, the shows are all new shows. Nothing too appealling.
I got tickets from http://www.audiencesunlimited.com or http://www.tvtix.com

 

[B9erSteve]

I used to love doing this. It pretty much killed an entire day waiting but it was great fun. Only went to one dog, a new sitcom that took forever to tape. We finally made an excuse about needing to use the restroom and got the heck out of there. Laughing at unfunny jokes was work! I should have been paid. One of my more memorable experiences was a complete surprise to us. My brothers and I were in Universal Studios and were approached by an Audiences Unlimited employee and asked if we wanted to go to a walkthrough of "Home Improvement" Appearantly, they ran throught the script on Wednesdays in front of a small (about 15) audience to see which jokes were going to hold up. We didn't sit in the risers we were down on the stage. The Actors were all dressed in their street clothes. It was very intimate and very casual. Everyone was very nice and we felt quite fortunate to be invited.

 

[disneydenisel]

I used to do this a lot before we had kids. It was great fun. We have seen many shows and loved them all. The last one we went to was Friends, and it was so packed, they only let you in when other people left. We ended up seeing just a couple of scenes, and it was A LOT of waiting. We had some friends with us too, and it was our first experience waiting that long. I don't think I would do it again if I knew that I couldn't see the whole taping. But I guess since it was Friends and it was very popular at the time, that was what happened. They let a lot of VIPs in before us, even though we had "tickets."

 

[poohj80]

When I lived in SoCal we went to a lot of tapings - mostly game shows and talk shows, but did see Happy Days (am I dating myself?) and the old Sha Na Na show many times.

 

[karylrocks]

I also did this way before I had kids, saw The Jeffersons, Real People, and a new show that never aired.

 

[PrincessSitka]

How close is this ti Disneyland?

 

[B9erSteve]

Depends upon the studio that you are going to. I'd count on over an hour of drive time even though the distance is quite short. Traffic is just crazy bad. Contact Audiences Unlimited for details. You can try to google them for their website.