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Have you always wanted to see how Hollywood makes its small screen magic? L.A. offers plenty of opportunities to be part of a live studio audience or even take to the stage on a game show. Here’s what you need to know about making your way into a live studio taping during your next trip to L.A.

Types of shows

Hollywood is filled with studios taping all sorts of TV shows, from daytime talk shows to late night shows. If you’re a daytime TV junkie, you can try to score tickets to shows like Dr. Phil or The Ellen DeGeneres Show. If late-night talk shows are more to your liking, you can choose from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno or Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Of course, you can sit in on a lot more than talk shows. Plenty of reality TV shows and competitions are also filmed in Los Angeles, so you can watch the drama unfold in person at a taping of Dancing with the Stars or The Biggest Loser. Or you can laugh the afternoon away while watching a taping of a sitcom like Mike & Molly or a primetime show like America’s Funniest Videos.

If you’re feeling lucky, you can always try your luck with an L.A.-based game show. The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and Deal or No Deal are just a few of the L.A. game shows offering 15 minutes of fame and your shot at cash and prizes.

Scoring tickets

Every show has its own method of distributing tickets and they’re often highly sought after, so it pays to start doing your research early. Some shows, like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, distribute their tickets directly, while others use distribution services like TV Tix. Other great resources for scoring tickets to TV show tapings include Audiences Unlimited and 1iota. There’s no guarantee that you’ll receive tickets, so put in your request as early as possible to up your chances.

How to prepare

You’ve picked your show and scored tickets – now what?

First, plan to arrive extra early to ensure you’re not left out in case the studio gave out too many tickets. Dress in solid, camera-friendly colors if you’re hoping to score front-row seats or to be a game show contestant. An inappropriate outfit (think distracting patterns, low-cut tops and the like) might be the only thing standing between you and those precious moments of TV fame.

Also, be patient. You might spend anywhere from two to eight hours at the studio, but in the end, you’ll get to experience the thrill of watching TV magic happen right before your eyes.

 

(Main image: Plastered T-shirts used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license)

About the author

Marissa WillmanMarissa Willman earned a bachelor's degree in journalism before downsizing her life into two suitcases for a teaching gig in South Korea. Seoul was her home base for two years of wanderlusting throughout six countries in Asia. In 2011, Marissa swapped teaching for travel writing and now calls Southern California home.

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