I still kick myself to this day. I live only an hour from Paramount, but for some reason just assumed the audiences were hired by the studio. How cool would it have been to hook up with some other Wingnuts on Friday nights and see it taped live? Complete with flubbed lines, curtain calls, etc.

((Kicking self around room)).

Paid audiences? I've never heard of such a thing.

I live in NYC, and have been to at least half a dozen tapings of shows here. I've seen Letterman, Kate & Allie, Politically Incorrect (when it was on Comedy Central), a couple of game shows and at least 1 talk show also.

In New York, they've been known to hand out tickets for tapings on the street (obviously, since nobody in LA walks, it would be a little more difficult to do that out there). But the best way to get in to a taping is by writing to a particular show.

Awesome. I would love to go to a Letterman taping. He's hilarious. Who were guests while you were there?

Definitely Jon Stewart, and possibly Vince Gill. I say "possibly" because I've seen him in concert in Manhattan, and I know he's been on Letterman when he's in NY and it's possible I'm confusing the two. Oh well. Let's just call it a "senior moment," shall we?

I mean as a kid I just figured the audiences were like paid extras by the studio to sit there and laugh. On some shows you can recognize the same people laughing in different episodes. It wasn't until many years later, like watching a game show, when the announcer said "If you'd like to be part of our audience..."

Wish I had known because I would've been to as many Wings tapings as I possible.

I mean as a kid I just figured the audiences were like paid extras by the studio to sit there and laugh. On some shows you can recognize the same people laughing in different episodes.

That sounds like a laugh track or, as it's also called, "canned laughter." I could be wrong, but I believe that Desi Arnaz had something to do with "inventing" that.

I hope I get to go to a show featuring Thomas Haden Church sometime in my life. I have SO MANY questions for him, but I'm afraid that I'd become shy and starstruck if I met him.

Out of all the tapings I've ever been to, the only time I got to meet someone was when I won a ticket to some talk show where Alan Jackson was a guest. I got to meet him and was thrilled to bits. But that's only because it was understood that he'd be available after the show for a meet-and-greet.

But I never met anyone else. There really isn't an opportunity to do so. If you're at a taping, you come into the theater, you sit and you listen to the instructions as to behavior during the show. Afterwards, you are escorted out. Period.

I'd think that some shows would allow people to meet the celebrities outside after the show, unless the celebrity or security is too anal.
I guess it would depend on if it's a "family" show or not.

As I said, except for Alan Jackson (which was a special situation), the only time I saw the actors was when they were in a scene.

I live and work in NYC, and see actors/athletes, etc. all the time and, frankly, it's not that big a deal anymore. Here in NY, only the tourists go up to celebrities and talk to them. Except for the time I was in line at a card store, and Tony Randall (who was behind me) started up a conversation. I may be a jaded New Yorker, but even I'll admit that was kind of cool.

If a tv show or a movie is being filmed, tourists gawk, but natives grumble because, after you've been told 5,000 times that you can't go about your business the way you usually do, you begin to get testy.

ive been to the view twice and to conan once.

they def do not let you meet the guest or anything. conans taped so its pretty much the person comes out talks and then leaves. on the view during commercial breaks the girls would chat with the audience a little bit, star jones came out once and walked out to the audience to talk but besides that even after the show they just walked out and that was it.

ps at least i went to the view when tony shalhoub was on!! ;)