TV Show Tickets in Los Angeles – the Free & Easy Guide

Haven’t you wondered what it would be like to sit in the audience during the live show of the Bachelor? Or be a part of the background banter during James Corden’s ‘Spill Your Guts’ segment?

Experiencing a taping of an LA TV show is just as glamorous as you would imagine! We’re here to tell you how you can be a part of it all! In this post, we’ll give you tips on scoring free TV show tickets in Los Angeles and the insider’s scoop on what to expect when you’re in the audience.

First thing to note is that California based shows tape in Burbank, Studio City, Culver City and Hollywood. This is nice because if you go to multiple shows, you get to explore different parts of LA and experience different studios.

Secondly, using a ticket broker (a.k.a. audience services company) will be the easiest way to get your free TV show tickets! Some may suggest writing into the show, but we’ve always trusted using a third party to get the job done. We have listed the main audience service companies below:

1. Audiences Unlimited
2. On Camera Audiences
3. 1iota

RESERVING THE TICKETS

While there are several ticket service companies out there, we would highly recommend 1iota. On it’s website, you can view all of the upcoming TV tapings for shows in both Los Angeles and New York. It gives you an easy glance to see what will be available for when you’re looking to go. From there, you click the show you want to attend and simply “request tickets”. Check your email inbox frequently because 1iota will send you a confirmation on the status of your request. Here are the 3 statuses:

1. Waitlist: in the que waiting to get a ticket.
2. General Admission: advancing to ticket status but still waiting to see if you’re the lucky number that gets drawn.
3. Priority Admission: The VIP of ticket holders. You are given this status if you are one of the first to register.

GETTING ON THE SHOW

Surprisingly, reserving the tickets is the easy part. Once you received your admission ticket, it’s time to work your way onto the show AND appear on camera.

Pre-Show

Having a ticket does not guarantee a seat at the show. Most TV Show tickets in Los Angeles are still a “first come, first served” basis, since the shows are usually overbooked. The studio wants to make sure they always have a full audience–guess they can’t trust you won’t bail last minute. How do you avoid being the last one in line then? Well, it’s simple. Arrive to the studio as early as possible!

There is no exact science as to how people are selected for the show. From our experience, it has paid to look approachable and excited to be there. BE NICE TO THE STAFF! They want their audience members to be fun and respectful. So make sure you are giving off those vibes when you are waiting in line to get in.  

What To Expect

Once you are selected for the show (fingers crossed), a member from the casting crew will usher you to a seat. Want to sit in the front row? Don’t we all! The seating assignments are strategically selected to ensure they have a good balance of gender, race, age, etc. dispersed throughout the crowd. At that point, you will be so happy that you got a seat, the exact location won’t matter as much. From the studios that we have seen tapings in, there is not a bad seat in the house!

After you are seated, there will still be some time before the show actually starts. During that time, someone from the studio will explain the audience role for the taping and get everyone hyped before the entertainment or host hits the stage.

This usually involves a combination of cheering exercises, dance parties, and audience Q&A! There may be a few moments where they need you to ham it up during the actual recording, but they mostly encourage genuine reactions.

You will be surprised by how small the studios are compared to how they look on TV. You really are up close and personal with the stars, cast, and crew! The rest of the time, you are just expected to enjoy the show as you would if you were watching it on television!

CELEBRITY INTERACTION & CAMERA TIME

Direct interaction with celebrities is pretty minimal, but you may be able to sneak a high five as they enter and exit the show. If you tend to get any type of star struck, just being in the same room with them is a pretty cool experience. We’re not gonna lie, we totally geeked the first time we saw Jimmy Kimmel!

As for getting your time in the spotlight? The live shows often have segments where they invite the audience to participate. This could be anything from a dance contest or playing a game with the host. So if you are not afraid of a little attention, raise your hand when they ask for volunteers!

Depending on the type of show, the camera crew will often pan over the audience throughout taping. Your friends watching at home may be able to catch a glimpse of you that way too! Of course, if you’re an audience member on a Sitcom, it will be a slightly different experience.

Attending a TV show can last anywhere between 3-5 hours, start to finish.

DRESS CODE

Before you can debut yourself as an audience member, you’ll need to dress the part, right?

The dress code for most studios is fairly casual, but you definitely don’t want to show up wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt. Think about how you would dress for dinner at a nice restaurant. This could be your time to shine after all, so you’ll want to look presentable! Jeans and a nice shirt work perfectly.

TV Show DO’S AND DON’TS

DO get to the studio early. It will increase your chances of being selected as an audience member.

DON’T take photos inside the studio. Pictures are not allowed on set, so take your photos before you walk in.  

DO eat beforehand. It could be a long night and food and drinks are not provided, nor are they allowed inside the studio.

DON’T bring a lot with you. Some shows have an area for you to check items, but it’s easier to just pack light and keep your belongings under your seat. A small purse/bag is more than necessary.  

And that’s a wrap! Getting TV show tickets in Los Angeles is one of our favorite free things to do. It truly is a unique experience and definitely a memorable one for the City of Stars! What else did we miss? Have you been to a taping? We’d love to hear from you in our comment section below!

Be sure to check out our About page to learn more about the Thrifty Girls behind the post! Comment/Like below.