TV audience recordings

[johntea]

Does anyone else on here enjoy attending TV show recordings (being in the audience)? I've got quite a bug for it!

So far I've seen :-

Million Pound Drop Live
The Cube
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
Deal Or No Deal

I recently saw (Not been on TV yet!) :-

£100K Drop (Basically Million Pound Drop but for daytime TV!)
Countdown (Margaret from Apprentice in dictionary corner so a bit surreal!)

It used to be a right pain as they film a lot in London but now with MediaCityUK in Manchester it is fairly easy to go and see some things!

I just find it fascinating how everything is put together for the TV!

 

[Mag_seven]

I'd love to go and see how a sitcom is recorded, seeing the different sets on the studio floor etc.

 

[northwichcat]

In your case Countdown would have been easier to see before it moved to Manchester. For many years it was filmed at Yorkshire TV's studios in Leeds before ITV PLC decided to look for ways to save money. You might be aware it was originally called Calendar Countdown and was broadcast only in the Yorkshire region on ITV (Richard Whiteley also presented Calendar) before Channel 4 bought the rights to show it when they first launched, with it having been rejected as an option for a UK wide ITV show.

I saw one episode of John Bishop's Britain being filmed at MediaCity very soon after the facility started to be used and well before any live programs were broadcast from there.

I've also seen one episode of 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (before they milked the idea too far.) It was interesting to see that Jon Richardson tried his hardest to avoid any interaction with the audience, while Sean Lock and Jimmy Carr were actively engaging with the audience.

I tried to get tickets for Mock The Week when I knew I would be in London for one of the dates they were filming, well in advance but wasn't successful.

I've also got rejected for everyone of the applications I've made via the BBC Tickets site with the exception of The New Comedy Award Heats - which was broadcast on Radio 4 Extra and is used to decide which comedians they'll take to the final at the Edinburgh Festival.

 

[nlogax]

Been to see a ton of these over the course of the last twenty years, both radio and TV, as well as a couple of dry runs by comedians to test their sketch material in front of a live audience before recording. I've seen everything..some absolute classics (Harry & Paul, HIGNFY, The IT Crowd) to some total dross (Big Break..wtf was I thinking? Petrolheads.. yep, I barely remember it either)

In fact this morning I just picked up tickets for Room 101 to be at taped Elstree. First time I'll have ever watched anything there. Bit chuffed about it!

 

[jon0844]

I've been to a few, including years ago for HIGNFY where they made us sit as they recorded outtakes at the end for their Christmas VHS release (that's how long ago that was!).

I don't mean the usual re-recording because of a mistake earlier on. The opposite; making deliberate mistakes to go on as bloopers. Much like films seem to like doing these days at the end.

It's increasingly difficult to get tickets to things now, although I have to say I don't try that hard. It's always enjoyable, and free, but you have to get used to a lot of queuing and hanging around so pick your shows carefully. It helps to go and see something you actually enjoy watching, but I am sure plenty of people who go just do so because it's free, and sometimes know people in the industry so have a better chance of getting in.

 

[AM9]

I've seen three 'The Last Leg' shows, - great fun, especially the live ones.
Also HIGNFY, 8 out of 10 cats (before the melded Countdown into it), one 'That Sunday Night Show', (that was about as interesting as its host Adrian Chiles), plus a couple of pilots.

 

[MrCub]

Yes, been to plenty. Usually good fun if long. My favourite was Play Your Cards Right. Sitcoms are very interesting, but also slow.

 

[baz962]

I just put my name in the hat for mrs browns boys in the bbc random draw thing I signed up to.

 

[87electric]

Only done one and that was Alan Partridge. Amazing.

 

[baz962]

I got the mrs browns boys christmas special tickets I was selected

 

[jon0844]

I got the mrs browns boys christmas special tickets I was selected

My sympathies.

 

[baz962]

My sympathies.

ha me an my mrs love it for our sins

 

[cf111]

Tried and failed to get a ticket for HIGNFY, I live miles from London so can't just scatterbomb the applications for each episode.

Would like to attend the recording of an episode of Just A Minute but it would have to be one with both Gyles Brandreth and Paul Merton!

 

[Tetchytyke]

Working in London was great for this, I've been to see QI a few times. Stephen Fry was great at working the audience. So was Sandi Toksvig whenever I went to see Radio 4's News Quiz get recorded.

Now I'm not working down there it's almost impossible. As you say, scatterbombing the recordings isn't an option. There's also the issue that you're not guaranteed entry, even with a ticket. It doesn't matter when the London Studios are a mile from your office, it does if you've travelled to see it.

I never managed to get a ticket to HIGNFY though.

The BBC tickets were always easy enough to get, both radio (as its radio and less interesting) and TV, so long as the TV was being filmed at Elstree.

 

[northwichcat]

There's also the issue that you're not guaranteed entry, even with a ticket. It doesn't matter when the London Studios are a mile from your office, it does if you've travelled to see it.

Some of the audience companies do give you the option of a priority ticket for a future event if you don't get admitted for a show you turned up for. However, when they do that it can mean those without priority tickets need to get there very early to be guaranteed entry for a popular recording as you can end up with a significant number of people jumping the queue.

 

[tellytype]

Working in telly I couldn't imagine a worse way to spend a day off ...but, I do love what I do, just don't feel like doing it all the while.

Everyone should go see at least one show, preferably live, so you can see just how close some shows are to not making it in air or falling off mid way though & how much running around goes on to keep it going. You can't go see the news done but if you did you'd be amazed how close stuff is to going kaput!

 

[MrCub]

Oh how right you are; used to do telly stuff years ago (as the least important person in the studio) and some programmes were utter chaos.