Be Part of the Studio Audience
It's fun—and free—to attend the tapings of popular television shows filmed in New York City. You get to see huge stars up close, and if you're lucky, your friends at home might even see you on TV.
The wait for tickets is often long, so it's best to write in for them far in advance. Still, many shows have standby options if you're willing to wait in line. See below for the addresses, schedules and other important info for NYC-based TV shows.
106 & Park (BET)
First things first: 106 & Park no longer takes place at its namesake intersection—it's far southwest of that address. If you can get past that, though, you'll enjoy the show, which counts down top rap and R&B music videos and often features celebrity guests. It airs weekdays at 6pm on BET.
Ticket Info: Visit bet.com to reserve up to four tickets.
Show Requirements: You must be 16 or older to attend. Bring a photo ID.
Location: 530 W. 57th St. (bet. Tenth and Eleventh Aves.)
Schedule: Usually Monday at 1:30pm and 6pm, and Wednesday through Friday at 6pm. Audience members must arrive at least 90 minutes early.
Bethenny (syndicated)
Bethenny Frankel, of Skinnygirl and Real Housewives of New York City fame, hosts this daytime talk show. Topics to be covered on the program include pop culture, beauty and fitness, relationships and more.
Ticket Info: To request tickets through email, contact tickets@bethennytv.com. You can also book through the show's official website, bethenny.com.
Show Requirements: You must be 18 or older to attend a taping alone, and 16 or older if attending with a parent. Tickets are nontransferable and may not be sold. Studio-audience members must bring a government-issued photo ID. No cameras or recording devices allowed. As ticket distribution may be in excess of studio capacity, admission is not guaranteed.
Location: 528 W. 57th St. (bet. Tenth and Eleventh Aves.)
Schedule: Visit the show's official website for schedule details.
The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
Stephen Colbert, an alum of The Daily Show, has hosted The Colbert Report since 2005. The show parodies politics, pop culture, entertainment and news. It airs Monday through Thursday at 11:30pm on Comedy Central.
Ticket Info: The scheduled tapings book far in advance, but you can request tickets and check back for open dates online through the show's ticket-reservation system. You can sign up for standby tickets in front of the studio beginning at 4pm the day of the taping, but admission is not guaranteed.
Show Requirements: You must be 18 or older to attend. Tickets are nontransferable and may not be sold. Studio audience members must bring a government-issued photo ID. No cameras or recording devices allowed. As ticket distribution may be in excess of studio capacity, admission is not guaranteed, even with reservations. Individuals may attend the show only once every six months unless asked back to a specific show by a member of the production staff.
Location: 513 W. 54th St. (bet. Tenth and Eleventh Aves.)
Schedule: The Colbert Report tapes Monday through Thursday.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart airs Monday through Thursday at 11pm on Comedy Central. It parodies politics, pop culture, entertainment and news. A celebrity guest is interviewed on each episode.
Ticket Info: The show is usually booked well in advance, but you can try requesting tickets through the show's online ticket-reservation system.
Show Requirements: You must be 18 or older to attend. Also, as ticket distribution may be in excess of studio capacity, admission is not guaranteed, even with reservations. No cameras or recording devices allowed.
Location: 733 Eleventh Ave. (bet. W. 51st and W. 52nd Sts.)
Schedule: The Daily Show tapes Monday through Thursday in the evening. Tickets start being handed out at 2:30pm. The person with the ticket confirmation print-out can put other tickets in that reservation on hold, but the remaining ticket holders must pick up those tickets by 4pm. All audience members must arrive no later than 4:30pm. The taping time varies every day, though taping typically ends between 7 and 7:30pm.
The Dr. Oz Show (syndicated)
Dr. Mehmet Oz, vice-chair and professor of surgery at Columbia University, discusses health issues and dispenses advice in front of a live studio audience on The Dr. Oz Show. Audience members are sometimes contacted in advance and asked to participate in on-air segments. Check local listings for channels and air times.
Ticket Info: Tickets are available online. For standby tickets, an audience staffer will be at ABC Studios at 320 W. 66th Street at 8:40am and 1:40pm on most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Show Requirements: You must be 18 or older to attend. Tickets are nontransferable, so bring a photo ID. No cameras or recording devices allowed. The show has a dress code, and those who don't follow it might not be admitted.
Location: 320 W. 66th St. (bet. West End Ave. and Freedom Place)
Schedule: During the season, the show tapes twice a day, three days a week, at 10am and 3pm (specific shooting days vary). Audience members must arrive at least 90 minutes early.
Good Morning America (ABC)
Catch Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, Lara Spencer, Sam Champion and Josh Elliott on Good Morning America, ABC's morning news and lifestyle program, live on weekdays at 7am.
Ticket Info: To receive tickets, submit your request online.
Show Requirements: Studio audience members must bring a valid photo ID. Bags should not be larger than a basic purse. Gifts or cards for the hosts or guests are not allowed. Neither signs nor clothing should endorse a business or product, nor should they feature a website or an address.
Location: Times Square (at Broadway and West 44th Street)
Schedule: Good Morning America tapes Monday through Friday from 7 to 9am. (There is no studio audience for the weekend edition.)
Huckabee (Fox News Channel)
On Huckabee, former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee talks politics, welcomes celebrity guests and provides lighthearted entertainment—including live music from his house band, The Little Rockers.
Ticket Info: For tickets, call 877-225-8587 or email hucktix@foxnews.com. Include the number of tickets you'd like along with your contact information.
Show Requirements: Audience members must be 18 or older. No cameras, advertisements, signs, luggage, large bags or outside food or drink are permitted in the building, but food is provided to the audience beforehand. The dress code is business casual.
Location: 133 W. 47th St. (bet. Sixth and Seventh Aves.) The studio entrance is on the 47th Street side of the building.
Schedule: Call the ticket hotline for information on upcoming taping dates and times.
Inside the Actors Studio (Bravo)
James Lipton interviews entertainers at Pace University on Inside the Actors Studio, which is actually a seminar for master's degree students at the school. Episodes consist mostly of one-on-one interviews between Lipton and the guests.
Ticket Info: Standby tickets are sometimes available to the general public, and to get them, you have to wait on line the day of the show to see if tickets are available. The line forms outside of the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts where the show is recorded. Register for Pace's mailing list to find out when the shows will be taped. Please note that waiting on the standby line does not guarantee you a ticket.
Show Requirements: You must be 18 or older to attend. No food, beverages, gum chewing, knitting or hats allowed. Those wearing clothes with writing or logos may be required to sit out of the camera shot. No cameras or cell phones allowed.
Location: Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts, Pace University, 3 Spruce St. (bet. William and Gold Sts.)
Schedule: There is no set schedule, but information about upcoming episodes is posted on schimmel.pace.edu and sent out to a mailing list. Arrive one hour before showtime.
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon features comedy sketches, celebrity interviews and performances from musical guests—not to mention the show's Grammy Award–winning house band, The Roots. It airs Monday through Friday at 12:35am on NBC.
Ticket Info: You can request up to four tickets in advance by calling 212-664-3056; most episodes are booked about a month before taping. NBC also distributes day-of-show standby tickets, which do not guarantee admission, under the NBC Studios marquee on the West 49th Street side of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. If you want standby tickets, arrive no later than 9am; standby tickets are one per person.
Show Requirements: You must be 16 or older, and you may book tickets only once every six months. Audience members need to show a valid photo ID to be admitted.
Location: 30 Rockefeller Plaza (bet. Fifth and Sixth Aves. and W. 49th and W. 50th Sts.)
Schedule: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon tapes Monday through Friday at 5:30pm. (Arrive no later than 3:45pm.)
Late Show with David Letterman (CBS)
David Letterman has hosted Late Show, his late-night comedy show, on CBS since 1993. The program features celebrity guests and musical acts. Letterman is known for his nightly Top Ten list, along with sketches like "Stupid Pet Tricks" and "Stupid Human Tricks." The show airs weeknights at 11:35pm.
Ticket Info: To get tickets, you may register online. You may also register in person at the Ed Sullivan Theater box office Monday through Thursday from 9:30am to noon, or on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. (Do not line up prior to 9am or you will not be eligible for tickets.) Tickets from the box office are awarded on a lottery basis. A limited number of standby tickets are also available on the day of the taping you wish to attend. For such tickets, call 212-247-6497 no earlier than 11am. The Late Show sometimes offers group tickets, too—visit the show's official website to check availability.
Show Requirements: You must be 18 or older to attend. If selected for tickets, you will be contacted via phone (which could be as late as the day before the taping). Each person is entitled to two tickets (the guest's name must be on the online application or be given to the staff representative when applying in person; tickets are not transferable). Studio audience members must bring a government-issued photo ID (the name, address and birth date must match those submitted during the in-person ticket application). No cell phones, pagers, cameras or recording devices allowed. Due to the large volume of requests for tickets, you may apply for tickets only once in a six-month period; those who have already attended a show are not eligible to attend for another six months from the date of attendance.
Location: 1697 Broadway (bet. W. 53rd and W. 54th Sts.)
Schedule: Late Show tapes Monday through Wednesday at 4:30pm and two shows on Thursdays, at 3:30 and 6pm. For more information, call 212-975-5853.
Live! with Kelly & Michael (syndicated)
Live! with Kelly & Michael, hosted by Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan, is a popular syndicated morning talk show. It airs live on weekdays from 9 to 10am.
Ticket Info: The wait may be up to a year for advance tickets, but it is still possible to get same-day tickets. To obtain tickets in advance, fill out the ticket-request form online or send a postcard or regular-size envelope to:
Live! with Kelly & Michael Tickets
Ansonia Station
P.O. Box 230-777
New York, NY 10023-077
Include your name, address, telephone number, email address, the date(s) when you can attend the show and the number of tickets you'd like. To get same-day tickets, arrive at the southeast corner of Columbus Avenue and West 67th Street as early as 7am for a standby number. After ticket holders are seated, standbys are seated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Show Requirements: Children between 10 and 17 years old must be accompanied by an adult; those under 10 are not allowed in the studio. Cameras are allowed, but flash photography is prohibited.
Location: The studio is at 7 Lincoln Square, at the southeast corner of Columbus Avenue and West 67th Street.
Schedule: Live! with Kelly & Michael broadcasts live from 9 to 10am on weekdays. Ticket holders should arrive at the studio by or before 8am.
The People's Court (syndicated)
On The People's Court, one of television's first reality shows, Judge Marilyn Milian presides over real civil court cases of ordinary people. Check local listings for channels and air times.
Ticket Info: To request tickets, email your name and telephone number to tickets@peoplescourt.com or call 888-780-8587.
Location: 401 Fifth Ave., 8th fl. (at E. 37th St.)
Schedule: During its season, from September through June, the show tapes Tuesdays through Thursdays at 10am and 2pm. Audience members must arrive at least a half hour early.
The Rachael Ray Show (syndicated)
On The Rachael Ray Show, the Emmy Award–winning host and celebrity chef talks with famous guests, welcomes music stars and—of course—cooks. Check local listings for channels and air times.
Ticket Info: To request tickets, visit rachaelrayshow.com.
Show Requirements: You must be 16 or older to be an audience member, and you may attend only one taping per season. Visitors will need to present a government-issued photo ID. The show enforces a business-casual dress code.
Location: Chelsea Television Studios, 221 W. 26th St. (bet. Seventh and Eighth Aves.)
Schedule: The show tapes Tuesday through Thursday at 11:30am and 3:30pm, and audience members must arrive at 10am for the 11:30am taping or 2:15pm for the 3:30pm taping.
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Saturday Night Live is a live comedy and entertainment show airing at 11:30pm on Saturdays. It features celebrity guest hosts and musical performances. The show is a hot ticket among visitors and New Yorkers alike.
Ticket Info: Tickets are given out once a year through a lottery. To enter, send an email to snltickets@nbcuni.com during the month of August only. Include all contact information and do not request a specific date. One email per household allowed. Winners will each receive two tickets for a specific show date and performance (dress rehearsal or live show). You will be notified only in the event that you are selected.
Standby tickets are distributed at 7am on the West 49th Street side of 30 Rockefeller Plaza on the mornings of the tapings. You may choose a standby ticket for either the 8pm dress rehearsal or the 11:30pm live taping. Standby tickets are limited to one per person and are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. A standby ticket does not guarantee admission.
Show Requirements: You must be 16 or older to attend. Standby-line members must remain in line at all times (aside from minimal, necessary breaks).
Location: 30 Rockefeller Plaza (bet. Fifth and Sixth Aves. and W. 49th and W. 50th Sts.)
Schedule: On Saturdays, arrive no later than 7:15pm for the 8pm dress rehearsal and 10:45pm for the 11:30pm live show.
Today (NBC)
The Today show is NBC's morning news and lifestyle program. The show—featuring Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Hoda Kotb, Natalie Morales, Willie Geist and Kathie Lee Gifford—tapes on the ground floor at the corner of West 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza. Fans gather outside on the plaza to watch (and to try to snag some time in front of the camera).
Ticket Info: No tickets are necessary.
Location: 30 Rockefeller Plaza (bet. Fifth and Sixth Aves. and W. 49th and W. 50th Sts.)
Schedule: The show tapes Monday through Friday from 7 to 11am.
The View (ABC)
On The View, Whoopi Goldberg, Jenny McCarthy, Sherri Shepherd and Barbara Walters discuss current events and interview celebrity guests. The show airs weekdays at 11am.
Ticket Info: Apply for tickets online at abc.go.com. There is usually a one- or two-year wait for tickets. For day-of-show standby tickets, pick up a number from an audience a**ociate between 8 and 9am at the audience entrance.
Show Requirements: You must be 16 or older to attend.
Location: 320 W. 66th St. (bet. West End Ave. and Freedom Place)
Schedule: The show airs live Monday through Thursday from 11am to noon, and tapes an additional show during the week to be aired on Friday. Ticket holders must arrive by 9:30am.
The Wendy Williams Show (syndicated and on BET)
On The Wendy Williams Show, the famously outspoken, wig-clad member of the National Radio Hall of Fame dishes outrageous celebrity gossip and interviews famous guests. She even invites audience members onto the set for a mini dance party before her show starts. Check local listings for channels and air times.
Ticket Info: Visit wendyshow.com to reserve up to five tickets. For standby tickets, arrive at the studio no later than 8:30am on the day of the show; if tickets are available, they'll be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Group-ticket information is available on the show's website.
Show Requirements: You must be 18 or older to attend. No hats, sungla**es, costumes, shirts with logos or writing, shorts or casual tank tops allowed.
Location: Chelsea Television Studios, 221 W. 26th St. (bet. Seventh and Eighth Aves.)
Schedule: The program is broadcast live at 10am Monday through Thursday, and tapes another show Thursdays at 1:30pm. Audience members must arrive at least two hours early.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (syndicated)
On Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, all of the contestants are out to become, well, millionaires—and, if given the option, they'd probably settle for several thousand, too. Watch them go for the big bucks on this popular game show by answering questions posed by host Cedric The Entertainer. Check local listings for channels and air times.
Ticket Info: Visit dadt.com for tickets and other details, or to sign up for an audition if you'd rather compete than watch.
Location: 105 E. 106 St.