The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 01/08/2014

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

January 8th, 2014

The Tonight Show is an icon of late night television. I knew this had to be one of my first stops for touring the live studio audiences circuit. It's really sad to know that Jay Leno will be retiring and Jimmy Fallon is moving the show to New York. BOOOOOOOOOOOO!

TICKETS:

I requested tickets through http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/tickets/ and the form requires you to indicate three dates that you want to attend. I just entered some random dates as any time was fine with me! I believe I received my #2 choice. 

THERE IS ONLY ONE TYPE OF TICKET- IT IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE and they issue more tickets than seats available in the studio. What does that mean? Means that even if you have tickets, you're not guaranteed to get in!

STUDIO LOCATION:

3000 W Alameda Avenue, Burbank, CA 91523

The Show tapes on the NBC Burbank lot in Studio 11, located just off of the 134 freeway. The pedestrian entrance is on Bob Hope Drive or East side of the facilities. 

PARKING: 

Parking was very simple as they are SOME available spots on the street (with a time limit) or a parking lot right across the street that charges $5 (right off Parkside Drive.)

LINE:

Tickets indicated that the arrive no later time was 2:45 pm with the show beginning at 4pm. We arrived early (at 12:45 pm) as ticket holders aren't guaranteed entrance. We wanted to make sure we received seats! When we approached the front of the studio, there was a fenced-in holding area that had a few trees with a high enough concrete border that it provided a few seats for those in the front of the line. A security guard was present and ensured we were standing in the correct location and made sure no one else attempted to cut in line since there really isn't a line (the area is wide and people just mingle around.) We were approximately number 32 and 33 in line. 

At around 1:30, the line moved from the holding area into the actual studio lot. Here we are posing in front of the sign :)

You then enter the gate through a metal detector and security searches your bag. Cell Phones are allowed on premises but must be turned off when inside the studio. The staff checks your ID and tickets and hands you a number.

We sat on benches for about another hour, giving us ample opportunity to use the restrooms (which were located in a trailer). The first 150 people are seated on benches inside a shaded area. The rest of the ticket holders are standing outside the shaded area. There were probably around 350 people waiting to go inside!

Then around 3 pm, we made our way inside the studio. Cell phones off and the staff seats you. We were about 4 rows up in front of Jay's Desk. They initially tried to seat us in the corner in front of where the band plays but we requested different seats as it was very out of the way of where most of the action occurs.

***TIP*** 

The order in line does not mean you get better seats. VIP's have their seats roped off and reserved groups have their seats roped off as well and these are mostly in the front few rows. Additionally, we noticed an attractive female in the back of the line who was wearing bright, flattering clothing. She ended up being escorted (with her male companion) from the back of the line to a separate entrance where they seated her in the front row on the floor. Being as it's an on-camera audience, young attractive females in cute outfits were seated in the first three rows on the floor. Here me and my girlfriend are dressed for cold weather and bundled up. We're not exactly spring chickens either! Lesson learned!

The monitors were playing music and leno sketches and everyone was pumped up. The Emcee came out, informed us of our jobs (clap, be energetic and laugh our faces off) and the band played at every intermission.

Jay came out before the show, did a small skit to get us in the laughing mood. He asked for questions, which one person received an autograph on their book, another got a picture taken and a young female told Jay her mom said hello... so Jay picked up the phone at the desk and proceeded to call her mom and offer her tickets for another show. 

With 5 minutes left before show time, Jay disappeared to get dressed. The cameras fired up and The Tonight Show began. Jay did his monologue; watching it in person was very surreal. You were encouraged to stand up and dance on commercial breaks and clap a lot. The Emcee would give out gifts to those who were highly energetic.

IT. WAS. EXHAUSTING. 

The Guests came out and for our episode it was Steve Carell and Maria Shriver. 

More commercial breaks with the band playing, people standing up and dancing. 

The guest band came on and played in front of us. Then that was it- the end of the show!

My girlfriend is a big Steve Carell fan. At the very end of the show, when the cameras had stopped rolling, it was actually quiet in the studio because the audience was told to sit down and wait so the celebrities could exit the studio first (the ones that were on stage). So, here we are watching Steve Carell and Maria Shriver walk in front of us with their staff and fixing to exit. My girlfriend and I yell out (as it was dead quiet) "WE LOVE YOU STEVE!

Steve looks up, freezes for a second in only a way that Steve, and proceeds to RUN UP INTO THE AUDIENCE AT US. He shakes our hands, says hello and runs back down to leave. 

BEST. EXPERIENCE. EVER. 

Even when he's being himself, he's funny and unpredictable.

The Audience then exits, most people make a beeline for the trailer restrooms and then we leave. It was 5:15 pm when we left the studio. 

Overall it was very fun, very memorable and exhausting from all that clapping, laughing and dancing. BUT, I did manage to receive a tee shirt from the Emcee for my efforts. 

It's going to be sad to see Jay leave and The Tonight Show move to NY. I've requested tickets during his last week here so *fingers crossed* I'll get to go again. 

***TIPS***

*Bring a sweater, the studio gets cold

*Bring snacks to munch on while you're waiting

*DRESS TO IMPRESS, the attractive people get front row seats

*BE ENERGETIC- drink your redbull

*Have $5 in cash for parking

THE BIG BANG THEORY 1/14/2014

Let's start this blog of with a BANG! 

The Big Bang, that is!

After months of trying to secure tickets for The Big Bang Theory television show, it finally happened. The ticket process is crazy and if you have attempted to score tickets for this show, you know how bogged down that website gets. Let's begin by walking through the process, shall we?

Wake up on a Monday morning, excited with the possibility that THIS COULD BE THE MONDAY YOU GET BIG BANG THEORY TICKETS! At 8:20 am PST, you log onto http://www.tvtickets.com/ and get your pointer finger ready for some serious mouse clicking. At 8:30 am PST, the website releases the tickets and a stupid message keeps coming up when you reload the page. It appears in big neon letters that reads: "ERROR". What is this junk? Well, it's the server being bogged down by so many darn people trying to get tickets at the exact same time. 

So you keep refreshing, in hopes that you come up with the form that allows you to input your personal information into it. Once you do that, there is a possibility that when you hit "submit", you'll get another error code. UGGGGGH! BUT on the off chance that it made it through: CONGRATULATIONS! You now have a ticket to the most sought after television taping EVER. Now you have to hit the backspace button and try again for whoever wants to go with you (and that's like EVERYONE you know) because each individual must have a ticket due to security reasons.

But you know what? Those months of frustration pay off because you're jumping up and down like a lunatic! Oh wait, maybe that was just how I reacted. 

NOW ON TO THE SHOW:
Filming takes place at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, CA at 4210 W. Olive Ave at Gate 3. It's beautiful here and parking is a breeze and its F-R-E-E. Not many places have a parking garage AND free parking so relish in this moment. 

Inside the parking structure is a nice waiting area that has picnic tables and benches, vending machines and bathrooms. Don't be fooled. This is NOT where your waiting begins. Fans waiting to see the daytime show "Ellen" are held here before The Big Bang Theory is authorized to use this facility. Your waiting begins on the side of the parking garage, outside, in the parking lot (behind that cush waiting area). There's hardly any shade, nowhere to sit and it gets HOT. 

My husband and I arrived around 1 pm thinking we were already behind schedule to be one of the first few people in line for the 6:30pm taping (and 5pm audience check-in time). We had "Priority" tickets. Wait, what does that mean?

There are two types of tickets for The Big Bang: 

Priority: you're not guaranteed admittance (nobody is guaranteed) but there's a 99.9% chance you'll be seeing the show. Sometimes more VIP's show up than expected so that's why they say "no guarantee". VIP's are friends and family of the cast and crew so if you don't have the hookup, then there's no guarantee. 

Standby: You're not guaranteed AND you're on a first come, first serve basis. That means, after the VIP's and Priority audience members go in and are seated, then they'll allow the standby ticket holders to go in based on their placement in line. 

So, that being said: standby ticket holders usually show up at ungodly hours and stand around in unfavorable weather conditions on the CHANCE they will be admitted. You know, some of those priority ticket holders or VIP's never show up and that's where the standby's come in!

Back to my story- We had priority tickets and showed up at 1 pm. COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY. Everyone else in line had standby tickets and we were maybe number 34 and 35 in line. We waited, taking turns standing in line and at 4 pm, Audiences Unlimited (AU) Employees came out, announced the procedures and checked our tickets. We then split into two groups and headed into the luxurious waiting area inside the parking garage: Priority and Standby. Remember how I said we were number 34 and 35 in line? Once we split from the standby ticket holders, we were number 5 and 6 in the Priority line. 
*Note to self: don't show up that early with Priority tickets. I could have walked into the parking structure at 4 pm and would have been admitted without a problem. 

AU holds you there in the waiting area for about another 45 minutes and during this time they check the name on your ticket with the name on your ID, stamp your hand and give you one last chance to use the restroom. You CANNOT use the facilities once you are in the studio. Keep that in mind!

The AU staff then leads you across the street into the studios where the BBT is, past where Conan, 2 broke girls and Mike & Molly are filmed. You are then taken to the medal detectors where they search your bags and pat you down. CELL PHONES ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE STUDIO GROUNDS. They'll tell you to put them in your cars (do it or they'll confiscate them.) This is one of the strictest tapings I've been to concerning cell phones. 

After that, you're lead into the studio, seated by an AU member then wait until Curtain Call! Everyone is pumped up and there's not a bad seat in the house; the sets span across the entire seating area. From left to right was a static set, penny's apartment, the elevator stairwell, Sheldon & Leonard's apartment and then another static set. It was so surreal to see everything in person. Above where you are seated are monitors and microphones. They'll play you a showing of BBT while the set gets set up. Then the Audience Guide comes out, introduces himself, goes over the rules (basically just laugh and don't talk when filming) then he makes jokes to get everyone in the giggling mood and plays games in between takes so you're entertained THE ENTIRE TIME. 

At 6:30 the cast came out for their introductions, bowed to the audience then went to their markers to prepare for taping. Everyone got quiet, the monitors flared up with what the cameras were filming and the acting began! They'd tape a scene, stop for a few minutes, reset and tape the exact same scene again (sometimes with minor changes). You're expected to laugh as if it's the first time you've seen it. I will say though, that these actors are AMAZING. To go straight through a few minutes of dialogue without many hiccups and then do it again and react the way they do is simply admirable. No wonder why they get paid the big bucks!

Again, between takes, the Emcee is calling people up to do silly tricks and handing out candy. Your senses become overwhelmed. At the midway point, everyone in the audience received a cold slice of cheese pizza and a small water. BUT YOU'RE SO HUNGRY FROM BEING IN LINE ALL DAY WITHOUT FOOD THAT IT'S THE BEST DAMN PIZZA IN THE WORLD. 

Go ahead, ask me. Ask me how long the taping lasted? heh. 6:30 pm until 10:20 pm. Yes. You read that right. You're entertained for almost 4 hours straight. 


After the filming is done, the cast comes out for another curtain call and everyone leaves. Kunal Nayyar was the only cast member that stuck around and signed autographs. He was extremely nice and very handsome in person! (not that he's not on the show)


Everyone is escorted out of the studio and back to the parking garage and that's it- it's over. The moment you've been waiting for is done and then you realize "I just saw the best damn show in person" and become the envy of all your friends. 

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! I LOVE the BBT and have watched it since the first episode aired. I remember telling all of my friends about this show with geeks that I could relate to and now here I am seeing it in person. 

Thrilling. 

I hope this helped if you had any questions with what to expect if you have tickets to the BBT. For a parting shot, here are some tips of the trade:

***TIPS***

If you arrive early: bring a chair, umbrella (for blocking sun OR rain), snacks and water. You'll have the opportunity to take them back to your car before entering studio. 

Leave your cell phone in your car.

Did I mention to bring snacks? 

Print out your tickets and ensure you have your ID card.

Bring a sweater/jacket. The studio gets cold. 

Be prepared for a long show and late night. 

Laugh!

Make friends while waiting in line. There were people from all over the world with us. This helped past the time. 

If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up! Tell me your own story of seeing the show and if nothing else, share your love of The Big Bang Theory. 

BAZINGA!

Jimmy Kimmel Live! Taping 01/13/2014

Question: What's better than a trip to downtown Hollywood at the Hollywood Walk of Fame? 

Answer: Seeing Jimmy Kimmel Live. 

Good thing that they are both in the same place! You'll see Jimmy's banners on the building to the right of the El Capitan Movie Theater Entrance. 

LOCATION: 
6840 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA

PARKING: 
Hollywood and Highland Parking Structure 

TICKETS:

Getting tickets for JKL is relatively simple. Just visit http://1iota.com/ and request the dates you would like. You'll receive an e-mail when they are released. It is imperative that you have access to your email at all times (such as on a smart phone) as email notify you immediately when tickets are released so you can click to confirm your tickets when it happens. If you click quickly, you'll get Priority Tickets. If you're lax on it, then you'll get General or Standby Tickets. 

PRIORITY: The first audience members to be admitted 

GENERAL: After Priority enters, General Ticket holders are granted access.

STANDBY: After Priority and General are seated then there is a possibility there will be extra seats. If you have Standby tickets, there is no guarantee of entry NOR that you will sit whomever you came with. 

LINE: 

Upon an early arrival, I really wasn't sure where to stand at to begin the line as nobody was there yet. I asked a friendly security guard and he informed me to wait at the pole next to the street that is directly in front of the entrance.  If you're looking at the building, to the right of the pole will be standby tickets and to the left will be Priority/General Tickets. 

During our wait, you could hear a band playing inside. They were jamming! On top of that, all the quirky artists that frequent the Hollywood Walk of Fame/Grauman's Chinese Theater are walking around. You'll see superheroes, Star Wars characters, celebrity look-a-likes and people like this guy: Mr. Muscles. 

At 3:30, the 1iota staff members came out and brought out the line dividers and proceeded to tell us what to expect. We stood there for about another hour before they began to admit us. Hint- no need to get there before 3:30 (unlike other late night shows.) 

STUDIO:

Security checks your ID, your bags, then you walk through a medal detector, At this point, they will validate your parking ticket at this time. You are allowed to take your phones in but will be told to turn them off. Then you wait in lines in the hallway while JKL is playing on the TV screens in the forum. 

Then it's time to go in (around 5:15 pm). The 1iota staff will direct you to a seat, which are very nice seats (think movie theater). An Emcee will come out, explain the process (laugh and don't stand up) and makes sure people are in a good mood. The staff is setting up, band comes out and warms up, then Jimmy Kimmel comes out. The studio is very small and the seats are really close to the stage. Jimmy's monologue took place about 8 feet in front of us as we were able to score front row seats due to our Priority Tickets.

The show moves VERY quickly. They'll tape the monologue portion, cut to commercial and reset the stage with the desk and chair, call out the guest and begin filming the interview portion. The night we went the guests were Kevin Costner and Harry Connick Jr. We were seriously about 20 feet from these A-list celebrities. You can't beat that!

After the interview with the guests, there is usually a music guest who performs. Kevin Costner was scheduled to perform with his band but he happened to be sick and opted not to play. Instead they had another band perform. But here's the kicker: the studio audience doesn't get to see it. Perhaps this was just the night I went since they had to have a backup band. I do know that on certain nights, JKL has a mini outdoor concert. I have not attended it but from what I've read, the studio audience gets ushered outside to see it. I'll report on the actual experience when I attend a taping during a mini outdoor concert. 

The show ended as quickly as it began. It's amazing how fast filming takes place as it's in real time. No re-do's or starting over. It happens as it happens. The show began at 6 pm and ended at 7 pm. Plenty of time to do other sightseeing activities. 

AFTER: 

It just so happened that there was a movie premier occurring at Mann's Chinese Theater that night: Ride Along. 

We walked over to where the action was going on and look who I got to take a picture with!

How cool is that? You can't beat the ambiance of Hollywood and the possibility that you can see a star anywhere you visit. Keep your eyes peeled!

I'm actually looking forward to taking in another Jimmy Kimmel Live show. It's probably one of the best experiences I've had yet. The audience is small, the set is intimate, obtaining tickets is simple and the 1iota staff happens to be the friendliest, most professional I've seen yet. 

***TIPS***

*No need to show up before the line dividers come out at 3:30 pm. 

*Dress to impress: Jeans are okay but make sure you have a nice shirt on: No logo's allowed, no solid white clothes, NO SHORTS, baseball hats, etc. Dress like you're going to a dinner party (dressy casual). YOU WILL BE ON CAMERA as they shoot the audience before and after commercial breaks. (lesson I learned from attending Jay Leno).

*There are no seats when waiting in line and you do NOT have the opportunity to put the chairs away as your placement in line must be kept at all times.

*It gets cold in the studio. Bring a sweater or jacket

*The most energetic guest receives a gift from the Emcee. Show your enthusiasm in the studio.

*Be nice to the 1iota staff. They are the best in the business!