Have you ever watched an episode of “The Big Bang Theory” or “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and noticed the audience? Of course, you tune in for your favorite cast or the celebrity you are interested in, but the audience is still noticeable. Sometimes it is a laugh track, but most of the time it’s not. If it is a talk show they will show glimpses of the audience throughout the program. Either way, I always wondered what it was like to be a part of a taping for a show. Some shows treat their guests to prizes and giveaways, while others will interact with the audience directly. Pop culture is my guilty pleasure, so as part of my research, I attended a taping of “Live with Kelly and Michael” in New York City. (For more information on attaining tickets to a taping, visit Iota Tickets).
On Thursday May 12, 2016, I woke up at 4 a.m. with my lovely and supportive boyfriend to start this adventure. We arrived in the city a little after 6 a.m. and hopped a cap to the studio on 67th and Columbus Ave. I live by the saying “the early bird gets the worm” when it comes to these types of things, so we were extremely early. The ticket information said doors did not open until 7:15 a.m., but in my mind it is better to be safe than sorry. When signing up for tickets, keep in mind: you will be standing around for long periods of time. The doors did not actually open until after 7:30 a.m. Once we were through security, we had to wait (again) inside the lobby area until 8:40 a.m., when they finally let us into the studio.
We entered through the same part of the stage the special guests enter. It was a large open room; there were only a few feet separating where Kelly and Michael sit and the studio audience. There were five or six long rows, divided into three sections, for the audience members to sit on the ground level, while there was upstairs seating for the rest of the audience. Thanks to my early planning, we had seats on the ground level. The studio was a busy hub; camera operators were busy setting up the shots, while other crew members were adjusting lights and special effects. A studio worker came around with tickets for a chance to win a $500 gift card to World Market. You could only enter if you were 18 or older, did not work for ABC or were related to anyone who worked for ABC. The number would be picked on air. Then, the producer came out to address the crowd and go over hand signals to train us to be louder or softer during key moments in the taping. He also asked a few audience members to audition as the go-go dancer for the trivia segment. An enthusiastic woman who sat next to me was picked to dance on TV. Finally, at 9 o’clock on the dot, Kelly and Michael came out. It was nothing short of exciting.
The audience went insane with cheers as Kelly and Michael walked out together. They both smiled and waved as they sat down to work. In the past few weeks there has been a lot of drama surrounding the show due to Michael departing the show for “Good Morning America.” The gossip rags were writing of tension between the cohosts. There very well could be tension between them, but I did not notice any tension. They were both professionals and were extremely genuine with the audience. In between commercial breaks they said hello to everyone, took pictures, and signed autographs. Throughout the taping they took turns addressing the audience and asking if everyone was okay. It was a surprisingly humble and thoughtful experience. According to a lady I met after the show, not every studio taping is as nice and relaxed; some hosts do not even acknowledge the audience during breaks.
After the host, the guests are the next exciting element about viewing a taping. The guests at the taping I attended were Kate Beckinsale and Joe Morton. Both guests waved and shook hands with the audience as they sat down. They were there to promote their respective projects, so the conversation was light and focused. Kelly, Michael, and the crew have everything down to a science. The hour long taping went by in no time and the commercial breaks went by much faster than when watching at home. In addition to chatting with the audience, Kelly and Michael also chatted with the guests. I could hear Kelly telling Kate to not worry about something and that she would help her out with whatever it was she needed. As I previously said, they were pretty genuine.
My experience at the taping was positive for the most part. One thing I did not calculate were the cameras. I did not realize how in the way the cameras can be. When Kelly and Michael were seated the cameras were in close, and from the angle I was at, Kelly was blocked at times. It was also difficult to see the guests at times. This became a bigger issue when it came time for the musical guest, Kelsea Ballerini. Kelsea, an upcoming country singer, was completely blocked by the camera because I was seated directly across from where the musician performs. She sounded fantastic though and everyone seemed to enjoy the performance. It also didn’t hurt that there were screens above the stage, so I could still see everything. When the taping was over Kelly, Michael, and the producer thanked everyone for coming and said it was the best taping of the week. The producer said that if we left the building and got back in line there would be a second taping featuring Blake Shelton. It was 10 a.m., so my boyfriend and I opted for breakfast, but you never know what will happen during a live taping!
