Other TV shows where it takes a ridiculously long time in line before you get into the studio

[logikreader]

A funny thing happened on the way to Television City:  Way back in March 2006, I went to TVC to see my first look at Game Show Marathon.  Being trained from the multiple Price is Right trips, I went to the studio more than three hours early.

When I got there... I stood there and even went up to the front door of the studio... nobody was there!  It wasn't until about half an hour before the start time when the line filled up... with 30 people!  The rest filed in eventually...  I felt so dumb waiting so long for a TV show by myself... but it was funny enough to remember

Anyway, do any other TV shows warrant a long wait in line before going into the show, and by long wait I mean maybe 3 hours or more?  I can only think of the Tonight Show and possibly Letterman in New York.  Share your experiences!

[PIR85]

I'm only guessing, as I've never been to any TV studio audiences, but maybe American Idol (especially the final 6)?


And maybe Leno and Letterman, also.

[trapperm]

American Idol ticket process is quite unqiue.  The way you get tickets is putting yourself on the waiting list.  The number of available seats varies for each show, and therefore, people get notified only a few days before their selected show.  When you sign up on the waiting list, you do not get to select the day.  Its very hard for someone not in the LA area to be able to attend it seems.

[strongbad]

It's easy to get Leno tickets, and you don't wait long either.  I got in line around 700am on a Friday morning, and they started giving out tickets at 8am.  Once you get the tickets, you come back around 345pm, I think it was, and you wait for another hour or so before everything gets started.  You go through security and you are taken directly into the studio.  You wait for maybe a total of 2-2.5 hours, from the ticket retrieval process to actually getting into the studio.  Not too shabby in my book.

[alumniseason35]

Letterman works about the same way - although you typically have to go through their website to request tickets as opposed to just showing up day of.  I have heard though that the line for Leno tickets can get long if he has a big star on the show.

[logikreader]

Didn't realize it was that painless... has anyone had a shot at going to the late late at TVC or Conan at 30 Rock?

[TPIR75]

I would think SNL would have long lines to get into the studio.  But I don't know that for a fact.

[strongbad]

My brother got to see Conan, and apparently getting tickets was no problem.  SNL, on the other hand takes a long time if you haven't written in or somehow got tickets in advance.  December 2002 I waited in line for standby tickets to see SNL - got in line at 4am, and I believe standby tickets were handed out around 8am or so (I don't recall exactly when in the morning, but 8am sounds right).  We then had to get back in line around 5pm and wait for another couple of hours, in the hope that we would get in.  They didn't let anybody on standby in that night.  It was one of Phish's last performances before they broke up.