Talk Shows and Live Tapings in NYC

New York is home to many talk shows and morning news shows like Today and Bryant Gumbel’s new show, Early Show, taped in Central Park. One of the most popular events in connection with the talk shows is to stand out in front of the NBC studios 7am-9am at 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza. The Today show is filmed here and bystanders who attract attention with cute babies, big signs or some type of gimmick might just get on camera. The equivalent activity for those too cool for talk shows is the MTV studio at 1515 Broadway.

Guests must be over 16 years old to attend a show and if age is questionable, be prepared to prove it. Tickets are free, but there is always a long wait in line for good seats. Tickets are stamped with an entry time, but the line starts to form hours before then. For more information www.nytix.com.

 

The Late Show with David Letterman

The late show is taped in the famous Ed Sullivan Theater heart of the theater district at 54th Street and Broadway. You can't miss it.  

Website. http://marketing.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/

Mail Request. To mail in a request for tickets, send a postcard with name, address and telephone number including the number of tickets requested. The wait for tickets is always at least six months, so plan far ahead.  

Mail requests to : 

David Letterman Tickets
Ed Sullivan Theater
1697 Broadway
New York, NY 10019

Standby Tickets. A limited supply of tickets is available on standby  on show days starting at noon at the Ed Sullivan Theater box office. They're given out on a first come, first serve basis. 

 

Saturday Night Live

The legendary SNL show broadcasts out of the G.E. building at 30 Rockefeller Center.

Web presence. http://www.nbc.com/snl/

Mail Request. Tickets are requested by mail and are only accepted in August. They are given out on a lottery basis. Guests must be 16 or older to attend. For tickets send a postcard with name, address and telephone number including the number of tickets requested.

Saturday Night Live
NBC Tickets
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112

Standby tickets are available starting at 9:15 am on Saturdays at the G.E. building on the 49th Street side, and given out on a first-come first-serve basis (one per person). Tickets are available for either the dress rehearsal or the live show, with those for the live show harder to obtain.

 

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

Conan tapes at 30 Rockefeller Center in the G.E. building.

Web presence. http://www.nbc.com/conan/.

Mail Request. Ticket requests by mail are accepted year round. Guests must be 16 or older to attend. For tickets send a postcard with name, address and telephone number including the number of tickets requested.

NBC Tickets
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
(212)664-3056/3057

Standby Tickets. Standby tickets are available starting 4:45 pm at the 49^th Street entrance, and given out on a first-come first-serve basis.

 

Live with Regis 

The darling duo of morning television deliver dish from ABC's Lincoln Center studios near 67th Street and Columbus Avenue, starting promptly at 9:00 a.m. Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa broadcast their syndicated morning talk show live on weekdays.

Web presence. http://tvplex.go.com/buenavista/livewithregis/homepage/today.html 

Mail Request. To request tickets by mail, send a self addressed stamped envelope to the following address:

Live Tickets
P.O. Box 777
Ansonia Station
New York, NY 10023-0777
(212) 456-2410

Include your name, address, telephone number, and the number of tickets requested, four tickets maximum. There may be a wait for tickets (up to several months) and no one under the age of 10 years will be allowed to attend the show.

Standby Tickets. Standby tickets are available starting at 8am, and are given out on a first-come first-serve basis.

 

Rikki Lake Show

The new sweetheart of Generation X talk TV tapes out of WWOR's studios on 38th Street and Fifth Avenue. Because of the nature of the subject matter, attendance is limited to those 18 years and older.

Web presence. http://www.spe.sony.com/tv/shows/ricki.

Mail Request. To request tickets by mail, send a postcard with name, address, telephone number, and number of tickets requested.

Rikki Lake Show
401 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10016
or send email to RLTickets@aol.com

 

The Rosie O'Donnell Show

With few female comedic personalities on TV, Rosie is a breath of fresh air. The show tapes daily at 10:00am. Audience arrival time is at 7:30am in the NBC lobby at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Web presence. http://rosieo.warnerbros.com/.

Mail Request. There is a substantial wait for tickets. Check the web site to see when ticket requests will be accepted for the 2000 season. Tickets requested by mail are given based on a waiting list rather than on a lottery basis. Send a SASE including your name, address and telephone number.

NBC Studios
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
30 Rockefeller Plaza
Suite 800E
New York, NY 10112

Standby Tickets. Standby tickets are available on that same day of the show only at 8:00 a.m. outside the 49th Street entrance to 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The tickets are distributed on a lottery basis, so arriving early won't help. Please be advised of the following:

• One stand-by ticket will be issued per person and does not guarantee admission.
• Audience members must be 5 years of age or older to attend a taping, and anyone 16 years or younger must be escorted by someone 18 years or older. ID is required.
• One stand-by ticket will be issued to a person and their guest to attend a taping.

 

The Maury Povich Show

Connie Chung hubby and first host of A Current Affair now hosts his own show and tapes it here in the Big Apple.

Mail Request. Mail ticket requests with a SASE (self addressed, stamped envelope) including name, address, telephone number and the number of tickets requested.

MAURY
Studios USA
15 Penn Plaza/Grand Ballroom
New York, NY 10001

Phone Request To request tickets by phone, call 212-244-7545. Don't expect too much help from the uninterested phone crew.

 

Cosby

The Cosby Show is taped at the Kaufman-Astoria Studios at 34-12 36th Street in Astoria on Thursdays at 4:00p.m and 7:30 p.m.

Web Presence. http://marketing.cbs.com/primetime/cosby/

Mail Request. To request tickets by mail, send a SASE with name, address, telephone number and the number of tickets requested..

Cosby
Kaufman-Astoria Studios
34-12 36th Street
Astoria, New York 11106

Phone Request. To request tickets by phone, call (718) 706-5389.

 

The Sally Jesse Raphael Show

The show is taped Monday through Wednesday at 15 Penn Plaza. Guests must be 18 or older to attend.

Web Presence. http://www.sallyjr.com/

Email Request. To request tickets on the Internet, fill out the form online at  http://www.sallyjr.com/tickets.html

Phone Request. To request tickets by phone, call 212-244-3595.

 

Spin City

The show is taped on Fridays at 6:00 p.m. at the Chelsea Piers Studios.

Web Presence. http://abc.go.com/primetime/spin_city/

Phone Request. To request tickets by phone, call (212)336-6993.

 

The Daily Show

The show tapes every Monday through Thursday at The Daily Show studios, located at 513 West 54th Street, New York City. Doors open at 5:00 p.m.

Web Presence. http://www.comedycentral.com/dailyshow/

Phone Request. To request tickets by phone, call 212-586-2477.

 

The Today Show

Tapings are 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza. Show up outside the windows to get on the show.

Web Presence. http://www.msnbc.com/news/TODAY_front.asp