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Like millions of viewers, Annie Chen once tuned in every Thursday night to watch the latest episode of “Will & Grace.”

Unlike other viewers, however, Chen has seen the show in its most basic form, free of the flashy trappings of postproduction. She has seen the actors flub their lines over and over again. She has seen the lights, the cameras, the action.

Chen, a fourth-year sociology student, has been part of the studio audience for two episodes of the popular sitcom.

She has also attended three tapings of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” two of “That 70’s Show,” and numerous other programs.

She enjoys the experience for the chance to meet stars and peek into the production of her favorite shows.

“It is supposed to be interactive – show-watching,” Chen said. “It’s not just passive sitting at home watching your TV.”

Rachael Komulainen, group department manager for Audiences Unlimited, a company that handles ticket distribution for many sitcoms and award shows, estimates that 50 percent of her company’s active clientele are college students.

She notes that students are drawn to the fact that tapings are a fun and, more importantly, free way to socialize.

Being in such close proximity to Hollywood, UCLA students can take advantage of their location to observe film and TV production.

“I think there’s something special about being in Los Angeles and being a part of an environment where a lot of shows are being taped,” said Amy Wong, a fifth-year psychobiology student and an RA for the third time.

She programmed a trip to the “The Price Is Right” for her floor last year, during which one of the residents won $1,000 and a couch. “It gives them a taste of the Los Angeles media experience.”

Access to TV tapings can be as easy as a letter, an e-mail or a phone call, but tickets for popular shows can be hard to get. For “The Tonight Show,” tickets must be requested by mail up to six weeks in advance, or tickets can be picked up early in the morning at the NBC box office on the day of the taping.

However, tickets are first-come, first-served and are not guaranteed.

Tickets and listings of tapings can be found at network Web sites or from such companies as tvtickets.com or tvtix.com. The variety of available tapings is diverse, including talk shows, sitcoms, game shows and award shows.

While providing insight into a sometimes-distant Hollywood, TV tapings also break down the barrier between the viewer and the production process.

“When you watch the show on TV, it looks like a really huge and dramatic experience. When you’re in there, it’s really small. It’s not as glamorous,” Wong said.

“Doing something live, everybody expects people to make a mistake, and they do,” said Jerry Katzman, director of industry relations at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. “It’s funnier, and it’s more real,” Katzman said.

Chen agreed that mistakes are a particular highlight of the experience. Tapings humanize the actors and make them easier to relate to.

“It’s a really great insight to see them mess up and see that they’re normal people, especially when they cuss on stage, or when they joke around when they’re not taping,” Chen said.

Tapings also give fans an opportunity to interact with the stars they adore. Actors often greet the audience, giving hugs or taking pictures after a day of filming is complete as a way of giving back to their supporters.

“Audiences are what keeps the energy up for the actors,” Komulainen said. “It is much more fun to have a live audience and reaction to your jokes versus canned laughter. The actors rely as much on the audience as the audience relies on the actor. It’s a very give-give mutual situation.”

Even though the finished, televised product will only be 30 minutes or an hour long, the taping can take all day.

Wong says her group arrived in Burbank for “The Price is Right” at 9 a.m. and did not depart the studio until 4 p.m., even though the actual taping only took one hour. Chen had similar experiences, spending six hours in a studio for a taping of now-defunct “Joey.”

“The biggest deterrent from going to more shows is that they take up a lot of time,” Chen said.

However, the studio often gives prizes to the audience while they wait. Chen received an iPod at “The Price Is Right” during a game that rewarded the entire audience with a prize. Other shows, such as “Ellen” and “Oprah,” are known for their propensity to hand out gifts to the audience.

Whether laughing at mistakes or winning prizes, the tapings bring together fans with a ready-made sense of community.

“You are part of a dynamic of an audience that is there with a certain passion for the show they’re watching,” said Linda Voorhees, an assistant professor of screenwriting at UCLA. “You’re surrounded by people who have that same attitude, that same passion. It’s like being at a rock concert times ten.”