Captive Audiences
By Daily Bruin Staff
June 24, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 Daily Bruin File Photo Senior Anita
Brkic chats with Alex Trebek at a taping of "Jeopardy"
last year.
By Suneal Kolluri
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Perhaps one of the main reasons UCLA students watch so much
television is the fact that the delightful programs on their
beloved boob tube come completely free of cost.
Many students, however, are unaware of the fact that they can
also attend live tapings of many of their favorite shows without
making a dent in their dismal savings accounts.
Participating in the studio audiences of television show tapings
has become a staple of the freshmen dorm experience as dorm
residents will commonly watch their favorite TV stars in action at
studios all around the Los Angeles area.
“It’s a community builder because floors get
together and they’re watching the show together,” said
Joe Manko, the program coordinator for Hedrick Hall who is a
fifth-year history/political science/sociology student. “And
usually they pay you $10 to $15 a head to go to the show.
It’s a way of getting money but it’s also about doing
it in a fun way where everybody’s interacting.”
Program assistants of residence halls often arrange for members
on their floor to attend tapings of shows such as “The Price
is Right” or “The Tonight Show with Jay
Leno.”
“We usually have a couple groups each year who go to
“˜The Price is Right,'” Manko said.
“That’s real fun because usually as long as you bring
over 20 people they guarantee that you get one person on. Other
groups have gone to go see “˜The Tonight Show,’
“˜Hollywood Squares’ and sitcoms.”
PAs reserve group tickets months in advance so between 20 and 25
members of their floor can attend a taping of “The Price is
Right.”
On the day of the taping, groups of UCLA students arrive at the
studio early in the morning.
Before the show, the producer and an assistant interview the
audience members in order to determine who will compete on the
show. In the past, UCLA students have gotten the chance to be
contestants and some have even won “The Price is Right”
Showcase Showdown.
During the show, audience members can see aspects of the filming
that are not shown on TV.
“When they bring in new prizes and change the set, they
have to stop so there is a little down time,” said guest
relations manager for CBS Karen Winchell. “During that time
Bob (Barker) talks to the audience, and that’s when he takes
their questions.”
According to Winchell, the show is popular among college
students, bringing them from across the nation to the tapings.
“They come from all over. Especially during spring break.
It starts in early March, because spring break starts back there
earlier. We get college kids year-round, but we get a lot of
college kids during the spring.”
“The Price is Right” is filmed Monday through
Thursday, two to three weeks of each month.
Although “The Price is Right” is one of the most
popular tapings students go see with their floor, students can also
attend tapings of such programs as “Friends,”
“Just Shoot Me,” “Will & Grace,”
“Whose Line is it Anyway?” and more than 30 other
programs through a company called Audiences Unlimited.
Audiences Unlimited allows large groups to reserve seats at
these tapings.
“There are fund raising opportunities for our shows so
groups like sororities and fraternities can earn money for their
organizations. You actually get paid for coming to a show,”
said Steve Sheets, ticket department manager of Audiences
Unlimited.
Production companies hire Audiences Unlimited to provide studio
audiences for shows that require laughter and applause throughout
the show.
Audiences Unlimited also has a Web site, www.tvtickets.com,
where customers can order and print their own tickets, look at maps
to the studios, and get information about some of the shows.
“Really, the easiest way to obtain tickets and the best
way to get the most information about our show is on our Web
site,” Sheets said.
However, an individual ticket does not guarantee admission to
the show. On the day of the taping, Audiences Unlimited recommends
that viewers be at the studio no less than one hour before the
taping begins, and guests with general admission tickets are let in
on a first come, first served basis.
Once inside the studio, the guests are seated and given a brief
introduction on how the show will be filmed.
“All of the shows have what you call a “˜warm-up
person,'” Sheets said. “It’s the guy who
comes out and gives instructions and might set up the scenes before
the show starts. Then, usually the cast will come out and
he’ll introduce the cast to everybody. Then they
start.”
The scenes are then usually shot in chronological order and the
audience follows along as the story unfolds.
“It’s very much like watching a live play,”
Sheets said.
Oftentimes, guests get the chance to see the bloopers that get
cut from the actual program.
“One of the fun parts of the show is you get to see all
the bloopers and mistakes that you don’t get to see on TV
““ they forget their lines, start giggling, break a door
“¦ studio audiences get to see all that stuff,” Sheets
said.
And they get to see it for free.
“It doesn’t cost anything and it’s an
opportunity to see your favorite stars and people you watch on TV
in person,” Sheets said.
