We’re on TV! How To Be In The Audience of an NYC Talk Show
We got up bright and early to be a part of New York City’s most famous — and most delicious — morning talk shows.
Ever wondered how talk shows fill seats in their studio audience? It’s easier than you might think. We went online to 1iota.com and signed up for free tickets to watch live tapings of ABC’s The Chew and The View.
1iota offers free tickets to many New York-based talk shows, including Live With Kelly, Good Morning America, and Late Night With Seth Myers. Last week we decided to wake up early and see some of our favorite celebrities up close and personal.
Coffee First
We had to be up and at ’em at the crack of dawn (5:30am, to be exact) to make the early call time. Before doing anything at that ungodly hour, we needed our coffee. We stopped at Épicerie Boulud bakery, located about two blocks away from the ABC Studios, to load up on pastries and caffeine before the tapings.
Island Eats at The Chew
By 7:30am we were waiting in line outside the studio with all of the other bleary-eyed yet excited audience members. Once we had made it through security and were escorted to our seats, we were instructed on how to be the perfect audience members. We were told when to clap and cheer, and when to ‘oo’ and ‘ah.’ They even recorded a clip of the whole audience fake laughing.
Once the actual show was underway, the stars entered the studio. We got to sit literally feet away from some of our favorite celebrity chefs, including Michael Symon and Carla Hall. All of The Chew regulars were present, along with their special guests, Brooke Shields and Art Smith. The theme of the show was “Island Eats,” complete with Hawaiian pizza, fish tacos, and even an unorthodox spam and coconut ice cream sandwich. Our mouths were watering as we watched the chefs expertly cook up some amazing island delicacies — and the whole studio smelled delicious.
It was great to see the unique personality of each chef come out. Michael Symon of Iron Chef fame was decked out in a full Cleveland Cavaliers getup in honor of their recent victory, and made an inspiring speech about how much the win meant to him. We also had the pleasure of seeing Top Chef’s Carla Hall get up and dance with some of the audience members during a break in the taping — and we can tell you, she had some great dance moves. At the end of the episode, one lucky audience member won a trip to Epcot Center to sit at the Ikea tasting table at the Food and Wine festival. Unfortunately, we didn’t win; but even without taking home the grand prize, we still had an incredible experience.
Hot Topics at The View
The View taping was a little later in the morning, so we didn’t have to arrive until 8:30am, which was nice for our sleep schedules. Once we arrived we were herded into the ABC employee lounge, offered juice and given access to a Starbucks within the building. Our theory is that they try to ply you with sugar and caffeine so that you act more excited during the show.
The usual cast of The View was not all present, so we got to see some new faces. Around the table that day were Paula Ferris, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, and Whoopi Goldberg. We were a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see regulars Raven Simone and Candace Cameron Bure — but let’s be honest: we were mostly there to see Whoopi.
The topics covered on The View were a lot more serious than the light cooking and chatting that we saw on The Chew. The women discussed “Hot Topics” such as abortion, Brexit, and the Vice Presidential candidates. Sadly, we did not get any free swag that day, but we sure did learn a lot.
Want to experience the New York City talk show circuit for yourself? Get your free tickets here. Tickets can sell out fast, so make sure you plan ahead.
