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If you've ever watched Regis or Oprah or Jay Leno and wished yours could be one of those happy faces in the audience, take heart. Tickets to even the most popular shows are yours for the asking, and free. That's the good news.

The bad news is the waiting list--it can be six months or longer. You could wait up to two years for tickets to the Rosie O'Donnell Show. But if you're a traveler who plans trips well in advance, your next vacation might find you being panned by the camera and waving to the folks back home.

Most of the shows emanate from New York City, the Los Angeles area, and Chicago. The Late Show with David Letterman (212-975-5853), Saturday Night Live (212-664-4000), the Rosie O'Donnell Show (212-506-3288), and Live With Regis (212-456-3537) are some of the audience favorites in the Big Apple. And you can even get tickets to the blockbuster game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. (Write to the show, Columbia University Station, P.O. Box 250225, New York, NY 10025).

The Oprah Winfrey Show (312-591-9222) originates in Chicago. Out of California come Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher (323-575-4321) and the Tonight Show With Jay Leno (write to Tickets, 3000 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank, CA 91523.)

The first step in getting tickets is to call for the particulars such as hours, days, and the period they actually tape the shows--Oprah generally tapes from September to December and January to June, three days a week. (Unlike other shows, reservations for Oprah are generally made only one month in advance, and competition is fierce.)

You may be told to send a written request to the studio where the show is taped. (Some shows have websites, and you can order online. Some shows accept requests during certain months only.) Include your name, address, phone number, the desired dates, and a couple of alternates. You may get up to four tickets per request. The Letterman Show provides only two; some shows accommodate larger groups.

Producers of the various shows set age limits; most studios don't permit anyone under 16 to attend tapings, and 16- and 17-year-olds often need to be accompanied by a parent. If you bring a teenager--or look like one--carry proof of age because you may be asked to present valid identification.

If you're more of a spur-of-the-moment traveler, you can still mug for the camera if you're lucky enough to get standby tickets. Studios usually give out standby tickets (one per person) on the day of a particular show, but it involves waiting in line--maybe for hours--and doesn't guarantee entrance; you'll be admitted only if assigned ticket holders don't show. Call ahead even regarding standbys; tickets to a show taped at night may be given out early that morning.

If you enjoy the morning news-type shows, reserve a spot in New York at 44th Street and Broadway to join hosts Diane Sawyer and Charles Gibson at ABC's Good Morning America (212-580-5176). Anyone and everyone is invited to just show up weekday mornings to join Katie Couric and Matt Lauer at NBC's Today Show at 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza (show is 7 to 9 a.m. but plan to arrive early).

You can also be part of the production process and view tapings of many network shows with live audiences. Tickets to numerous prime time sitcoms in California and New York are available free from Audiences Unlimited, (818-753-3470), and Paramount Studios Guest Relations (323-956-1777).

Whatever show you choose, don't forget to tell the folks at home, "Watch for us on television!"

COPYRIGHT 2001 World Publishing, Co. (Illinois)
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group

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