Yes, it's possible to get free tickets to the shows you watch on CBS!

The King of QueensWhether you're talking about "Ellen," "King of Queens," "Everyone Loves Raymond" or "Hollywood Squares", you can become part of the studio audience and see your favorite stars in person - for free.

Remember that only shows with live studio audiences, such as sitcoms and talk shows, give out tickets. Adventure shows, dramas and soap operas are shot on closed sets and don't allow the public in to watch.

The Ellen ShowBut when it comes to sitcoms like "King of Queens" or talk shows such as Dennis Miller, you can be right there in the studio, watching your favorite performers as they actually tape the show.

The Price is RightActually, there are two different CBS studios. One is called CBS Television City. It's located in Hollywood, near Farmers Market. The other CBS studio is located in the San Fernando Valley, in Studio City - it's called Radford CBS Studio.

Many CBS network shows, such as "Everybody Loves Raymond", "Ellen", "The Price is Right", "Hollywood Squares", and "Yes Dear" are taped at those two CBS studios

But an important thing to understand is that not all of the shows that appear on the CBS network are taped at the CBS studios. And not all shows taped at the CBS Studios run on the CBS network.

Hollywood SquaresSound a little confusing? Well, let's straighten things out a little...

Some shows, such as "That ‘70s Show" and "The Dennis Miller Show", are taped at CBS studios, but are aired on competing networks.

For example, "That 70's Show" is shot at the the Radford CBS Studio, but it airs on the Fox Network. "Just Shoot Me" is an NBC show, but it also tapes at the same CBS studio. And "Politically Incorrect" tapes at CBS Television City in Hollywood, but the show airs on the ABC network. These aren't really CBS shows, they just tape at the CBS studios.The Dennis Miller Show

Why?  It's simple. The Studio is in the business of renting out its buildings, sound stages and support services (such as cameras, lights, props, crew, etc). The network (CBS) may or may not give their own shows first crack at these stages, but if there is unrented studio space that is not making them money, they'll happily rent that space to any show that needs it.

On the flip side, some popular CBS shows such as "King of Queens" actually tape at rival studios. "King of Queens", for instance, airs on CBS, but it is taped at the Sony Studios in Culver City. "Becker", another hit CBS show, tapes at Paramount Studios. While CBS' most popular sitcom, "Everybody Loves Raymond", is taped at the Warner Bros Studios in Burbank.

But it's possible to get tickets to watch all of these shows being taped too! Heck, don't worry about it, just come and enjoy yourself.



There are three ways you can get get tickets:

1. By mail:

    The old tried and true way is to write for them.

    Send a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) to:

      CBS Tickets
      [Name of the show]
      CBS Television City
      7800 Beverly Blvd.
      Los Angeles, CA 90036

    Be sure to include a note specifying which show you want to see, how many tickets you need , and the date you would like to attend. For The Price is Right, tickets are sent out approximately one month prior to taping. Obviously, it plans to write long in advance of your visit.

    The nice thing about writing is that you can plan way way in advance.

    The problem is that sometimes you don't get tickets for the date you want. Sometimes you can't get tickets at all. Also some shows will send out way more tickets then there are seats...then they seat people who show up on a first come first basis. If you don't arrive early enough, you may not get a seat.

    And some popular shows, such as "Friends" and "Drew Carey", are completely filled for years in advance. Actually a few shows ("Friends" included) no longer even issue tickets for their tapings, due to security reasons since the tragic Sept. 11th event


2. In Person:

    The second way to get your tickets is by going to the Studio where the show is being taped. Show up either a few days in advance or early in the morning the day of the show.

    It's a good way to get your ticket at the last minute. But during the busy tourist months, it's a wild card as to whether tickets will still be available at the Studio Ticket Window. During July and August there are people on line as early as 4:30-5:00 in the morning for tickets to "The Price Is Right"s. Over at the NBC studio, people sometimes start lining up for the Tonight Show at NBC at midnight the night before. But if you're kind of a "go with the flow" person, this can be a flow to go with.

    You can go down to the ticket booth at CBS Television City in Hollywood (see the above address) and pick up your tickets in person, starting two weeks prior to the taping day, up to the day before the taping. No tickets are available on the actual day of taping.

3. Online: THE EASIEST WAY TO GET YOUR FREE TV TICKETS

    The third way is to use a studio authorized ticketing service, a liaison for the Studios. You can either go online to their website, phone them or find their reps at popular tourist spots places like Grauman's Chinese Theater or Venice Beach.

    Their job is to make it easy for you to get these free tickets. Some of these ticket agents are very caring and do not give out more tickets than there are seats - so your chances of getting in are very, very good (as long as you arrive not a minute later than the arrival time stated on the ticket).

    A Really Great Place Is: TVTIX.COM. You can get free tickets to most of these shows by simply clicking here to order your tickets online. You'll even be able to print out your tickets on your computer's own printer.

So, now that you know how to get the tickets, you're probably wondering which shows are avalable, and where they tape. OK...


Here is a list of the CBS shows which offer free tickets:

    Shows taped at CBS Television City, in Hollywood: