Talk shows are quite popular in terms of viewership and likability. Many talk show hosts are thoroughly entertaining, and their shows consist of various challenges, activities, song performances, stand-up comedy, and a multitude of special guest stars. However, it would be a more surreal feeling to attend a talk show and see your favorite host or a celebrity live. The seats for any national talk show are usually limited and highly sought after. Another aspect to consider is that the filming for national talk shows overwhelmingly occur in New York City or Los Angeles, so they are surely an added attraction if you happen to be on vacation or live in one of these cities. But the best perk of talk shows is that tickets are often free, and here are some ways to score your free tickets:

Plan Ahead

The best time to book tickets for a talk show is close to a month in advance. It is important to plan a timeframe in advance to go watch the show taping, whether it is during a trip to a city like NYC or LA, or if even if you reside there. Due to the high demands for tickets and only a limited number of seats available in the studio per taping, make sure that you and your group are firm in wanting to attend, so tickets can be booked in advance.

Look Online or Call Directly

Most talk show tickets and ticket information can be found directly on the corresponding website for the show or the channel it is broadcasted on. For example, information for free tickets for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers can be found on the NBC website. Both shows are filmed in New York City along with the shows of Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert, and John Oliver. In LA, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien, Ellen DeGeneres, and James Corden also offer free tickets for their talk shows. In this case, visiting the ABC, TBS, or CBS websites where the talk shows are broadcasted is a great way to learn about the tickets. However, some of these sites redirect visitors to a website called 1 iota, where ticket information is given in depth, and tickets can be booked on this site most of the time. On the talk show ticket’s website a phone number should be provided to order the tickets by phone as well.

An alternative method is to simply look up tickets for your preferred show on Google, and you will be redirected to the proper sites to answer your questions and book your tickets. Most talk shows have a minimum age entry requirement, usually 16 or 18. In addition, talk shows offer a limited number of tickets to each party ordering, usually two or four. It is important to consider the size of your party and realize that most tapings occur on weekdays.

Wait Outside the Studio

While this may be a bit old fashioned, this method still proves to be effective. Some tickets for talk shows are offered right before the taping for the day starts, but the con to this technique is there may be an overwhelming line that has already formed well before the tickets are distributed, possibly consisting of tourists who feel seeing a taping may be a spur-of-the-moment treat. Nevertheless, if you are willing to stand in a line for a seemingly endless period, then it’s still a great strategy.

Finally, you should know what you are in for when receiving the free golden tickets of admission to see celebrities. Tapings are considerably longer than the actual show as the flow and scenes take time to set up. Patience is a must since making the talk show as wonderful as possible requires multiple takes and techniques.

Most tapings can last several hours, but provide an in-depth look at the behind-the-scenes production of talk shows. Be sure to set aside most of a day for the taping experience because you now have the bragging rights of seeing a live talk show. Not to mention that if the camera pans to the studio audience, you can proudly say you were on camera, too. When the taping you attended finally airs on national television, and you see the studio audience on screen, you now have your own guest star moment.