British Comedy Guide

How do they film an audience sitcom? Page 5

Quote: Fran @ May 22 2008, 10:50 PM BST

Actually I was suprised at how few mistakes the cast made, at the Two Pints recording I saw...Some of the best bits were the jokes only the audience were aware of.

In my opinion the whole show is one long mistake but that's just me :) Without the gaffs it would be a very clinical experience and most shows have quite a number depending upon the quality of the cast.

Sounds like the UK tapings are identical to the ones in California. Tickets were free, so it was cheap entertainment when my kids and I lived in the area. We saw "Will and Grace" and "The Drew Carey Show" and always had a good time. They passed out free pizzas and the warm-up comedians gave away show merchandise, autographed items, etc., between takes.

The squeaky girl in W&G kept laughing every time she got to the part where she was supposed to jiggle Grace's breasts, so we were treated to the spectacle of girl-on-girl boob fondling over and over again.

It's the slow season for California tapings, but here's the website where you can sign up for free tickets if you're in the Los Angeles area:

http://tvtickets.com/

Quote: DaButt @ May 22 2008, 11:23 PM BST

Sounds like the UK tapings are identical to the ones in California. Tickets were free, so it was cheap entertainment when my kids and I lived in the area. We saw "Will and Grace" and "The Drew Carey Show" and always had a good time. They passed out free pizzas and the warm-up comedians gave away show merchandise, autographed items, etc., between takes.

We don't get free stuff! :(

Quote: DaButt @ May 22 2008, 11:23 PM BST

Sounds like the UK tapings are identical to the ones in California. Tickets were free, so it was cheap entertainment when my kids and I lived in the area. We saw "Will and Grace" and "The Drew Carey Show" and always had a good time. They passed out free pizzas and the warm-up comedians gave away show merchandise, autographed items, etc., between takes.

The squeaky girl in W&G kept laughing every time she got to the part where she was supposed to jiggle Grace's breasts, so we were treated to the spectacle of girl-on-girl boob fondling over and over again.

It's the slow season for California tapings, but here's the website where you can sign up for free tickets if you're in the Los Angeles area:

http://tvtickets.com/

Free Pizzas! Proves how much money these studios have if they are giving away pizzas. We get nowt like that, we're not even although to bring in food and drink!

Quote: Jonwo @ May 22 2008, 11:28 PM BST

We get nowt like that, we're not even although to bring in food and drink!

I've never had any trouble with a bottle of something. Like Coke, primarily. :)

Quote: Aaron @ May 22 2008, 11:31 PM BST

I've never had any trouble with a bottle of something. Like Coke, primarily. :)

Yes Teddington allowed people to take drinks in from the cafe - but negotiating your way to the toilet during the filming was a royal pain >_<

Quote: Aaron @ May 22 2008, 11:27 PM BST

We don't get free stuff! :(

Most of the time you have to win some sort of "contest" during a take - laughing the loudest/best, etc. As far as I could tell, the only reason for having an audience present is to record their laughter. And perhaps it keeps uppity actors from throwing fits.

Quote: Jonwo @ May 22 2008, 11:28 PM BST

Free Pizzas! Proves how much money these studios have if they are giving away pizzas.

Pizzas are cheap but, as an example of costly extravagance, the bottled water they passed out at the Drew Carey filming had the show's name and logo on the label
Laughing out loud

Quote: DaButt @ May 22 2008, 11:36 PM BST

Most of the time you have to win some sort of "contest" during a take - laughing the loudest/best, etc. As far as I could tell, the only reason for having an audience present is to record their laughter. And perhaps it keeps uppity actors from throwing fits.

Yep, that and to give the performers an idea of timing. Pretty much it.

Quote: Alan C @ May 22 2008, 11:35 PM BST

Yes Teddington allowed people to take drinks in from the cafe - but negotiating your way to the toilet during the filming was a royal pain >_<

The café's never been open when I've gone there. Had no problem going to the toilet either - although I almost nocked over Prunella Scales heading back to my seat, last time I was there!

I'm amazed how quickly these forum threads are available on google :O

Who do you think the 122 guests are (see front page)?

Quote: Aaron @ May 22 2008, 11:50 PM BST

Who do you think the 122 guests are (see front page)?

Eeek I better watch my language in front of the guests Huh?

All my opinions have been forced upon me by Aaron so if I have offended anyone sue him not me :)

The first series of After You've Gone was definitely Teddington. I've never been to Pinewood, that's how I know!

Dan

Does making a two camera studio audience sitcom cost the same as a single-camera non-audience show?

Quote: swerytd @ May 23 2008, 9:19 AM BST

The first series of After You've Gone was definitely Teddington. I've never been to Pinewood, that's how I know!

Could have sworn I'd seen it advertised at Pinewood in the past. Perhaps not for the whole series, mind. Hm. Nevermind.

Quote: chipolata @ May 23 2008, 10:11 AM BST

Does making a two camera studio audience sitcom cost the same as a single-camera non-audience show?

Because of the differences in production on the whole, I would doubt that there's much in it. Perhaps slightly cheaper for so called "single camera" (I prefer the term closed-set).

And there are more than two cameras in the standard studio sitcom!

Quote: Aaron @ May 23 2008, 11:39 AM BST

Could have sworn I'd seen it advertised at Pinewood in the past. Perhaps not for the whole series, mind. Hm.

I would have thought that the probability of it being filmed at Pinewood was quite high as My Family is filmed there and AYG is a Fred Barron offspring but I would be wrong because it is definitely at Teddington! :D

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