Have you ever really sat down and thought about everything that goes into making a sitcom?
A 30 minute comedy is only about 22 minutes with 7-8 minutes of commercials. This 22 minutes takes about a week to create from writing to filming, then 4-6 weeks in post-production before we ever get to see it on TV. In this time, writers need to come up with ideas, jokes, and re-works. Actors need to memorize lines, adapt to change, and be convincing. The crew needs to set the stage, operate the cameras, and capture the sound. The audience needs to be patient, laugh, and have fun. Post-production needs to edit, edit, and re-edit.
On Tuesday afternoon we went to see a taping of 2 Broke Girls! This is one of our favorite comedies. If you’ve never seen a show taped live, go do it! Seeing the entire process gives you a better understanding and appreciation for television.
Taping started at 5pm but they advise you should arrive at least 60 min early. We got there just after 3pm and sat in a line. Then they check your ticket and ID before assigning you a number. You are moved to another line, sent through security (no cameras, cell phones, recording devices permitted), and wait some more before being seated in the studio. In all, this process was not too bad when we compare it to our experience of being moved around like cattle when we went to a taping of The Price is Right in 2001 (and no, we did not “come on down”).
The studio was very air conditioned, and although I knew this before hand and prepared, I still could’ve wore more layers! We were seated by 4:30 and waited. The setup for 2 Broke Girls is organized. A man named Roger who calls himself “the gatekeeper”, entertains and explains what is happening in between takes so the audience is not bored. I say not bored, because the process is a lot longer than we expected. To get the 22 minutes of a sitcom, we sat in the audience for 6 hours! Plus the time we took to do the pre-arrival waiting of 1 1/2 - 2 hours! We got back to our hotel just after 11pm.
Why so long? The days leading up to the taping is where the writers work on the script and the actors memorize lines. When taping occurs they act out the scenes in order so we can follow the story. After each take, the writers huddle in the corner to see what worked and what did not. They may or may not change some dialogue, where the actors then have to re-do the scene with the revised/new joke. Based on the audience’s response, the dialogue/joke to be used is determined for the final cut. Once the writer’s are happy with the scene, its “in the can” and we move to the next scene until complete.
As mentioned, Roger tells the audience jokes, asks/answers questions and keeps the audience engaged and energized throughout the night so we continue to laugh. Depending on your energy level throughout, he gives away t-shirts and “Max’s homemade cupcakes”. They even fed all of us with soggy sandwiches, water and some candy! Believe me when I say you would eat it after so many hours of being there!
A lot of work goes into the entire process from start to finish and we will not view television the same anymore! Although long, it was totally worth it. To see the actors, set and process was awesome! And it was very funny, hilarious at times!
The audience’s laughter is used for the laugh track, so keep an eye out for the episode “2 Broke Girls and the cronuts” in 4-6 weeks, and you may hear Jason and I...
- Christine & Jason
http://www.cbs.com/shows/2_broke_girls/
