An FTF staffer visits some of New York's TV and film locations with On Location Tours, then learns how to join a talk show audience.

Our Day on Location in New York City

As we, along with the rest of the tour group, waited for our tour bus outside Ellen's Stardust Diner on the corner or 51st and Broadway in midtown Manhattan, I watched those unmistakable red double-decker buses roll by, complete with brave, brave tourists who sat on the top levels, sacrificing any feeling in their extremities for a good view.  Visions of icicles hanging from my nose danced in my head.

At this point, I started to formulate a brilliant plan that would get me in front of the line and into a warm seat on the bus just as soon as it got here. There was no way anyone could get me to sit on the open-air, top level of a bus on this day.

Thankfully, when our tour guide pointed and said, "Oh, here comes our bus now," she wasn't pointing to a red, double-decker, tourist-freezing kind. Instead, we found ourselves climbing into a warm and very comfortable luxury coach bus; just the kind I was hoping for. This tour couldn't have started any better.

Our first scheduled TV location was the Soup Nazi, made famous by the show Seinfeld. Our tour guide was quick to mention that, indeed, he does make you order your soup the way you see it on the show. She had many informative and interesting facts and tidbits to share with us as we rolled through the city, including the names and histories of the different areas and neighbors.

Our next stop was a small cheese and antique shop called Maya Schaper, used in the movie You've Got Mail. We were all allowed to leave the bus for a few moments and browse through the shop. Our guide recommended the brownies, which seems like a weird thing to sell at a cheese and antique shop. We quickly squeezed ourselves inside, and scratched our heads as we tried to figure out just how they made this tiny little shop look so large and roomy.

I guess that's just the magic of the Big Screen.

Our bus slowed down when we drove by famous locations, and stopped at the more popular ones. Michelle's favorite stop was at the Friends apartment building and coffee shop, where they hang out on the hit show. Seeing the actual street and building in person triggered something within her, because shortly after the tour she began her quest to build up an entire Friends DVD collection. 

As for me, I enjoyed walking down the block of brownstones, and correctly guessing that the particular stoop that we were standing on was seen regularly on TV in the 80's on the Cosby Show. It brought about feelings of nostalgia for me, and I was happy to have actually seen the house and stoop, which I have known since childhood. 

Other notable locations we were taken to are the Moondance Diner from Spiderman; Katz's Delicatessen from When Harry Met Sally; several locations seen on Sex and the City; and we even toured the Meat Packing District of Manhattan, where the bar that spawned the idea for the movie Coyote Ugly is located. What made this tour such a pleasant experience for all of us wasn't based solely upon the viewing of famous locations and buildings. It also had to do with the personality of our tour guide, usually off-duty actors or actresses with first-hand experience filming in the city, as well as the group's enthusiasm.

We really love our shows, and it showed. As our bus made its way through the city to each location, our guide cleverly kept us busy with some movie and TV trivia. And every right answer was rewarded with a lollipop. Michelle looked at me with shock and awe when our guide asked us the question, "What was the name of Arnold's goldfish on Diff'rent Strokes?" and I quickly yelled out "ABRAHAM!" Needless to say, only the biggest couch potatoes and those most obsessed won the most candy. I earned a respectable two lollipops myself, if you don't mind my saying so.

As the tour concluded and  we were brought back to our starting point, we were all smiles. I hardly noticed the cold wind as I discussed the day's adventure with Michelle. With all that we have just seen and learned, Mish had only one thing she wanted to ask me. "Abraham--How in the world did you know that?" I just smiled, took the lollipop out of my mouth and said, "Let's go home and see if we can get tickets to see 'Jon Stewart.'"

Movie Tour Details

On Location Tours ( 212/209-3370; www.screentours.com) offers several types of tours, ranging from the general Manhattan TV and Movie Tour and the Central Park Movie Tour, to the more specific tours like the Sopranos Tour, and the Sex and the City Tour. The duration of the tour is dependant on the type of tour you take.  The Central Park tour is about 2 hours long and visits more than 40 locations by foot, and the Sopranos tour is about 4 hours long, and they are priced accordingly. The Manhattan TV and Movie tour runs for about 3-3.5 hours, and costs $34 per ticket in 2007.

I strongly suggest visiting the NYC Visitors Bureau website for full details on a variety of Movie and TV Location Tour operators, and see what tours they offer, including when, where, and ticket availability. You'll be amazed by the range of specific tours for fans of almost anything.  And what did we do the rest of the weekend in New York City?  Go to the movies, of course.

Being in the Movies or on TV - Yourself!

Being on TV - and hearing those magic words for yourself, "Live from New York City... " is one of the big city's biggest thrills. Several of the morning news shows do live segments that are broadcast from outside their office building, or in Rockefeller Center, in front of the NY Public Library and other spots, depending on season and channel. The Friday morning edition of NBC's "Today Show," filmed in front of their Rockefeller Center studios is a favorite because popular bands often perform.  Being a part of the audience is free, fun and there are no age restrictions; ask the hotel concierge where your favorite show is currently being filmed. Studio show tickets are harder to come by, and the talk shows and comedy shows often restrict their guest list to those above age 18.

The popular MTV show "Total Request Live (TRL)" was taped for many years outside and inside the MTV studios at 1515 Broadway (between 43rd and 44th Street) in Times Square, as well as in other locations around the world. Sadly, it went off the air November 16, 2008. If you or your kids want to be an MTV star, you'll have to audition for one of their many reality shows; audition information at this link.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
733 11th Avenue, New York NY 10019
212/586-2477
This Emmy award winning show is one-of-a-kind. The nightly half-hour comedy series takes a look at news, trends, pop culture, current events, politics, sports, and entertainment with an alternative point of view. Jon Stewart, along with a team of correspondents, comment on the day-to-day news stories. So if you’re tired of the regular news, come be a part of the Daily Show’s live studio audience. You can reserve your free tickets on the Comedy Central website or by phone request. You must be 18 or older to attend the show and groups larger than four will be turned away at the door. If attending during the summer season, bring a light sweater as the studio will be blasting the air conditioning on high.

Saturday Night Live
NBC Studio 8-H
Rockefeller Center
New York, NY  10112
212/664-3056
Entering its 33rd season in September of 2007, Saturday Night Live is an award winning program which continues to have enormous influence on comedy and popular culture.  Everyone has a favorite line or character.  Veteran members of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" include Billy Crystal, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi and Will Ferrell.  Musical guests have included Eminem, Coldplay, Kelly Clarkson and Gwen Stefani and guest hosts run the gamut from Steve Martin to Robin Williams to Ben Affleck, Hillary Swank and Cameron Diaz. Getting tickets to a dress rehearsal or live taping  is not easy.  You must enter a lottery via e-mail (snltickets@nbcuni.com) during the month of August for the following season, and, only if chosen, you will receive 2 tickets to an assigned show date and time.  Stand-by tickets are available at 7am on the mornings of the tapings, one per person, which does not guarantee admission.  Line up on the 49th Street side of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. No on under the age of 16 will be admitted.

Late Show with David Letterman
1697 Broadway (between 53rd and 54th Streets)
New York, NY  10029
212/247-6497
Watch Stupid Pet (and Human) Tricks, Top Ten Countdowns, movie stars and musicians on this Emmy award-winning show.  You can request tickets online or visit the theatre to do so in person.  You can place your name on the stand-by ticket list over the telephone,  beginning at 11am on the day of the taping.  All audience members must be at least 18-years-old.

Late Night with Conan O’Brien 
30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York NY 10112
212/664-4444
If you like comedy and A-list celebrities, stop by to be a part of Late Night with Conan O’Brien’s live studio audience. Since its 1993 debut, this show has been  honored with five Emmy nominations. Late Night welcomes comedy on a whole new level, and the most diverse musical performances from Green Day to Coldplay to Sheryl Crow. You can get up to four free tickets to the show by calling the NBC ticket office at 212/664-3056.  Note that all audience members must be 16-years-old. To receive stand-by tickets, arrive at NBC studios no later than 9am on the day of the taping (75 tickets will be given out, only one per person in line), and stand-by tickets do not guarantee admission. Make sure to call in or visit the website for a schedule of show tapings.