The show was great. Enjoyed the experience. A little last moment when it comes to their ticket notification but otherwise works like a well oiled machine. No notes. read more

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver - Entrance to exciting takes on serious topics - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

Managed to secure free tickets through lastweektickets.com. They go by FAST but I put a reminder on for a Saturday that would work well for me and my friends. We saw a taping on 3/14 and got an email the day before that we managed to get in. We got in line around 230, and then check in started at 3, taping started around 5ish and lasted until 6. We got out much earlier than expected but in the email they expect it to usually be 3-645. Overall I had a great time. John Oliver is such a sweetie. He did a little QA session beforehand. read more

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

Best time ever. Once in a lifetime opportunity that I never thought would pan out, if you get the chance to go, GO! John is such a pro and it was unbelievable to see. read more

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver - Outside - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

I think John Oliver is the funniest person on TV and I've wanted to go to a taping for years! I was in NYC and decided to try to catch the taping on a whim. I didn't have tickets and had to wait outside for about an hour on the waitlist and managed to get one of the final spot! FYI, they prioritize out of towners for the waitlist, you'll just need to show confirmation of your return flight, and I think the further distance you've traveled, the higher priority you'll be. When I was in line, I was prioritized along with someone from Ireland since we traveled the furthest. Lastly, during the wait, the staff the monitored the line was super welcoming and did their best to make the waiting more pleasant. John Oliver was hilarious, such a pro! He took some q&a before the show, and it was cool to see how it's actually filmed. I'm so glad that I finally got to have this experience and I hope to catch another taping one day. Definitely recommend trying to catch the show and giving the waitlist a shot if you don't have tickets...good luck! Ps - the tickets were free so that was awesome too! read more

John is a great cultural leader. One with insight compassion and wisdom. And he is funny as fk! read more

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

My friend got tickets the morning of a recording and invited me along. They were very strict about vaccines and boosters, even requiring the paper CDC card instead of allowing photos of one. They also were strict about providing their own KN95 masks that everyone was required to wear inside. It seemed like they simultaneously very organized and also quite disorganized. We arrived a few minutes after my friend so they had saved us a few seats in the room with our friend, but when we told the worker in our room this they said they would investigate and get back to us but never did, so we had to keep telling them our friend had seats for us in the other waiting room. Overall the wait lasted quite a while which was supposedly due to legal issues with the script. Before the show started one guy came out and tried to make some jokes to get people in the mood, but some of his jokes were a bit distasteful and some might consider one of them racist, so he tried to change the topic. The recording itself was pretty good and went by pretty quickly. There were only a couple small bits that needed to be rerecorded which was pretty cool to watch. I recommend coming to a show like this at least once, especially since it's free, although I think if I had paid I would have had slightly higher expectations. read more

Wow! Had an amazing experience seeing John Oliver live. I requested tickets about 15 seconds after they went live and never heard back so I assumed we weren't getting in. Then, weeks later, on the day of the show, I receive an email letting me know that I've cleared the waiting list and there are tickets available if I want them - YES definitely! I RSVP'ed immediately and we were in. We arrived on the day of the filming (a Sunday) at around 5 pm, maybe a little after, and the line was still reasonably short. After maybe 30 minutes of waiting in line, we were allowed in the theater and ushered to a waiting room with couches and wifi (a nice perk). Next, we were taken in line to our seats. The theater was small, and the chairs were on a decently steep incline so every seat is a good one. We were almost the last row and still had a great view. A comedian came out to do some warm-up comedy...he was a little tacky, but not the main event. He called out a few audience members and shot t-shirts from a t-shirt cannon. Then, the man of the hour, John Oliver himself was up. He did a short Q&A session and was hysterical, gracious, and kind - it was amazing because his improv was just as funny as his rehearsed show. The show's topic was (of course) election coverage, followed by a piece about Opioid usage and the unethical behavior of Big Pharma. It was entertaining and I was hooked every second. At the end, he had to re-do a few brief segments. Overall, it was incredibly cool to see how the show was filmed. John and his audience had a great energy and the staff was pleasant throughout. I would love to go again, it's just so hard to get tickets! read more

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver - I was NOT supposed to take this, but couldn't help myself - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

Such a phenomenal experience! I signed up for tickets about a month before the taping (as soon as they went up on the website.) I hadn't heard anything until the morning of the taping, when I got an email saying I got off the waitlist!! Luckily I live in NYC so I was able to go with my friends. The tickets said to arrive between 5:15 and 5:45, and since my friends and I wanted good seats, we showed up at 5 pm with no problem. Totally worth the wait! There were about 5 people in front of us in line and we ended up with front row seats. We went into the studio around 6:30 and the taping went quickly. John Oliver started off with a quick Q&A which was very cool (come with non-personal life questions!), then went right into the show. We were out before 7:45. Such a great time with a spectacular host! Will definitely try to see the show again if I ever have the opportunity. read more

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

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I finally achieved my dream goal of attending a live taping with John Oliver on October 7th, 2018!! I have applied for tickets several times over the past three years, this most recent within 15-30 seconds of the application for tickets going live. I didn't hear anything until a few days before the event. I hadn't seen the email, but I received a call and voicemail letting me know I had been offered a ticket! Their audience services are communicative and polite. I dread the thought of what might have happened if they didn't personally call me and I had found the email too late. :THE HORROR: The email said to arrive between 5 and 5:30pm, with the last time to arrive being 5:45pm for a 6:30pm taping. I was amazed because when we saw Colbert, we were in line at 1pm for an evening taping - and yes, we had tickets! I planned to do this the right way, so I arrived "early" at 4:40pm.... and NO ONE was in line yet!!! I chatted with security who were incredibly friendly and helpful until a few more people showed up. The line really started growing at about 5pm. At around 5:30, they let us into the building through security to a really comfortable room with chairs, access to bathrooms and vending machines, and a poster of John Oliver you can take photos with. You are seated on a first-come, first-served basis and everyone stays in the order they were in the line. It's a REALLY comfortable way to wait for a live television taping, considering I've only ever seen holding pens where everyone is standing and has access to a bathroom... kind of. This was an awesome holding room. We waited an extra while because they were going through rewrites and ensuring with their legal team that they were able to say everything they planned to (it was the Brazilian episode). We ended up being seated around 6:40pm. The process was incredibly quick. If you arrive first, you'll be seated front and center (I was!!!), not at the very end like some other theaters. So first come, best seats is true. As others have said there is a comedian to warm up and he shoots some shirts into the crowd. Then, even though we were seated late, John Oliver still chose to do a Q&A session. I was able to ask him about his experience with Edward Snowden and what he took from it and he was as witty and informative in his off-the-cuff response as he is on the scripted show. I'm amazed! The taping itself was smooth except we had to retape one piece because of an inappropriate audience response to a statement! I wish it lasted longer but I did not feel cheated by any means. It was a perfect ratio of waiting to in-studio experience and everything was pleasant, funny, and fun. The stage manager was awesome and personable. Audience manager was so incredibly friendly and clear. I never felt like a burden - everyone was so appreciative of the audience, from the ushers to John Oliver himself. It was an absolute pleasure from start to finish. I would recommend this over any other live television taping in the city, if you can get the tickets. TL;DR: Short waits. Comfortable holding room with access to vending and bathrooms. Friendly and helpful staff. Small theater. Fair seating (first come, first served). Quick and effective taping. Everyone is aware of the liberal nature of the audience. John Oliver does a Q&A which is awesome. OH - and yes, the studio is cold so prepare accordingly! Everything was amazing and I can't recommend the experience enough! read more

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

He is a true journalist and a very funny show, impressive how they take on dangerous people, brave and inspiring. And funny. And sad that he gets more accomplished than Congress does. read more

What an experience!!! I've been wanting to see John Oliver on Last Week Tonight since the show started airing and I finally got my chance this month. On Sunday afternoon around 1PM, I got an email from the audience team about some sudden openings for same day tickets. Yes!!! Of course yes!!! I quickly confirmed that I could come with another guest. We got to the area around 3, grabbed lunch nearby, and walked to the studio. When we got there, we started lining up where an audience team member told us to. We were first on that particular line and soon about a dozen more people gathered behind us. I guess there wasn't a crazy line because the weather was pretty bad (on and off rain all day). Around 5:15, we were led through the lobby into an indoor waiting area where we waited for another hour. I suggest that you use this time to use the bathroom (you can't once you enter the studio) and grab a quick snack or drink from the vending machines. Around 6:15, the audience team started lining people up in the order they came in and leading them to their seats in the studio. I think there were multiple waiting rooms because more and more groups of people started coming into the studio one by one. We were so lucky to get front row seats!!! Just a few feet away from John Oliver and his desk. Rules were explained and a really superb man warmed up the audience. Then, John Oliver came out and did a quick Q & A, giving the audience a chance to ask some questions. He came off as a really genuine and earnest guy even when he was off camera! Afterwards, he did the show. It was so cool to see him live after watching clips of his show on YouTube haha. The filming went by so fast and before we knew it, he was wrapping up the show. We were out by 7:45. I highly highly recommend that fans of the show try to attend a taping. It was such a great experience for us thanks to the wonderful audience team and great host! read more

When I decided that I wanted to take my husband on a New York trip to see Last Week Tonight for his 40th birthday, I studied up on all of these reviews. As the day drew nearer and we still hadn't heard anything, I went back and re-read Carlos and SV's experience with the standby line and unicorn clipboard lady so that we could formulate our plan. By the grace of God, we didn't need to. An eleventh hour email granted us access to the show with legit tickets! Since all of these reviews were so helpful for me, I wanted to share a few tips and tricks for the next hopeful audience member. Start following lastweektickets.com. I had been tracking the website for a few months, so I learned that tickets are released 3 weeks prior to the show at exactly 2:00 NY time. We are in St. Louis, so it was important to account for the time change. My husband and I both had our laptops fired up and on the screen the second the clock struck 1:00 our time. You will have exactly 1-2 minutes before the "sold out" sign appears. It is very important to type quickly. Enabling auto-fill forms on our computers helped speed things up. We both got in under the wire and got an email saying that if we didn't hear back by October 3, we were out of luck. The date came and went with no email so we planned on the standby line. At 11:04 the night before the taping, I got an email that we were in! My husband actually got a phone call the next day (day of the taping) and released those tickets back to someone else. The moral of the story: don't give up! If you made it into the lottery, you still have a chance even up to a few hours before the taping. There were people waiting in the standby line when we arrived (I hope they all got in!), but we were led right in to the holding room. Apparently, there were a few last-minute revisions to the show so we had to wait about an hour. We finally got seated in the studio and the experience was awesome. We saw the show about the Brazilian election and they actually had to retake the whole second half because someone cheered when John said that Bolsonaro, the evil Brazilian candidate, had been stabbed. They were worried about the ramifications of cheering the stabbing of an evil dictator/possible future president of Brazil, so John sheepishly had to ask us to laugh like we hadn't just heard all the jokes 5 minutes before so that it could be re-recorded. Other than that, he was a well-oiled machine and the taping was flawless! John was adorable and everyone at the show was SO NICE! They all thanked us profusely for coming and we left feeling like they were really happy to have us there. It was such a cool bucket-list experience! read more

Had so much fun being an audience at the filming. The wait time was almost 2 hours, which was quite tiring, but we get to sit inside in the waiting room with restroom and water fountain. The short Q&A session with John Oliver before the filming was very nice and intimate, and some people got some t-shirts for free :) read more

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver - Even though I was pretty front in the line, seating was not strictly according to line. - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

First things first, if you do get tickets, consider yourself extremely lucky! During the summer in his first season I requested tickets for over half the shows (all of them were submitted before 3:00:30 PM), and never got tickets. Somehow I ended up getting tickets to the season 2 premiere, so maybe they just felt sorry for me? Anyways, We were on the "VIP" list so right when we arrived at the CBS broadcast center at 5:25 they took us into a waiting room. Luckily we didn't have to wait in the line outside. Then we were ushered in about an hour or so later into the studio. The studio is pretty fucking nice and beautiful, and can fit roughly 100 people so it's intimate. But it was a little cold so some people kept their coats on. A note on the staff, they were nothing but nice to me. Just try not to be a dick to them and they will most likely not be one to you, they are under time and pressure as well. After the studio was filled, a warmup dude (basically a struggling comedian) came out and told your typical funny, but also a little creepy, jokes regarding random people in the audience. If you've been to Daily Show or The Colbert Report, you know what I'm talking about. He also shot 2 t-shirts into the ceiling where all the lights/wires were so that was interesting. But no fights broke out over the free shirts which was not interesting. John Oliver came out and did a quick Q&A and then the show started. He maybe made one mistake so the entire show was taped in half an hour...he also did some quick commercials at the end. I honestly think any seats in the studio are great, and even though we were right in the front row, huge cameras blocked my view of John at times. It was an amazing experience overall, and I would recommend it. Not just because it was free. But it was also awesome. read more

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

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Attended the March 4, 2018 show. We submitted tickets through the lottery system for the third time and once again we weren't the lucky one percenters that got the congratulations email so we decided to do stand by. After reading the reviews about forming an unofficial stand by and clipboard lady would come out to take down your info, we decided that let's give stand by a chance. We arrived at the stand by line at 1:45pm, we were 1 & 2 on line. So happy that no one was ahead of us but we wanted to stay positive since nothing is ever promised and heard that it doesn't matter what number you are and that they usually just call random persons and not by order. Five minutes later, two more people showed up. It was only us four for about two hours until more and more people started showing up. At 4:30pm, the unicorn, clipboard lady comes out to take our info. Only the people in line can put their names on the list. After writing our names and contact info, we were told to come back at 5:45pm which gave us time to warm up and grab Starbucks down the street. When we arrived, we all stood back in line in the order we were in. Kept having to tell the one percenters that they were in the wrong line and to go to the other entrance. At 6:40pm, the unicorn called out names and not by order. The 3rd and 4th person weren't called and we felt bad for them since they got cut off again after back to back weeks. Once we were in the lobby, we were being reminded that nothing is guaranteed. Next, they called us two through security and rushed up the elevator and filled in the last two seats. Out of all the stand by people, we were the lucky two to get in. Beyond blessed after a very stressful weekend with flight cancellations. After getting in, we saw the opening act warming up the audience and finally the main event came out for a Q&A session followed by the show. The taping lasted roughly 45 mins. The wait was so worth it but be prepared to get their early and bundle up. Hope this helps. read more

Literally one day prior to me getting my tickets to "Last Week Tonight", I told a friend, "Now that I was finally able to get a ticket to 'Hamilton" this upcoming November, 'Last Week Tonight' tickets are the hardest to come by!" Literally, since the end of 2015, I've been diligently doing their Wednesday afternoon online lotto; back in October 2016, I actually got a pair of tickets due to a cancellation, but had to turn them down because I had tickets to a Broadway show that night. (I know, I know, the ULTIMATE First World Problem. Ha!) Well, lucky me, at noon on Sunday March 19th, 2017, the beau texts me and asks, "Hey...wanna see John Oliver tonight?" He, also a fervent Wednesday lotto enterer, scored a pair of tickets off of their cancellation list. (To whomever had to cancel their tickets, BLESS YOU. If Heaven exists, there is a special spot for you, my friend.) We arrived at the studio around 4:55 p.m. for the 5:20 p.m. check-in; after doing "The Daily Show" 3 times, "The Colbert Report" once, and Larry Wilmore's show once, I was expecting a long wait outside coupled with the possibility that we might not get in, so I wanted to arrive early. Nope! We walked in the door, said we were on the "fan list", checked through security, and we were ushered into a very nice waiting room with ample chairs, access to bathrooms, and access to vending machines. Hey! Not too shabby, CBS. Not too shabby. Normally, shows start loading the studio at 5:45 and filming begins about 6:15, according to the e-mail we received. Well...a P.A. announcing to use at 5:45 that things were delayed because a segment had to be rejiggered due to possible legal issues. (HA!) So, patiently, we continued to wait. Finally, around 6:30, we made it inside of the studio. I appreciated one of the P.A.s that made sure the beau and I had front-row seating due to his handicap. We were seated virtually in front of John Oliver's desk, a little closer to stage left of his desk, roughly 15 feet away from the man himself. I could have ran up and tackled him if I could. (Don't worry. I am smarter than that. Haaa.) A warm-up comedian, Craig, was great; he picked on the beau a bit, which comes with the territory if you're int he front row, I suppose, haha. John came around around 7:15 p.m. (finally!) and did a wonderful and energetic Q & A. Taping, as with most TV shows of this vein, is in real time. The half hour you see on TV is the half hour we see in the studio, only one tiny blip came when his teleprompter cut out and we had to rewind tape by 10 seconds. John is such a wonderful, energetic, engaging performer; this isn't my first time seeing him, as I saw him host "The Daily Show" back in 2013 when Jon Stewart was on hiatus (during that wonderful Anthony Weiner / Carlos Danger Era, no less; "DAAAANGERRR!"). If anything, watching him crack up over the news segments being shown on the television screens when you can't see him on-screen is just as amusing as his commentary. He's such a talent. I love him to pieces! The staff got the beau and I out first (very considerate of them!) and we were outside in less than five minutes. The taping went longer than usual - we left the studio around 8:15 instead of the usual 7:45 posted in our e-mail - but that extra time was worth it for such a wonderful experience! Maybe, one day, I'LL finally win the ticket lottery under my own name and get back in. ;-) But, if I don't, I am more than thrilled that I made it to this one show. ONE THING: DON'T. TAKE. PHOTOS. IN. THE. STUDIO. P.A.s and stage hands were very strict about this, though people were pulling out phones and doing it anyway when they thought they weren't being watched. They were get yelled at repeatedly! Hey, I know about FOMO. We all would like to say, "Hey! We were here at the show!" You can take photos in the waiting room. You can take photos outside of the studio itself. You just can't take them IN the studio. That should be respected. I found it so rude that multiple warnings to not photograph still warranted people sneaking photos. Seriously? We're adults. Listen to directions. If you enjoy John Oliver and the show, you should respect the rules. (Am *I* being a scolder, now? Haha!) Remember: Do that free ticket lottery every Wednesday at 3 p.m. through his web site, and get ready for a great night of laugher if you make your way to the studio audience. :-) read more

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver - Photo from inside of the waiting room. THAT is okay to do. ;-) Just no photos in the studio, y'all. - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

I was in the audience for the first episode of HBO's 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'. The show tapes around 6pm and airs at 11pm that night. You can email lastweektickets@theblacklistnyc.com to get free tickets. We had to be in line by 5:15. The found a way to fit us all in eventually, which was definitely appreciated. The show has a very similar style to 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart', so you do spend a decent amount of time watching the monitors. Unfortunately ours (in the upper right side of the seating section) wasn't working, so that did take away a bit of enjoyment from the show. Oh well, minor glitch. We all had to awkwardly angle our necks to see the other monitors. FYI, the studio is quite cold, so dress accordingly. After the audience was seated, a stand-up comedian warmed us up for 15 minutes or so. Then John Oliver came out, and did some Q+A with the audience for a bit. He seemed genuinely appreciate of the fact that we came to watch his first TV show. Was nice to feel that from the star of the show. Then the show began. 30 minutes straight through, no commercial breaks. After the 30 minutes, he refilmed a couple things for a few minutes, and then the show was over. Yet another great reason to live in New York City. read more

John Oliver is my ultimate comedy crush, so I was thrilled to land two tickets to Last Week Tonight. The process was straightforward and simple. I submitted my information at exactly 3PM on a Wednesday and heard back within a week. It was my third time applying. When we got to the venue, there was a short line and security check. Most of the staff was really prompt and friendly, whisking us all into a holding room one group at a time and prepping us for what would happen. Once you get into the actual taping room, it's a little more tense since they're on a time crunch, but it was still an awesome experience. As for the actual show, John killed it (the Mother's Day segment!). He delivered all his lines flawlessly so the whole show was done in one go. We sat near the stage where the Japanese mascots emerged. It was awesome to see him in person and we even got to ask a few questions before the show started. He's just as charming and witty as you'd expect. The whole thing lasted around 2 hours, and it was extremely organized and enjoyable. read more

I managed to get through the booking which opens at 3pm on Wednesdays. My confirmation email was at 3pm and 25 seconds. I didn't get a response in a week like the the automated email said. So I assumed the worst and almost forgot about it. At about 1pm on the day of the taping I had tried to book for, I got a call from the John Oliver show's audience co-ordinator, saying there were a few last minute cancellations and asking if I can still make it!! They also sent out an email, which I confirmed immediately. There's a short security check up for entry into the building and then we were led to a hold out area. We were given instructions, kinda. And were then led to the studio. The audience count was about 200-250 and the seats were packed. I realized why it's so hard to get tickets! There was a "hype man" who tried to pump up and engage the audience before John Oliver himself walked in. John Oliver was very spontaneous and funny, while he took a few questions, and then the show began taping.He delivered his dialogues very well. The best things to watch were his reactions when videos were being showed, and the workings behind a real tv show taping. There were a few corrections which he read out again as "retakes". And there was one "retake" of the last part of the show to make sure they got all camera angles. The whole thing took about 1.5-2 hours. Including all the waiting time. If you are lucky enough to get tickets, please please go for this fun experience!!! read more

I'm convinced if John Oliver knew about this crummy system with crummy rules and crummy attitudes, that he'd do a 17 minute long expose on the worst ticketing system in NYC. (With snl in a close second.) He seriously needs to know about this, fire Black List NYC and hire whoever runs the Daily Show. Those guys have a good system and are actually nice to the stand by line. Do not tell them you're from the New York area if you're in the stand by line. Tell them you're from Spain or something out of the country because otherwise they WILL NOT pick you. I waited in line from 2pm-6:15 and they deliberately chose people that had just got in line at the last minute because they were visiting from out of the country. That's noble and all, but the people from out of the country weren't waiting outside in the 90 degree heat for over four hours to get in. I was 7th in line, 10 people from the stand by line got in and 9 of them were behind me and weren't even waiting that long. It's totally stupid and when myself and others complained, they made it VERY clear they didn't care. If you tried to reserve a ticket at 3pm on Wednesday, and never got a message, you're absolutely not alone. Tons of people don't get tickets, week after week, and it's just an absolute terrible system. You'd think after four or five non-responses from successfully applying for a reservation, they'd just give you one. Put you on a wait list or something, even if it's months ahead into the future. But they don't. And then they try to say "sorry" with a big grin and you can tell they're not sorry. I talked to one of them about how this system is a giant mess and they're actually convinced it's a good system. Even though longtime fans of Oliver's work get left outside in the hypothetical cold. They. Just. Don't. Care. read more

As huge fans of John Oliver, my boyfriend and I were extremely intent on getting tickets to his show - I went so far as to pull out my phone in the middle of Sunday brunch (mortally offending the brunch deities that be), waiting with bated breath to submit my ticket request to theblacklistnyc.com at 3 PM on the dot, when tickets are made available each week. That is apparently what it takes - I submitted my form less than 30 seconds after the tickets became available, and got off the wait list three days before the taping. When we arrived, we were ushered into the room to wait... and wait... and wait. We were in the holding room for about an hour. It turns out the writers were still putting the finishing touches on the script (the brilliant segment where John Oliver lambasts the Miss America pageant), so we couldn't really complain about that one! Most of the staff were very nice and accommodating, but a few were visibly frazzled. One who was ushering people to their seats in the studio was downright rude - "Hey, you in the purple sweater, come up here. Yes, you. I'm talking to you. You are wearing a purple sweater. Hurry up." (This, spoken to a woman in a blue shirt.) I understand the tight timeline, and the fact that free tickets probably don't entitle audience members to much, but we would have liked a bit less animosity during the seating process. That being said, the show itself was amazing. There was a warm-up comedian who had no idea how to use a T-shirt gun (entertaining in and of itself), and John Oliver did a brief and very witty Q&A with the audience. The taping was impressive - he got into a great flow and taped his show nearly beginning to end! At the end, he re-taped a few segments, and we were free to go. If you get the opportunity to attend this taping, I definitely recommend it! read more

This review isn't for John Oliver himself. I'd give him 5 million stars if I could. My husband and I were coming to NYC for a few days in September, so we kept an eye out for tickets for Sept. 15 to be available. The tickets website (http://www.lastweektickets.com/) is helpful in letting you know when tickets will be released. So we requested tickets the MINUTE they became available, and got an email letting us know we'd know whether we got tickets a couple weeks before the show. Even though we signed up the minute the list opened up, we didn't get tickets. We were dying to see John Oliver because he killed it so hard on the Daily Show when he guest hosted and he's been killing it since on his own show, playing up to his strengths and bringing in depth attention to issues often overlooked by other media. Plus he's bloody adorable. The day I arrived in NY, I thought, let's swing by the studio to see if stand by tickets are a possibility since shows sometimes release tickets the day of the show. We showed up at 3 (those with confirmed tickets had to be in line by 5:15). The courteous security guards told us we could come back at 4, when the people from the audience department would come. We didn't want to risk losing out, so we stayed put as the first people there. Around 4, a guy in black clothes came, and we told him we were hoping for standby tickets. He nicely let us know it depends on the list and whether how many people didn't show up. Thanks nice guy for not being a jerk about it. HOWEVER, shortly thereafter, Rude Woman #1 showed up, asked if we were on the list, and immediately dismissed us. We told her we hadn't checked the list (hoping maybe the confirmation email went to spam and we were on the list), so she scolded the nice guy who didn't check the list, and when she confirmed we weren't on the list, we were kicked to the curb (or, the lamppost on the curb) for a separate standby list. Over the next couple hours, we amused ourselves by watching people run into the line, knowing all the while those people arriving hours later than us were getting in and we probably weren't. At 5:45, Rude Woman #1 acknowledged us for the first time in hours and asked us for our information. As soon as she got it, she completely changed, told us it was our lucky day, and we were getting in. Beyond ecstatic, I could not stop moving or contain the excitement I was feeling. Turns out, I shouldn't have believed it. A few minutes later, Rude Woman #2 told us she miscounted and we wouldn't be let in. So we went from having like 2% hope of getting in, to 100%, to 0% in a few minutes flat (or, enough time to text everyone that knew how badly I wanted to see John Oliver that I was getting to see John Oliver). She said we could email her and she'd try to get us in to another show. The last people who arrived got the option to stand on the side of the studio. The thing is, I'm not going to be in New York again for years at best. I am here ONE Sunday. I understand how show capacities work, and that we were never guaranteed seats, especially being on standby. However, the attitude with which that news was delivered could have been handled differently. The staffers at the Daily Show and the Colbert Report are perky, friendly, nice, and not mean. A little kindness goes a long way. Today, a lot of rudeness went a long way to starting my vacation off horribly. What I would have done differently: 1. Have more than one person sign up when the request form opens up, and don't expect you'll get confirmation. 2. Don't show up at 3. There's no point. People really started showing up around 4:30, but anyone who got there before 5:13 got a seat. 3. If you don't get the confirmation email, and desperately want to see John Oliver, watch him on HBO that night and don't waste your time and hope. You'll enjoy him more if your soul wasn't crushed that same evening. read more

A disclaimer-I'm sure the show itself is wonderful, John Oliver is amazing. But... I have to echo Darby's sentiments that the company running the ticketing and attendance for this show (Black List NYC per Darby's review) is the absolute worst. I have friends and relatives who live in NYC who have tried to get tickets for months to no avail, both via the ticket reservation system and the "standby line". After being unable to get reservations, I got to experience the standby line firsthand. It involves pointless waiting, and employees who are extremely rude and condescending. I witnessed someone else from the line trying to ask the the lady running the line a question, but said lady just stared at her and put in her headphones and ignored them. The same lady running the line later explained to us that they arbitrarily select people regardless of the order you show up, and that we should be happy that we even have a chance to be selected, "because we're doing this out of the kindness of our hearts". Out of two times at the line, I only saw one person who indicated that they were American get in. I don't want to advocate for dishonesty, but if you really want to get in, you might have to consider it. If you don't get reservations, don't bother trying standby unless they fire whoever is running the ticketing currently. It's a waste of time, unless you like waiting, not getting in, and being subjected to condescending jerks. Spend your time in New York doing literally anything else. read more

John Oliver was as delightful and charming as everyone would expect. When an audience member asked a way too personal question -- like literally everyone in the audience groaned -- he made it light and funny, even referring to it again when the show closed in a hey-this-is-our-inside-joke kind of way. When he had to re-tape a few scenes, he somehow made it more engaging the second and third time around. It didn't feel at all like a repeat or drag. read more

I had a similar experience to others in that I was able to get tickets only though another poor soul's cancelation. We were told we would get an email by a certain date, and not to expect tickets if we didn't hear anything by then. But lo and behold, I received an email the Friday before the taping telling me we were IN. I've also been to a taping of The Daily Show before, and its process was actually much more taxing and complicated. At Last Week Tonight, you need to show up a mere 30 minutes before the entire process begins. Unfortunately for us perpetually late people, my boyfriend and I still underestimated the amount of time necessary to arrive, partially because of a tumultuous deluge that basically started when we left his apt and ended right as we arrived at the studio. So we had to run through the rain, and then take the subway, and then run through the rain again, and toward the end of this terrible process my sandal broke. So we arrived one minute too late as sweaty, wet messes with 3 shoes total, but it was OK. Some other friends of people were running late and we heard one of the employees tell them that they needed to show up at 6 at the absolute latest. Still, I can't guarantee that this is always the case, so it's really just best to show up on time. Upon arrival, we were ushered down a hallway and gave our names to a nice lady with a clipboard who did not seem to judge me for my bare foot. We entered a large waiting room but were sent into a smaller adjacent room, which seemed a bit like some sort of punishment but I'm sure was due to lack of space. Other late, soggy outcasts soon joined us. After another 5-minute wait, we were all asked to line up in the order of our arrival, and then entered the studio by way of CBS comedy-lined hallways and an elevator. This isn't necessarily the sort of thing I would normally notice, but the floors were spotless, my foot appeased. Other reviewers have described the rest of the experience quite accurately. Warm up guy trying to hype you up- check. John Oliver coming out, talking to the audience and being a charming British man- check. He said something funny about this not being the proper venue for internalizing jokes. He sat down at the desk. We were off. I'd say this was a solid, if not extraordinary, LWT show. This was the episode where JO called for the resignation of FIFA's president and offered, reluctantly, to drink a bottle of Bud Light Lime if it happened (spoiler alert: he did drink it on a later show). Also hilariously addressed: Thailand being weirdly into Hitler and Nazis, the Catholic Church, etc. It's fun to watch John while the video clips are playing because you'll never see that on the show. He had a few little quirks, like touching his tie and messing with his glasses. The taping basically lasts the length of the actual 30-minute broadcast, although once they didn't go straight to the "And now..." segments that break up the show a bit. Instead, there was just this big pause, which JO clearly wasn't expecting and he said something funny about it. All in all, a great NY experience. Really, everything about the taping was positive. I'd go again in a heartbeat and would (maybe) even drink a Bud Light in order to score tickets. read more

I love John Oliver. My husband and I went to the taping for the 2014 "season finale." I would rate this five stars, but I'm docking a star for the rudeness of the staff. We got into line at about 4:30. At around 4:40, they started taking people in to go through the metal detector and wait in a holding room. We were there for over an hour, probably until just before 6 pm. Part of the group was told to get up and wait for the elevator.... it was kind of like a "hurry up and wait" sort of deal. The woman herding us around was extremely rude, and lambasted me for not being a mind-reader. After 15 minutes of waiting for the elevator, we finally got on and again, had to wait in another line once we got off the elevator. While we were waiting, I heard some guy tell people to move aside, and I turned around and saw John Oliver right there, walking down the hall. So that was pretty cool, to unexpectedly see him before he took the stage. When we got into the studio area, the woman directing people into their seats was also rude. I don't know what it is in the water over there. John didn't actually come out for the show until almost 7 o'clock. He did a quick Q&A with the audience. We were told by the first rude woman not to ask him any personal questions, which was fine, but one girl in the audience asked him if he was a dual citizen. Her question was very awkwardly phrased and I felt uncomfortable. John, of course, was very graceful about the whole matter. Once taping began, he went through the program from start to finish. He even taped two YouTube segments to be posted right around Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve 2015, which was also very cool. I can't wait to see them online! I'd recommend trying to get tickets to see this show if you will be in the area. They took half a dozen people off the standby line, which was a decent amount compared to what other people have noted. Just keep in mind that you will be treated like an idiot by the staff. read more

Yesterday I was able to get into the taping via the standby line, and I'm pretty sure everyone else behind me got in as well! So to answer my questions that I had so this can help (maybe) somebody: 1) The standby line is by John Oliver's little LWT awning, yes it's like a staircase exit door and no, we didn't go through it. I got there before 3:20 and no one was there so I was super confused because I thought I would be late to line up. The security guy at the desk was nice but made me even more confused. (There's a Starbucks up the hill guys, so waited there an hour). Also don't bring your shopping bag(s)! 2) Yes, the infamous lady with the clipboard was there. I think she's read these reviews cause she mentioned misinformation out there and whatnot. She was just doing her job, told us that she tries to get people from out of the country priority. But yeah she could have been a bit nicer about everything. Her assistant with the scarf was nice though, and helpful. 3) Watching John Oliver actually doing the show was so surreal, I'm still not sure if it really happened honestly. As always we re-reacted to the segment for the U.K. It was quite amazing to see him "turn on" as a host! The show went by way too quickly honestly. Also yes, there are bathrooms to use on the way out. 4) Maybe come on a day after weekend holidays that involve some drinking. Good luck! read more

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver - Outside the building, with the awning and where we'd be standing in line in a bit. - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

recap of Standby experience Sunday Feb 25th, 2018 ~3:30 pm arrived on the blog (had aimed to get there at 3pm based on the past reviews) Went to the main entrance closer to 11th, were told to go stand by the LWT overhang sign in the middle of the block. We appeared to be the first! ~4pm, a few more people arrive behind us, about 10. it's bitter cold so am assuming it will be a shorter line due to the discomfort... ~4:30pm, magic clipboard lady comes out and takes our names. She gives it to a girl who had come at 2pm and was told to come back, so she gets to write down her name first. Everyone writes their name and circle if in group together. Lady gives the speil about nothing being assured; even if we get inside and sit down don't get hopes up... Tells us to come back at 5:45pm sharp to the same spot. ~5:45pm line up under LWT overhang. Notice a few more people than we saw originally were there, maybe came after we had been told we could leave. Kept having to tell people with tickets to go to the main CBS entrance as they would try to line up with us, given the sign and the crowd. ~6:45 Clipboard lady comes and announced our names, not necessarily in the order we had signed up, not sure why. Unclear if anyone got cut behind us... The girl who was first was about the 5th, 2 pairs were called before her, then me + 3 friends. We are told to stay single file in the order we were called, moved to waiting outside the main entrance down the block. ~7pm we are through security and shuffled into the waiting rooms. Last call for bathroom or water. The main ticket holders are along the walls in order, going in chunks up the elevator. Lady tells us (standby-ers) that if anyone asks, we are in the FAN line. We get shuffled into the elevator then to the studio entrance. Someone tells us to go in, then yelled at to go back, then go in...very confusing. Finally she does a count and out of the 4 of us next, only 3 spots left; my friend, who had seen it before, bowed out (and was told she wouldn't have gotten that far if that was the case, but no one ever asked if had seen the show already?!)...we got seated in a corner, split 2 and 1 in separate rows. ~7:07 phones have to be off, but can see the time on a playback TV. Warm up guy comes on ~7:22 John Oliver comes and does a fun Q&A ~7:30 taping begins! He has to do one audio retake at the end, but otherwise it's all in one go! ~8:10pm we are out of the studio...did that all just happen?! (Volcano episode, btw!) Amazing!! read more

TLDR: Show up any where from 9am to 3pm for good odds of getting in off standby. Holding spots in line is highly discouraged. Just went to tonight's taping and wanted to update some of the info here. First, getting tickets through the lottery are the best shot, but obviously very hard to get. The lottery was open for under 1 min before it filled up, and even after entering there, I never got any info after that to confirm if I got tickets or not. Today, we got in off standby. My husband and I showed up at 3pm and were 9th and 10th in line. The first people in line had gotten there at ~2:15, but the producer told us sometimes people show up as early as 9am, 11am, 2pm, whenever they feel like. Around 4pm, more and more people showed up, probably 60-80 by 5pm (when the website says to arrive). Around 4:30pm a producer came out to greet us and tell us what was happening. They don't know at that point how many tickets will be available, but told us that ~5pm a producer would be back for everyone to put their name on the list so we could leave and come back for show time (~6:15pm). The clipboard producer showed up at ~4:45. Everyone put on their email/name/location, but the producer said they went in order, so it doesn't matter where you're visiting from. ***You are not allowed to put anyone else on the list, so if you're holding a spot for someone, they must be there by the time the list shows up*** We came back at ~6pm, everyone got back in order. At ~6:30, a producer came out to say there would probably be room for ~21 people (the previous taping had been ~30). At least 16 of us got actual seats and the last few had standing spots. Even the "nosebleed" seats were pretty good. Show was great and I'm so glad we got in off standby! Good luck!!! read more

I got through to the request tickets stage and then never heard back so my husband and I decided to try our luck in the standby line. We got there at about 2:45 but no one was lined up so we went and got coffee and came back at about 3:20 and a group arrived at the same time. At about 3:50 a lady came out and we put our names down. We were 4&5 on the list. She told us to come back at 5:15-5:30. Don't come at 5:15. There was no point in us waiting from then! Nothing happened. At 5:58 they decided that no more people must be coming who had tickets so they waited a couple mins to talk to other people on their headsets, I assume to check how much space they had. Then the lady came over and asked for the first 8 people on the list. We went through security and then went up to the holding room and were told to wait at the side while they loaded the other room into the studio and then our room's ticketed people. We were told to wait at the door, then wait in the corridor. When it was time, we were picked out in our order on the list. So even if you are in front of someone when you get to the holding room, they will revert back to the list to check who was actually first. Don't worry! The first 5 of us got in and then the next 5. And finally the last 6. The important point is that even when people get chosen from standby outside to go in, don't leave! I saw a couple who weren't inside with us but they were the last two to sit down, they were waaaaaay at the end of the standby list so I know they must have had people leave from in front of them. Wait until someone tells you there's no chance anymore. Anyway, the experience was great and John Oliver was awesome! The used car sales bit was so funny! read more

This was a kickass experience! The adrenaline rush of getting standby tickets and the uncertainly of it all... oh my! So yes, this review is for me and my friend who got tickets via the standby process. Based on the previous reviews, it looks like the process was more annoying and/or the people with the magical clipboards got replaced from years past. Here's an updated look: My friend and I wrapped up a matinee show on broadway at 3:45 p.m. and hustled over the CBS studio. Typically, the standby magical clipboard lady comes out at 4:15. We got there at 4/4:10 and we were the 6th and 7th person in line on one of the coolest winter days. (Seriously, I risked losing a couple of fingers and toes for these damn seats). Keep that in mind when you are trying to line up for perhaps a warmer day, closer to high tourist season. I would say get there at 2:30/3 or as soon as you can if you want the best shot. Usually only 5-7 (maybe 10) tickets are given out. If you are way past the 10th person in line, I would just go home and try again next week. At 4:15 you put your name, city, email, ph#, down in the order you were standing in and they tell you to come back at 5:30/5:45 to line up. We left and came back at 5:30 and waited again. This is when people (the 1%!) with their official tickets go into the studio and get seated. Pretty much they wait until everyone who has tickets arrive and then determine how many seats are open. Around 6:15, they take us (in order from the clipboard) and ask us to line up inside- 3 times in 3 different hallways- we slowly crept closer to the stage. Even at this point there's no guarantee you'll get seated. They counted how many seats were open (literally only 7). We were the last 2 people allowed in and the rest of the line was told "Sorry guys". The stage manager was somewhat rude and seemed so overwhelmed with the whole procedure even though she does this every week and the show isn't even live. She threw us a comment about how lucky we were to get these seats/should be grateful/she NEVER lets in this many people blah blah. Talk about a power trip. Its a free show... Anyways, after all the soapy drama of will-they won't they- WE GET SEATED AND THE SHOW STARTS- JOHN IS AMAZING- IT WAS A THRILL. So everyone should try and go if they can! Tips: get there early, see if you are in the top 10 people in line, might be worth stating you're from out of town, reserve 2-9 p.m. for this ordeal, wear weather appropriate clothing, bring an entertaining companion. read more

We tried to get in with standby and followed the rules about not arriving until 5:30. Unfortunately there was already a line. We made it inside the door/to the elevator, but we were turned away at the elevator. Everyone in front of us got to see the show. If we had arrived at 4 we would have gotten in. DO NOT follow any of the rules online otherwise you won't be seeing the show. I will say the staff was very nice and tried to be helpful, but it was still a waste of 2 hours all because we arrived when we were supposed to :/ Wish the staff had a better system for filling the seats because they seemed confused about numbers the entire time. read more

TL;DR: Standby lines has flaws but you can get in on standby and the show was great!! 4:10pm We just finished signing the clipboard about twenty minutes ago and I am already dissatisfied with the process. The magic clipboard lady came out at 3:45 and told us the rules in a nutshell: "We do not have an official standby line. There are no guarantees. If you get into the building, no guarantees. If you get into the elevator and go up, no guarantees. If you sit down in a seat, no guarantees. Now sign this clipboard and come back at 5:15/30." She gave the clipboard to the 1st person and then stepped away. As soon as she did that, I knew we were screwed! She wasn't monitoring them at all so of course, when the clipboard came to me, there were mysteriously 2 extra people added to the list. So, my advice is to get there early with your entire party so no one screws you over. Or you can be a terrible person and lie. Whatever you choose, its unlikely you will be punished. BTW, I got there at 2:30 and there were 6 people in line. I will update this with what happens next. 4:30 I went back to the LWT waiting area because I'm still skeptical about the process. 5:03 A ton of ticket goers have entered. I don't feel good about my prospects! The coach of the Detroit Pistons and his kids(?) just talked to the clipboard lady. He was directed to enter the CBS studio entrance. Fancy. 5:30 We are being briefed again about how nothing is guaranteed. 5:35 First group of 10 standby is called up. They go exactly by order. I identify one person who was not in the original standby line. Turns out his son wrote him in while he was at a baseball game. 5:45 Second group of 10 standby is called up. We are in this group! The last 3, in fact. The guy in front of us brought his lady friend who did not wait in the original standby line. I'm upset. I was originally #5 in line but moved to the end of the line when my friends came because I didn't want to watch the show without them, duh. 5:50 The first group moves through security. 6:00 OMG, we are moving through security! 6:05 We are in a big room with a bunch of chairs and TVs. It's a holding room. They take people from this room and then into the studio. 6:07 The clipboard lady comes to our row and says, "OK, listen up, this row...I need this row (my row)....Who needs the bathroom?" Everyone in the row sighs in relief, we thought it was the end! 6:10 We are being taken into the studio and its beautiful!! We ended up seeing the show and it was fantastic! The comedian at the beginning was good (Late Show comedian is better) and John Oliver was so amazing! He does a Q&A at the beginning and then gets right to business. This was the episode where he talked about the oiled up Tonga guy and the downfall of Journalism. The audience was electric. I still can't believe it happened! I moved my rating up because the whole staff works really hard and they just get a bad rap from disgruntled fans who don't read or follow instructions. Oh, and some of them do read these reviews! I just wish they would not allow people to write in other names who aren't in the standby line. P.S. Detroit Pistons coach totes got special treatment after the show as they got ushered out to presumably meet Mr. Oliver. I'm gonna mention that I'm a substitute school teacher and see what that gets me... :) P.P.S. Janice from accounting is real but didn't show up to work today because she doesn't give a f#$k. read more

I got to see a live taping of the last show of 2019 (11/17/19) and it was great. I had been trying to get tickets online for months to no avail. I decided to try my luck and get in the standby line even though I had read there were few spots available for standby. I got to the door at 4:00 PM and I was the third person in line. I ended up waiting for over 2 hours (the show started late), but they let me and 25 other standbys in. So I would definitely recommend trying standby if you're unable to get tickets online. The show was great. John was hilarious as always. If you're a fan of the show, you'll love it. read more

This review is for this season's standby line. The lady with the clipboard (obese with the weird eye) is extremely unprofessional, rude, and condescending. She made it extremely clear that she prefers non-NYers and will reshuffle the line to have out-of-towners get in, even if your name is way ahead. If you are going to do this, put your places of origin anywhere but NY and be warned that even if you make it into the building and are by the elevator to get in, they will still refuse your entry. read more

No standby tickets so make sure you sign up well in advance. The tickets are hard to get but make sure to check their website when they mention they will be releasing tickets. Once you are there, there is a bit of a wait to get into the taping. Its well worth the wait so hang in there. They have someone who does a comedy skit and a tshirt gun before Jon Oliver comes in and does his Q&A. Loved watching the taping of this show and if you love watching it at home its 10x better live. read more

My husband and I attended a recent taping of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and we had a wonderful experience! We requested tickets online as soon as they became available, and before we left for our trip to NY, the studio emailed us confirming our tickets. We got in line at the studio on Sunday around 5:00 and the crew members giving us instructions were friendly and welcoming. All of the staff and crew were kind and professional, and it was obvious that they wanted everyone to have a great time. There were several people in line waiting for standby tickets and they also were able to see the show because a few others with tickets didn't show up. We waited inside the building for about 45 minutes and the whole process of getting into the studio room was organized. There's not a bad seat in the house! John was his usual, hilarious self and interacted with the crowd before the taping started. This was our first time at a taping of any kind and our experience could not have been better! I highly recommend attending a taping if you are a fan and in NY for the weekend. I'm so grateful to LWT staff and crew, and to John Oliver for putting together such an intelligent, funny, and culturally relevant show. Keep up the fantastic work! read more

Here are my tips from my experience trying to see a taping Last Week Tonight: 1) I signed up for tickets online on time and did not end up receiving a confirmation for a ticket. 2) I read on yelp that it was possible to get stand-by tickets - so I lined up by the studio entrance at 2pm. 3) Around 3:15pm a woman came and took my information - I was first on the stand-by list. Note: She informed my that stand-by tickets were not in their official policy and there was no gurantee that I would get a ticket. 4) She asked me to return at 5:45pm and we woud receive a ticket in same order indicated on the stand-by list (if available). 5) Other reviews have stated that standing room only stand-by tickets are available but I saw no evidence of this. 6) There were about 20 people in the stand by line and 7 people got in to see the show including myself. We filled in single seats from people who did not show up for the taping on time. Bottom line: It was a very hot day which may of contributed to more people not showing up. Get there early if you want a chance of getting a stand-by seat, but know that there is not a gurantee of entry. Of course John Oliver was great and I would highly recommend seeing a live taping! read more

This stand by program is a sham. DO NOT DO THIS. We signed in to get stand by tickets and were part of the few to make it in. After an hour of waiting in a hot hallway, we were brought to elevators. We were part of the last group to get on the elevator when they called four people right behind us. Then after making us wait for an hour they specifically didnt allow us in and made us leave. This studio sucks. Dont count on stand by. read more

Got an email this morning that we were off the waitlist. We confirmed our seats and showed up at 5:30 to go through security. Belts and pocket change held up a few folks, but we were quickly herded around hallways, holding rooms, and elevators, always asked to stay in the same order we arrived. If we had it to do over again, we would probably have arrived even earlier than the 5:30 suggested arrival time. All the staff we interacted with were friendly and direct. Were seated and laughing along with the warm-up act until John came out for Q&A and we jumped into the show. Because the on-screen graphics are part of the bit, I had to remind myself to watch John and not the monitors. Overall, well-organized logistics, good vibe all around, and a great performance by John. read more