Toronto is a beautiful city within the province of Ontario, and a great tourist destination, especially during the summer months. There’s always something fun going on, along with delicious food and riveting entertainment.
If you’re visiting and looking for something different to do, or even if you live nearby, consider attending a show taping. From news programs to morning talk shows, musician interviews, game shows, reality shows, and more, there are lots of options from which to choose.
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You’ll have to check filming schedules, and in many cases, tickets are in high demand which means you’ll need to try and book way in advance or enter a lottery to hopefully win audience tickets by a literal luck of the draw. But here are some shows you can try to attend in the city and surrounding areas.
10 The Marilyn Denis Show
Long-time host Marilyn Denis talks with guests and welcomes different people to discuss, demonstrate, and show off everything related to food, health, and home. The tickets to the tapings, which are every day from Monday to Friday, are free. However, you’re limited to going only once per year, which will help prevent locals from gobbling up all of the tickets.
Fridays are typically the busiest since they’re dubbed Fashion Fridays, so tickets for those taping are awarded out via a lottery. Visit the website to request a reservation for your preferred date.
9 Much on Demand
Tapings for live shows from this music network, which is like Canada’s version of MTV, are open to anyone aged 16-26 at the location on Queen St. W. downtown. (They will check IDs!) Check it out any day from Monday to Friday from 5 to 6 p.m. though it is advisable to show up about an hour early to reserve a spot up close.
You can get tickets from the Much on Demand website, which will also list upcoming events. Select Audience Information to find out how to sign up. It’s a perfect taping to attend if you’re a music lover.
8 The Social
Tapings of this talk show, where the hosts and guests discuss news, pop culture, and lifestyle topics, are live every day from Monday to Friday at 1 p.m. ET. Open to anyone aged 18 and older with valid photo ID, you need to enter a lottery by filling out an application and selecting three preferred show dates. Seats are filled via a random selection process, and you should arrive at least an hour early. You’ll get an e-mail to let you know if you have won tickets about three weeks ahead of the show date so you can make arrangements to be there; it will include instructions on how to confirm the reservation.
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Note that some shows are pre-taped, in which case you’d have to arrive at a particular time. And if you plan to go, you can only register for up to four people, so choose your three favorite friends!
7 Cityline With Tracy Moore
Join host Tracy Moore for a taping of her talk show by filling out an audience request form. Like with The Social, you can pick three preferred show dates, so if you’re visiting from out of town, apply in advance to see if you can get tickets for one of the days you’ll be in Toronto.
Audience members are selected by a lottery, and you’ll be notified if you were selected about a month to six weeks ahead of time. If you don’t hear from them, you’ll have to try again. While you can apply as many times as you want, you can only attend one taping per year. And you can only request seats for up to four people.
6 Murdoch Mysteries
Filming for this series, which is based on the Detective Murdoch novels by Maureen Jennings and follows the life of a police detective in Toronto in the late 19th century, takes place in different locations. In the past, production has, on occasion, offered wristbands to the first people who arrive on set so they can stay and watch.
For example, when filming in Kingston, Ontario in September, about two-and-a-half hours east of Toronto, the first 50 people who arrived at Sprinter Market Square where two scenes were being filmed were given wristbands and got to take photos with the cast.
5 The Launch
When this reality singing competition series is filming downtown, you can try and get tickets to sit in the audience. The series, which features record executive Scott Borchetta, Quebec singer Marie-Mai, and host Liz Trinnear along with a music producer and celebrity mentors who have, in the past, included Sarah McLachlan and Bryan Adams.
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Send an e-mail to a specified address with your name, number of tickets you want (and the names of the others who will be with you) and what date you wish to attend and you’ll hear back if you can get tickets. Anyone over the age of 11 can attend, though those under 16 must be with an adult, so bring the whole family.
4 This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This series does offer tickets to tapings, but you need to apply really early on in order to get them. Your best bet is to subscribe to the show’s newsletter and keep an eye out for details on how to get first access for the series’ new season.
The weekly comedy combines details about Canadian politics with news parody, sketch comedy, and satirical editorials. Launched in 1993, it has been going strong now for 26 seasons, making it one of the hottest tickets in town if you can snag it.
3 Battle of the Blades
When this reality skating competition series is airing, you can try and get tickets to the live tapings on Thursdays. This year, they ran from September 19 through to October 31. Assuming the series is renewed, you can try and get tickets for next year’s taping.
Tickets to the show, which sees figure skaters pair up with hockey players for a figure skating competition, are available to fans of all ages. The players compete for their favorite charity. Usually, tapings are at FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, about 40 minutes west of downtown Toronto. But sometimes tapings take place right in the heart of the city.
2 Canada’s Smartest Person
When this series is taping, you can sign up online to get tickets to watch in person. The Canadian reality competition series and game show sees players compete in different challenges based on the theory of multiple intelligences by American psychologist Howard Gardner. The person who wins is dubbed Canada’s Smartest Person.
If you can’t snag tickets, you can still participate in the interactive show while watching from home using the real-time smartphone app. A Junior edition of the series has also launched featuring young contestants.
1 This Week Live
Check out Canada’s late-night talk show, hosted by P. Michael Bratch, when it resumes in 2020 with “The Minority Report – 2020” coverage of Canada’s new government, what’s going on in Washington, and more from around the world. Follow the show on social media or sign up to learn when filming will recommence and how you can get tickets.
The show is filmed in Hamilton, Ontario, about 40 minutes outside of downtown Toronto. It airs at 12:30 a.m. early Friday mornings, though there’s no word yet on what time filming will happen. Photo: Cathie Coward/The Hamilton Spectator