Have you ever attended a live taping of a show?

You have to do a lot of waiting -- first, often outside the studio. Then in the studio seats. Then you're given instructions. For some shows, you're checked to see if you're appropriately attired, since cameras will some times show the audience. You may get to watch rehearsals. You may get a comic or someone less talented trying to get you in the mood to laugh. When they start shooting, you may get cues of when to applaud, you may not. You may have trouble seeing what's going on because of equipment and people in the way, so you may have to see most of it on a monitor. There may be several times when they stop and start again, especially with set and costume changes, if any. Be sure to ask how long it will take, because it's often a long process.