Behind-the-Scenes Studio Tour Puts NBC-TV on Display

The NBC Television Studio Tour gives adults and children a behind-the-scenes look at programs aired locally on Channel 4.

Participants can expect a 70-minute walk through the broadcasting complex in Burbank, where they will witness a typical day on various NBC sets.

A tour guide takes guests backstage at “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” where they walk through the wardrobe room and later watch a video demonstration of how makeup is applied to on-camera personalities. Tour guests also see how sets are constructed.

“You may even see a star or two from ‘Days of Our Lives,’ ” said Bill Connor, manager of NBC guest relations. “The tour is an unstaged look at exactly what’s happening on the day you visit.”

Tours vary hour to hour, depending on the schedule of each production set. Although tours run throughout the day--from 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.--morning tours are often more informative because show rehearsals generally begin in the afternoon, limiting access to some sets, Connor said.

In addition to touring NBC’s production facilities, guests are shown the special effects studio. Here guests may be chosen to imitate fictional characters in a demonstration of how special effects are created.

For example, a participant might be picked to play Superman and placed against a special backdrop surrounded by lighting that would create the illusion of flying over the city.

Free tickets are available for people who want to be in a studio audience during the taping of a show. Tickets can be picked up in person at NBC’s ticket counter or by mailing a self-addressed, stamped envelope to NBC Tickets, 3000 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank 91523.

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NBC Studios

What: NBC Television Studio Tour

When: Tours available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Where: NBC Studios, 3000 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank

Price: $5.50 for ages 60 and older; $6 for adults; $3.75 for children ages 5 to 12; children under 5 free.

Information: (818) 840-4444