I recently got tickets to a taping for Tim Allen's latest show, “Shifting Gears." Tim plays a widower, Matt Parker, a guy who owns a car repair ship, is figuring out this next chapter of his life, when his daughter (along with her two kids) goes through a divorce and moves back in with him. Now, the two have to navigate what this new relationship and chapter is like for them. 

After I got them, I asked my aunt if she would want to go. We both put in for the day off, then made a day of it in Burbank earlier this week – Tuesday to be exact. 

My aunt suggested going to the Warner Bros. store to see what they had. They're always updating things, especially with Gilmore Girls. So, that's what we did. There's something about being on, or near, the Warner Bros. Studio Lot that makes me feel like anything is possible. There's a certain buzz or anticipation that makes me immediately want to start writing and crafting something that could land on the big (or small) screen someday. We found a few Gilmore Girls items that were on sale and picked up some of Scotty P's Big Mug Coffee K-Pods. 

As I was checking out, the cashier asked me if I'd been to the Holidays Made Here event on the lot. I told her my mom and I made it a tradition, and we'd been every year. She said that they were going all out this year, which is what I'd heard from Scott Patterson himself, so it's going to be epic. I can't wait. My aunt also recently started watching the show, so I'm sure she'll be into it more than in past years. I'm counting down the days until December and the Gilmore Girls holiday already. 

We tend to eat at the same few places while we're in LA, because there's usually a specific event or reason we're down there. It's usually around Hollywood/Burbank, so we know what's close, fast and good. I started going to Paty's when I was in high school. I'd seen people like the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus and cast members from High School Musical photographed there, since they lived in the area. So, naturally I wanted to go (mostly, in hopes of casually running into one of them and becoming best friends. spoiler alert: It didn't happen. However, I did see Demi Lovato's family there quite a bit and spotted a couple of others like Wilson Phillips member, Carnie Wilson, and the older son from the show “The Middle,” Charlie McDermott). 

 

I digress. 

 

We hadn't been there in awhile. I didn't want to eat anything too heavy before the taping, so I just went with a Greek Salad with chicken. It was delicious and filling! My aunt came across an article that said there was going to be a sort of “Home Improvement” reunion on “Shifting Gears” being that Tim Allen always brings back his old co-stars when he gets the chance. I thought that was awesome, but figured it was from episodes that had already been filmed. They've been sending out notifications for tickets to tapings, so I figured we might be getting closer to a holiday episode, which I was absolutely on board with. 

 

We still had about an hour left before we needed to get to the Walt Disney Studio Lot, which was just a few minutes away. So, we decided to kill time around the area. 

We stopped by the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop. They always have the nicest things. I've found several things there throughout the years. As I scoured the racks, my aunt joked that maybe it was a dress from Miley Cyrus. Ha! She did find the Linda Ronstadt book with recipes and stories, so I picked that up. 

While we were getting in the car to head to our next spot, I saw that our tickets to the taping were bumped up to priority. But, still figured we'd just head over sooner, because we didn't have anything else to do. We still had just a few more minutes to kill, so, we drove further down the street, closer to downtown Burbank and then flipped back around. 

One thing about tapings is that you'd better have your schedule cleared for an entire afternoon/evening, and also probably the next day, if you can help it. It's a long process, so you have to really love television and the process of it. It's not for everyone! But, I absolutely love this stuff. Especially if it's someone I really enjoy or a show I'm into. In the past, I've been to Melissa and Joey, Fuller House, Ellen, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, American Idol (top 10, during the competition and finales), Live with Kelly & Ryan: After the Oscars show and probably a few others I'm forgetting at the moment. 

I told my aunt the wrong gate, first of all, so we had to flip around and make our way over to the Riverside entrance at Gate 3. We had our ID's and my Shifting Gears ticket ready to show them as we approached the “ticket booth." 

 

They immediately directed us into the “Zorro” Parking Lot. We saw a few details significant to the Disney lot, like the water tower and the character's faces on the outside of the parking lot. Then, there was “Station 19” with the firetruck/firehouse on the lot - although not the one used for the show by the same name. 

 

We parked, put our cell phones in the trunk, then followed a couple of other people who seemed to be walking over to the taping too. Production signs and people were also standing around, too, so it wasn't hard to know where to go. We waited in a large warehouse, where they checked everyone in, we went through the metal detector and waited for them to direct us where to go. We were in the second line, where we stood for about an hour as we waited for them to check in the rest of the audience. 

Not having a phone was strange. Especially every time I saw something I wanted to take a picture of on the lot. But, it was nice to get a break and be in the moment. I paid closer attention to the details around me. It was fun to see the hustle and bustle of the studio with sets being moved to and from spots on the lot, people walking with their radios and headsets, getting where they needed to. Or production golf carts flying by to transport something from Point A to Point B. 

 

They started taking us into Stage 6 about 3:45, closer to 4 p.m. We were starting to wonder about timing – We both had to work the next morning and had to drive back after, so we hoped it wouldn't go too long. But, then the 1iota production member said it might be a little longer, since it's the first episode of season two. WHAT?! 

I thought the taping was supposed to begin at 4:30, but I think it was after 5 by the time things started rolling. Before we entered, they gave us a bag with a half sandwich from Firestone Subs and a cookie, along with a baby bottle of water. We had time to eat, they played the season one finale to catch us up in case we'd forgotten. It's also exciting because you're sitting right in front of the set, moments from the magic happening. 

 

TV magic will never cease to amaze me - the way the sets are built, how it looks in person compared to being on TV and just how much goes into about 22 minutes of a show. Like any show, there's a “director” or “hype guy” that comes out before the show, sets the ground rules and walks you through what's going to happen for the duration of the taping. 

 

After the previous episode aired, it was SHOWTIME! Tim Allen is one of those classic actors/comedians that likes to continue with the tradition of a true “curtain call” at the beginning. They announced the main cast, then Tim came out to say a few words, which was cool. He thanked everyone for coming out, as well as the crew and production team that make it happen. He told us a story about his brother and pushed the premiere of season 2, which is coming up on Wednesday, Oct. 1 and rambled about streaming, “whatever that is anyway," he scoffed. Again, traditional. 

 

We didn't get out of the taping until about 9 p.m. So, that's about 6-7 hours, from the point of checkin until the moment you're driving off the lot. But, it was one of the most fun experiences I've had at a taping. They only did about two takes for each scene, but I think there are a lot of short scenes, so there were A LOT of them to film. Some had even been previously filmed, so we watched the playback on monitors. 

 

Throughout the evening, they gave out “Shifting Gears” shirts and other collectible items, like a “Last Man Standing” cast photo, autographed by everyone, and a few older headshots of Tim Allen, autographed by the man himself. My aunt and I were trying to smile and laugh and dance and clap to win some of the prizes, but no such luck. There are so many people who consistently go to tapings, so hype guy has gotten to know them by name. It seems like he had specific people he was going to give them to and sections, like ours, that he was going to avoid. Oh well…

 

Perhaps my favorite moment of the evening was seeing Patricia Richardson (Jill Taylor), Al Borland (Richard Karn) and Debbe Dunning (Heidi the “Tool Time Girl”) sitting on a couch for one of the scenes. We knew we'd be getting something special, but it was still a real goosebump moment for me. Over the last year, I've been watching Home Improvement religiously. So I was just freaking out. It was a great moment to see them all interacting. AND, as if that wasn't enough, Nancy Travis (who I've loved since Three Men and a Baby) was also in the same scene. We couldn't see them at that point, since it was being filmed off to the side, but just knowing they were there was enough. 

 

At the end, they all came out for the curtain call, and it was so surreal. It really is like live theater. You get to see it all. Yes, I love watching the scenes and seeing the episode in the making. But, I pay more attention to the production aspects – How actors are interacting in between scenes, how they move and reset the camera for each scene/set they use it for. This episode, being the first, was especially interesting because all of the “suits” from the network were there, watching the audience, making notes about the scenes, huddled around the monitors…It was fascinating. I've read a lot of books about the business, the workings of sitcoms, but had never witnessed that in person. It was a whole other experience. It really does take a village to make it all happen.   

 

If you're a TV/Hollywood fan or love creating, I highly recommend going to a TV show taping. I think it just inspires you in a different way! 

Once the taping ended, we made our way back to the parking structure and got on the road. We stopped about halfway through for gas and snacks, then made it home close to 11. A long but wonderful day, and I got to spend time with my aunt, which was really special. Definitely a day I'll always remember.