Recently, I went on my yearly trip to Taiwan and decided to try my luck in applying to be part of the audience for the live recording of 綜藝大熱門 hosted by Jacky Wu at San Lih TV Station.
Monitor 綜藝大熱門 Hot Door Night’s Facebook to sign up for recording sessions
I regularly watch 綜藝大熱門 so I am aware that their staff often posts updates about the show and requests for audience on their Facebook page. And so I checked their FB page diligently about 2 weeks prior my trip to see if I could possibly make it for any of their recording sessions when I was in town.
When there is a call for audience, the staff will post a google doc link on the page for people to sign up, which was what I did. And about one week after my registration, just 5 days before the recording, I received this email from someone named “Bird Bird” lol who told me that I was selected and that I could head to the TV station on that night for the recording session!
Plan your trip and register for your recording session before reaching Taiwan
As expected, you cannot possibly just go to Taiwan for a holiday trip and expect to be able to join a recording session as and when you are free since the these sessions have schedules.
Therefore in order to possibly make it for a recording session during your short stay in Taiwan as a tourist, it is important to plan ahead.
Eg. if you are going to be in Taiwan during the first week of May, then you should start monitoring Hot Door Night’s Facebook for recording updates about 3 weeks in advance to play safe because it is likely that registration for the May recording session could have closed 1-2 weeks before. It is necessary to count backwards.
Setting foot in San Lih TV Station
San Lih isn’t at a very accessible location and I took the train to the nearest station before cabbing over. Costs about 120 NT. (Can’t even remember which train station it is)
We were asked to wait opposite the Starbucks at an open space which I think was a carpark at 7pm. I was prepared to wait for maybe an hour before any staff will appear to bring us to the studio but I was pleasantly surprised to see a staff appear on the dot to bring us upstairs.
Yay!
When we reached, we waited behind the set but we were all peeking to look at the performers rehearsing. And so I spotted Wang Renfu from 5566 practising his singing and dancing.
After about 10 minutes of waiting, we were brought to the seats and given placards with hearts on it. Basically for the episode that I participated in, it featured celebrities singing and we needed to grade them for their performance. If the performance was good, we were expected to hold our placards up. For a celeb with the worst grade, there will be a penalty.
Soon after, the hosts came in!!
Lulu was very thin in person, and in fact her head looked very big on her skinny frame.
Jacky Wu looked slightly older in person.
I am quite impressed with the fact that the entire recording went very smoothly and quickly without any retakes. However watching the recording made me realise the importance of sound and graphic effects later superimposed on the footage cos it felt less funny when I watched it in person without those graphics moving about to highlight the witty parts as compared to watching it on TV.
The entire recording was over in about 45 minutes and we were then brought out to make room for the next batch of audience for the next recording.
By the way, San Lih TV station is quite near to Rao He Night Market, so it is a great way to end the night by indulging in yummy street food after a recording session.
Chasing Carefree 