TV Studio Tour
Of the commercial TV networks, only NBC Studios in Burbank offers the public a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of its television operation.
ABC TV doesn't offer a guided tour of their studio. Neither does CBS, nor even Fox. In fact, if you want to see the inside of a TV studio, your only other choice is over at KCET - the local public television (PBS) station, Channel 28 , which offers a free guided tour of its historic Monogram Studios.
The studio tour at NBC isn't free, but it is reasonably priced when compared with the cost of the tours provided by the local motion picture studios. NBC's $7.50 admission charge seems like a bargain compared with the $36 charged by Universal Studios or the $30 charged by nearby Warner Brothers. It also beats the $15 price of the Paramount Studiostour.
The NBC tour is a modest one, though. You'll find no audioanimatronic sharks snapping at your heels here, no 50-foot apes or flying DeLoreans. Unlike Universal, the NBC Studio tour is not a theme park in disguise.
And unlike the Warner Bros tour, there are no mini trams or giant back lots to explore. It's just a 70-minute, indoor walking tour, offering a down-to-earth view of a working television studio.
Their guided studio tour gives you a chance to go where TV history was made; it takes you deep inside the NBC studio. The tour shows you the vast warehouse areas where props are stored, and construction areas where craftsmen are hard at work building realistic sets, it shows you examples of special-effects hardware, and gives you a peek at the NBC wardrobe department.
The tour leads you through the studio's labyrinth of hallways, past the makeup department, through the Peacock Store, and out into the parking lot where Jay Leno and other celebrities park their cars. You even get a glimpse of the infamous NBC commissary.
Then it's up to Studio Three, the set where the "Tonight Show" is taped. (Jay Leno moved the show to this building in 1994, from the historic Studio One where Johnny Carson taped his shows.) There, tour guests get to sit in the same seats as the "Tonight Show" studio audience and see that famous, familiar "Tonight Show" set up-close.
The tour shows you videos about NBC's history, gives you demonstrations of sound-effects machines, and explains how such TV effects as 'chroma key' is brought to life. You might even bump into a minor celebrity along the way. And they accomplish all of this in less than 90 minutes. It's a polished, professional little tour which probably satisfies most tourists' urge for a behind-the-scenes glimpse of some aspect of Hollywood.
The problem is that the NBC tour is just a little too slick. In fact, it's superficial - bordering on condescending. Tour guests don't actually visit the wardrobe department, for instance, they just walk past it, and look at mannequins in a picture window. Tour guests don't get to see the actual makeup or special-effects departments in action, instead they are merely shown simple display cases filled with related props. The tour guide points to the NBC commissary from afar, but they won't let you actually go inside that well known cafeteria. When they take visitors out to the studio parking lot, they actually expect us to be impressed by the oil stain left by Jay Leno's car.
You get the feeling that someone in charge thinks the tour guests have just fallen off the turnip truck. When soap opera actress Deidre Hall (from "Days of Our Lives") "accidentally" walks by and waves hello, you're supposed to believe that it was a blissful coincidence. When they demonstrate the well-known blue-screen process (by making a volunteer "fly" in a Superman cape against a blue background) we are supposed to be dazzled by 20-year-old video technology that in this day of home computers and videocams is old hat to just about everyone taking the tour.
Guests are "treated like tourists" in the worst sense of that term. The well groomed tour guides are friendly and polite, but you are always aware that, as a visitor, you are being kept on a very tight leash.
NBC and Monogram Studios are the only two TV networks that provide a .
A guided tour at Universal Studios costs .
The tour takes 70 minutes.
During the tour you will see the car park used by the .
Since 1994 the Tonight Show has been produced in .
Visitors can only see several rather than seeing inside actual departments.
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Question Focus: Synonym match - notes mention a visit organised by staff, which matches the passage wording
Correct Answer: guided tour
Why this is correct: The passage clearly says NBC Studios offers a guided tour to the public. The notes are summarising what kind of visit is offered, so we must copy the exact words from the passage.
Passage Reference: only NBC Studios in Burbank offers the public a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of its television operation. ABC TV doesn't offer a guided tour of their studio. Neither does CBS, nor even Fox. In fact, if you want to see the inside of a TV studio, your only other choice is over at KCET - the local public television (PBS) station, Channel 28 , which offers a free guided tour of its historic Monogram Studios.
Common Mistake: Students often write tour or studio tour because it sounds similar, but the passage specifically says guided tour. Using fewer or different words is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'offers the public a ... guided tour' = Summary: 'the public can take a ___'
Tips: If the passage uses two words together, check if both are needed to match the meaning exactly.
Key Vocabulary:
- guided = led by staff
- tour = organised visit
Question Focus: Scanning for figures - identifying the highest price mentioned
Correct Answer: $36
Passage Reference: NBC's $7.50 admission charge seems like a bargain compared with the $36 charged by Universal Studios or the $30 charged by nearby Warner Brothers.
Why this is correct: The passage compares NBC's price with other studios and states $36 is charged by Universal Studios. This is the exact figure the notes are asking for.
Common Mistake: Some students choose $30 or $15 because they see several prices close together. This is a partial truth trap because those prices exist but belong to different studios.
Paraphrasing: Passage: '$36 charged by Universal Studios' = Summary: 'the highest price is ___'
Tips: When numbers appear close together, slow down and match each number to the correct name.
Key Vocabulary:
- admission charge = entry price
- bargain = good value
Question Focus: Identifying the organisation being described
Correct Answer: NBC
Passage Reference: The studio tour at NBC isn't free, but it is reasonably priced when compared with the cost of the tours provided by the local motion picture studios. NBC's $7.50 admission charge seems like a bargain compared with the $36 charged by Universal Studios or the $30 charged by nearby Warner Brothers. It also beats the $15 price of the Paramount Studiostour. The NBC tour is a modest one, though. You'll find no audioanimatronic sharks snapping at your heels here, no 50-foot apes or flying DeLoreans. Unlike Universal, the NBC Studio tour is not a theme park in disguise. And unlike the Warner Bros tour, there are no mini trams or giant back lots to explore. It's just a 70-minute, indoor walking tour, offering a down-to-earth view of a working television studio. Their guided studio tour gives you a chance to go where TV history was made; it takes you deep inside the NBC studio. The tour shows you the vast warehouse areas where props are stored, and construction areas where craftsmen are hard at work building realistic sets, it shows you examples of special-effects hardware, and gives you a peek at the NBC wardrobe department. The tour leads you through the studio's labyrinth of hallways, past the makeup department, through the Peacock Store, and out into the parking lot where Jay Leno and other celebrities park their cars. You even get a glimpse of the infamous NBC commissary. Then it's up to Studio Three, the set where the "Tonight Show" is taped. (Jay Leno moved the show to this building in 1994, from the historic Studio One where Johnny Carson taped his shows.) There, tour guests get to sit in the same seats as the "Tonight Show" studio audience and see that famous, familiar "Tonight Show" set up-close. The tour shows you videos about NBC's history, gives you demonstrations of sound-effects machines, and explains how such TV effects as 'chroma key' is brought to life. You might even bump into a minor celebrity along the way. And they accomplish all of this in less than 90 minutes. It's a polished, professional little tour which probably satisfies most tourists' urge for a behind-the-scenes glimpse of some aspect of Hollywood.
Why this is correct: The whole description of the tour refers repeatedly to NBC. The notes summarise which company offers this tour.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes write Universal or Warner Brothers because they are mentioned nearby. This is a context shift trap because those studios are only used for comparison.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'The studio tour at NBC' = Summary: 'the tour is run by ___'
Tips: Focus on who the paragraph is really about, not names that appear only for comparison.
Key Vocabulary:
- network = TV company
- studio = filming place
Question Focus: Detail recognition - who visitors might see
Correct Answer: celebrities
Passage Reference: out into the parking lot where Jay Leno and other celebrities park their cars.
Why this is correct: The passage says visitors go to the parking lot where Jay Leno and other celebrities park their cars. The notes shorten this idea into one word.
Common Mistake: Some students write actors or stars, but these words do not appear in the passage. This is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'Jay Leno and other celebrities' = Summary: 'visitors may see ___'
Tips: Never replace a passage word with your own synonym in FIB questions.
Key Vocabulary:
- celebrity = famous person
- minor = not very famous
Question Focus: Specific location within the tour
Correct Answer: studio three
Passage Reference: Then it's up to Studio Three, the set where the "Tonight Show" is taped. (Jay Leno moved the show to this building in 1994, from the historic Studio One where Johnny Carson taped his shows.) There, t
Why this is correct: The passage clearly names Studio Three as the place where the Tonight Show is taped and where visitors sit. The notes are summarising this part of the tour.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes write Studio One because it is mentioned nearby, but that is the old location. This is a time/tense trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'Studio Three, the set where the Tonight Show is taped' = Summary: 'visitors go to ___'
Tips: Check dates and changes carefully when more than one similar name appears.
Key Vocabulary:
- set = filming area
- taped = recorded
Question Focus: Understanding what visitors actually see versus what they expect
Correct Answer: display cases
Passage Reference: Tour guests don't get to see the actual makeup or special-effects departments in action, instead they are merely shown simple display cases filled with related props.
Why this is correct: The passage explains that visitors do not see departments in action and are only shown display cases with props. The notes summarise this criticism.
Common Mistake: Students may write props because they notice that word, but props are inside the cases, not what guests are shown. This is a partial truth trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'shown simple display cases filled with related props' = Summary: 'they are only shown ___'
Tips: Read negative sentences carefully to understand what is not allowed versus what is actually shown.
Key Vocabulary:
- display = show
- props = objects used in shows
General Tips:
- Summary completion questions follow passage order. Use the location of the previous answer to find the next one.
- Always copy the exact word or words from the passage. Do not use your own synonyms.
- Pay close attention to numbers, names, and capital letters. These are common testing points.
- Check grammar around the gap to see if you need a noun, verb, or adjective.
- Keep an eye on word limits. Extra words automatically make the answer wrong.
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