If it is supposed to be a live show, how do they show promos on tv?

TV magic?

well if it’s live, then they keep it going; my question has always been what do they do when they are off air (that answers your question btw; they stop the show, and show commercials by going off air, then come back on air and continue the show), and in the middle of a commercial on tv; what do all the guests behind stage do?

Late night shows like letterman arent live. They are taped earlier that day and sometimes even earlier that week.(Letterman for example doesn’t tape a show on friday. He does it either thurs or mon i forget.) But as far as the original question goes its just like at a live sporting event. They take breaks in the show commercials run during the break(some predetermined time) and then its cued up to start as it comes back from commercial.

XCNuse as far as what all the guests due during the commercial, well they just sit there and wait patiently. Id imagine some sets do little things to entertain guests during the breaks though.

Do you mean how do they show promos of a live TV show before it goes to air? Usually just with footage from previous shows.

Oh wait i completely misread the question my bad. Anyway i kinda answered this the promos are easy since like i said those shows you mentioned are recorded earlier that day so they already have all the footage necessary for said promos.

yes, but i believe he/she is asking about promos for live events such as Oscars. I think its a really good question, I have always wondered that myself. I just figured that those shows that are live aren’t really “live” in the full sense of the word. They are maybe 5–10 minutes ahead of what is being broadcasted?

Thanks so much for your answers. Its disapponting, but when it comes down to it, I guess your right that these shows arn’t actually live.

It changes my perception now when I watch late night tv. The guests could be taping their interview in the afternoon. Seems like such a scam. So, leno and letterman are no different from any daytime talk show when u think about it.

Many thanks again!

Pay close attention to the footage. Its not from the event. It’s from previous years or elsewhere. Also Letterman and Leno are not live nor do they claim to be. And there is a difference between “live” and ” recorded live” or having a “live studio audience”.

oooh good point Jimmy, I didn’t think about those.

I think the only thing you’ll watch on tv that is actually live is current breaking news; ordinary news is not live at all (else how do they know where you live and what your weather is like? :D)

Besides the news, now that I think about it, I do hear “recorded live” way more often than anything else, which; well wait, how do you not record something live?

Most are recorded ‘live’ the evening before. For example, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross here in the UK, is actually recorder on a Thursday!