Free tickets to the BBC

Last night we had a GTC works outing to the BBC TV centre to see an episode of a new sitcom being filmed. No, this is not strictly a feature on travel, but it was a free night out and everyone likes one of those so we thought we' let you in on it!

Our tickets were to see "Miranda" being filmed, a new comedy starring Miranda Hart with Patricia Hodge and the brilliant Sally Phillips, and very funny it was too. I've never understood how sitcom audiences can be heard to laugh so very hard at jokes that don't seem that funny (see My Family as a classic example of that), but a) they tell you to laugh out loud and b) between takes another comedian chats to the audience and keeps you giggling, (about swine flu and his affair with the floor manager).

If you do go, a few points of note..

• We drove in, a very easy journey along the A4 and you can park in the massive new Westgate shopping centre opposite.
• The petrol station over the road cannot be guaranteed to supply you with a good picnic. We had to make do with Tictacs, a tube of Hobnobs and a bag of suspiciously re-processed chicken lumps.
• We got there at 6, and the queue was huge already; you are marshalled through security and into a cafe where you have to wait around until you are directed to the studio. If there is a table free near the Tardis outside, grab it as it is much cooler sitting there than indoors, and someone will come and let you know when you need to get in line.
• Take a cardigan, it can get a bit nippy in the studio as the aircon is on.
• You can take a drink in with you but it has to be in a screwtop bottle, I'd just got a cup of tea when we were called in and had to leave it behind :O(
• Nobody tells you off for eating Tictacs when they are filming.

Simply go to http://shows.external.bbc.co.uk/, pick your show and then they email you free tickets! As far as I can tell, the available shows change very regularly so it's worth checking fairly frequently... and watch the show when it comes out, if last night was anything to go by it should be good!