Seeing a talk show in person provides a rare glimpse into the world of television, much like seeing a news anchor put on makeup or watching a weatherman yell at clouds. Go behind the screen with today’s Groupon: for $5,000, you get a VIP experience for back-to-back tapings of The Ellen DeGeneres Show’s 12 Days of Giveaways in Los Angeles. The VIP experience includes:

• Two tickets to two tapings of The Ellen DeGeneres Show’s 12 Days of Giveaways with big-ticket giveaways. Choose from the following dates:
• Thursday, December 1
• Thursday, December 8
• Wednesday, December 14
• Backstage VIP Tour at The Ellen DeGeneres Show
• Guided Warner Bros. lot tour and lunch
• Roundtrip airfare for two to Los Angeles. Valid for travel within North America only.
• Three nights in a suite, panoramic, or waterfront room at four-star Shorebreak Hotel
• Rental car, including taxes, fees, insurance, and GPS system
• Limo ride to and from taping of The Ellen DeGeneres Show
• $75 credit for upscale American fare at Zimzala
  
  

The Ellen DeGeneres Show will donate $5,000 per Groupon sold, or a possible total of $25,000 to The Humane Society of the United States on behalf of the VIP experience.

The epic LA stay begins with an upscale breakfast at Zimzala followed by a luxurious limousine ride to Warner Bros. Studios. After stepping out of their elongated chariot, VIPs quickly hop into electric carts for a 2.5-hour tour that reveals insights into the studio’s films, shows, and naturally occurring boom operators. A quick bite at the Warner Bros. Fine Dining Commissary then preps guests for the true experience at The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which begins with a behind-the-scenes tour led by a trusted show staff member. The semiprivate tour gives guests a candid look at the facility, shedding new light on the people and applause signs that make the show possible.

After exploring backstage and beyond, VIP guests settle in for the first of two tapings. Like an elf with a C.B. radio, each taping promises to provide a truckload of holiday surprises. The show broke the proverbial chimney during last year’s Giveaways run, gifting audience members $450 gift cards and beach cruiser bicycles. VIP guests will walk away with two shows’ worth of swag plus memories of time spent in the infamous riffraff room.

For the remainder of their stay, very important persons can make the most of their epic amenities by hopping into their rental car and cruising the California coast. Relaxation reigns back at the four-star Shorebreak Hotel, where guests can relax around outdoor fire pits, curl up under soft Frette linens, or incite jealousy in a flat-screen TV with tales of their live The Ellen DeGeneres Show experience.

Airfare value is estimated on average domestic airfare from major airports into Los Angeles; Groupon will pay full flight costs above or below the $400 estimate.