'Anderson' Undergoes a Revamp

When Anderson Cooper returns to daytime this September, his talk show will be completely revamped, starting with the new title, "Anderson Live." Cooper goes into his sophomore season with a brand new set and a new live format that incorporates breaking news and fan interaction via social media. Cooper will also be joined by rotating co-hosts and more celebrity guests.  

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"We've got a lot of fun, great things planned for the new season," said Anderson Cooper, whose new set boasts live capabilities, allowing the newsman to cover breaking news. 

The live format also allows real-time feedback from fans via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and other social networks (#AndersonLive). Cooper will even have special Tweet Seats in his audience and is encouraging fans to send in trivia questions for a new segment called "Stump Anderson."

"I love live TV, because really, anything can happen," Cooper teased in the new promo above. 

The new format will also go heavier on celebrity guests, with the press release promising visits from Richard Gere and the cast of "Arbitrage," Emma Watson and the cast of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell ("Modern Family"), Mindy Kaling ("The Mindy Project"), Kerry Washington ("Scandal"), Stephen Colbert ("The Colbert Report") and classic TV stars like Carol Burnett.

Cooper will kick off his new social media initiative Monday, Aug. 6, with "Anderson's Summer Instagram Photo-a-Day Challenge," a month-long photo-sharing contest on Instagram in which fans can win prizes. Anderson will also share his own personal photos from his summer.

Emmy-winning daytime vet George Davilas, who most recently served as Senior Supervising Producer at "The Doctors," has signed on as Co-Executive Producer. 

"Anderson Live" is set to premiere Monday, Sept. 10, to a very crowded daytime lineup. On the same day, "Ellen" returns for her tenth season, and new talk shows from Katie Couric, Ricki Lake and "Survivor" host Jeff Probst premiere. Trisha Goddard's talker will have premiered Sept. 1, with Steve Harvey joining the daytime scene on Sept. 4. Marie Osmond won't join the lineup until October 1. With so much competition, it's no surprise Cooper has given his show a complete overhaul.

"Our biggest overall goal for 'Anderson Live' is to take the best elements of daytime and put it in a show that works in 2012. Being live plays to Anderson's strengths, providing immediacy and topicality, which allows us to talk about what is going on in the world," said Executive Producer Terence Noonan. "'Anderson Live' is the show that makes you a little smarter, the one that you have fun watching, and at the end of each episode you can't wait to tune in the next day to see what’s happening."

"Anderson Live" returns Monday, Sept. 10, in syndication.