Creative Freedom

Anderson Cooper talks about his new show with Newschannel 3

November 01, 2011 -- 5:19 PM


(NEWSCHANNEL 3) – Over the last 20 years we've gotten to know Anderson Cooper as a hard news reporter, but in September he launched a brand new daytime talk show, replacing Oprah Winfrey on Newschannel 3 at 4:00 pm.

Newschannel 3's Kate Tillotson had a chance to sit down and speak with Cooper about his show and the reasons you should be watching.

A Yale graduate and national news correspondent, he's also the primary anchor of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 and in September the 44 year old added daytime talk show host to his resume.

Cooper says what he loves most is the creative freedom.

“We had Mark Wahlberg on the show on Monday, Chaz Bono and Cher on Tuesday. Jerry Seinfeld has been on, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Griffin,” said Cooper. “It's nice to be able to do celebrity interviews one day, provocative social issues the next day.”

Among the social issues Cooper is tackling is health and wellness at home, and all through October he's challenging families to eat together.

“We're trying to get families to commit to eating at least one meal a week together around the table, putting down the Blackberries, the iPhones and the video games,” said Cooper. “All this week we're showing you clues to a contest we're going to hold and the prize is I'll come to your house, I'll have a family dinner with you and we'll put that on the show.”

Also on the show is Cooper's mother, developer of designer blue jeans, Gloria Vanderbilt. The 87-year-old socialite and heiress has already appeared on the show several times.

“I kind of want viewers to know her as I do,” said Cooper. “I've always been interested in the way the public perceives her. Everybody knows her, maybe from designer jeans or perfume, but the person I know is different than the public image.”

As a newcomer to daytime television, Cooper is bound and determined to keep his viewers guessing, covering everything from light-hearted and reflective stories to the more serious issues.

“It's been really fun,” said Cooper. “I wanted to do a show that was informative but also entertaining and show different sides of my personality.”