12-26-11 -- 12-30-11 (Reruns Expt. For Monday)

Anderson's New Year's Eve Show with Kathy Griffin & Gloria Vanderbilt

Monday, December 26, 2011

It's Anderson's first New Year's Eve show with special guests Kathy Griffin and Gloria Vanderbilt. Kathy and Gloria take viewers along on their shopping trip for their New Year's Eve outfits.

Meet the real-life "Grey's Anatomy" heroes, who used CPR they learned by watching the television show, and miraculously saved the life of one of their mothers. Then, Anderson has a special surprise for these two heroes with their favorite on-screen "McDreamy" doctor, Patrick Dempsey.

Anderson meets Jonathan Safran Foer, the author of one of Anderson's favorite books, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," which is now a feature film starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock.

Plus, the stars of some of Anderson's favorite holiday viral videos are live in the studio. One man's New Year's Eve cork fail gets Anderson's "YuleTube" do-over.

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Sperm Donor Siblings Meet. Plus, Hugh Jackman

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Anderson explores the reality of sperm banks, which often don't limit the number of donations one sperm donor can make, resulting in children of sperm donors having multiple half-siblings. Anderson speaks with 18-year-old Alanna, who while searching for her sperm donor biological father, discovered a half-brother after joining a sibling registry website. Anderson surprises Alanna and introduces her for the first time to her half-brother, Zach. Alanna and Zach discover they may have five more siblings.

Then, superstar Hugh Jackman stops by and fulfills a lifelong dream by taking over Anderson’s talk show duties for a segment, hosting “The Hugh Jackman Show.” Hugh also brings Anderson some of his very own Laughing Man Coffee, and discusses how he came up with the inspiration to start a coffee line with all proceeds going to charity. Hugh tells Anderson what his children really think of his new Broadway show, and who the real disciplinarian is in the Jackman household.

Plus, Anderson and Hugh play a rousing game of “Hugh Done It” with Anderson’s studio audience.

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Hoarders & How to Free Your Life from Clutter

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Today’s show is all about clutter. Anderson is going to help you clean up and get organized.

First, Anderson meets a woman whose hoarding is destroying her family. Both her husband and daughter confront her in an attempt to make her change her hoarding ways. Anderson sends Dr. Rebecca Beaton, one of the leading hoarding experts, into her home to help make a positive change and de-hoard their lives. Psychological compulsion affects millions of people.

Hoarding isn’t just about being messy, it goes much deeper than that. To help the family suffering from hoarding, Anderson introduces them to the daughter of an extreme hoarder whose mom called police on her when she tried to clean her house. She talks about the toll that hoarding took on her family, and shares a support group and organization (for which she is a spokesperson) that provides help for people suffering from this disorder.

You might not be a hoarder, but everyone can relate to clutter. Organizing expert Justin Klosky is here to teach you how to organize and live a clutter-free life. He takes audience organizing questions and gives his three tips for de-cluttering your home and your life.

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Mark Wahlberg Returns to His Hometown

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Anderson speaks with Academy Award nominee Mark Wahlberg about an epidemic affecting high school students.

Current statistics reveal one-third of all high school students drop out before graduation. Wahlberg, who dropped out when he was only 14, is now using his success to give back by working with the Boys & Girls Club of America and serving as spokesman for Taco Bell’s “Graduates to Go” program. Anderson visits Mark’s hometown of Dorchester, Mass. and has dinner with his mother, Alma, and his brothers, Jimmy and Paul, at their new family restaurant, “Wahlburgers.”

Anderson also speaks with Ross Cappicchioni, who at age 17 was gunned down in broad daylight by a 15-year-old peer as part of a gang initiation. Ross shares his remarkable story of resilience and tells Anderson how he survived such a horrific ordeal. Plus, tips on what you can do in your own community to make a positive change.

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Anderson's Food Intervention

Friday, December 30, 2011

Anderson spends the hour exploring why we eat what we eat, including the odd patterns many people have with food consumption. Anderson learns why he has a strange relationship with food, and for the first time ever in his life, he tries spinach, Brussels sprouts and coffee.

Anderson also speaks with one guest who has only eaten hash browns and French fries for the past 50 years. A nutritional therapist joins the conversation to help identify the different types of eater one can be, including restrictive, picky, avoider, vampire, fearful, liquidator and more. Anderson gives his in-studio audience a super taster test to see what kind of tasters they are.

Finally, Anderson is joined by Laurie David, author of “The Family Dinner,” who helps him launch the Anderson Family Dinner Challenge, in which one’s family has to cook and eat dinner together five nights in a row.