The Name Change

Anderson Cooper talk show gets name change, format shakeup

By Tim Kenneally

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Anderson Cooper's syndicated talk show is undergoing big changes for its upcoming second season.

Cooper's daytime gabfest, formerly known as "Anderson," has been rechristened "Anderson Live." The name change reflects a switch to a live format that will also incorporate revolving co-hosts.

And in case that isn't enough of a shakeup, the show will now tape at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York, moving from its previous home of Jazz at Lincoln Center's The Allen Room, which is located in New York's Time Warner Center.

The new setting and live format will "enable Cooper to cover stories while they are breaking and update his viewers with the latest news, truly becoming water cooler TV in the daytime," according to a statement issued by the show Tuesday.

"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," the show's executive producer, Terence Noonan, said.

Cooper said that the new incarnation of his show "allows us more freedom to cover topical issues as well as connect more with the viewer at home."

Also for the second season, "Anderson Live" has recruited daytime veteran George Davilas, most recently a senior supervising producer with "The Doctors," as co-executive producer.

The second season of Cooper's show will premiere September 10.