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CONFIRMED: Anderson Cooper signs deal for Daytime Talk show!
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
After reports yesterday, it is now confirmed that Anderson Cooper has made a deal with Telepictures Productions and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution to host a new daytime talk show program that will be pitched to stations in the next couple of weeks targeted to launch in fall 2011.
The show is billed as a topical format that will cover everything from celebrities and pop culture to social issues and wide-interest news stories. Using his well-established interview skills, Cooper’s show will welcome a broad range of guests and tackle debate-provoking subjects. Segments will include hidden-camera experiments and town-hall meetings, with a focus aimed at appealing to female viewers.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Anderson Cooper stated in his new foray into daytime: “It’s fun and interesting to work in daytime television. The format is unique and you can really go in-depth on a wide range of fascinating and compelling stories. With this new program I hope to relay important information and relate to people and the audience in a completely different way. It’s an exciting opportunity to show another side of myself and create something worthwhile and special in daytime.” Cooper will also serve as an executive producer.
The talk show deal was complex as it was coordinated between Warner Bros., Cooper and Cooper’s employers at CNN — who have an exclusive contract with the newsman. As part of the deal, Cooper renewed his agreement with the cable news network for a multi-year contract. The deal calls for Cooper to continue hosting “Anderson Cooper 360.”
Warner Bros. hopes to launch Cooper’s show next fall, coming into the marketplace just as talk queen Oprah Winfrey exits to launch her cable network OWN. The vacancy has spurred a surge of talk contenders whose projects are in
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General Hospital and ‘H.R. Pufnstuf’s’ Billie Hayes Dead at 96
She was one-of-a-kind, and now actress Billie Hayes has passed away at the age of 96. Hayes’ family announced her death from natural causes on April 29th at Cedar-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
Hayes was best-known for her unforgettable role as Witchiepoo on the 1969-70 Saturday morning live-action children’s classic H.R. Pufnstuf from Sid and Marty Kroft.
However, daytime fans will remember that then General Hospital executive producer, Gloria Monty, hired Hayes to play the recurring role of the street-smart international spy, Brighton O’Reilly, back in the 80’s series hey day.
GH’s Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio) took to Twitter to mourn the loss of Hayes on Monday sharing; “My dear wonderful Billie Hayes has died. Sadly I only got to work with her on GH but it was a magical relationship. Right away Gloria Monty saw something unique and ran with it. I cannot tell you how her passing saddens me.”
Photo:ABC
In story, Brighton O’Reilly was shot and killed by Victor Cassadine back in 1981. Billie told Soap Opera Digest back in 2003 about her time as an agent on GH, and her exit from the series: “I asked Gloria why she killed me off, and Gloria said, ‘To tell you the truth, Billie, we really hemmed and hawed at it. But I decided to do it for selfish reasons. I knew if I killed O’Reilly there’d be such an abundance of sympathy and love for Scorpio that his stock would go up. And he’s my new leading man!’ I understand why Gloria knocked me off, but I would have loved to have gone on with it because I feel it could have been developed into a fascinating character.”
Photo: JPI
Sid and Marty Kroft also took to Twitter and expressed: “Margaret Hamilton (Wizard of Oz) once told us that Billie Hayes was “one of the best witches ever” We couldn’t agree more. Rest in Peace dear friend.”
Billie’s career spanned decades including Broadway, television, motion pictures and voice-over work. In addition, she founded the Los Angeles-based animal rescue nonprofit organization Pet Hope, a cause she had championed since adopting a puppy abandoned in the basement of Broadway’s St. James Theatre during the run of Lil’ Abner in which she was featured in the role of Mammy Yokum.
Share your remembrances of Billie Hayes and your condolences for her family and loved ones via the comment section below.
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Another talk show?as much as I like Anderson Cooper, my nose is still out of joint that they took away ATWT.Anderson had a show in the evening, wasn’t that enough?To say i’m annoyed is putting it mildly!!!
Terrible! Cooper’s so boring. Isn’t his CNN news show tanking in the ratings? Isn’t that why he wasn’t picked to replace Larry King? Instead they get Piers Morgan! They picked the guy from America’s Got Talent over one of their own anchors! LOL! I hope his gabfest tanks in the ratings. There are too many talk shows!
I read that his AC360 ratings are horrific. He averages only 582K total viewers. Cooper only managed to scrape a measely 180K in 25-54 demographic during the 3rd quarter of 2010. Cooper’s already very poor ratings are actually down 40% from the prior year at this time. This is how he underwhelms on Primetime. Pathetic! Now Cooper wants to go in Daytime? LOL! He can’t even garner ok ratings on AC360, so who’s dumb idea was it to bring him to Daytime? ATWT drew 4-5 times the number of viewers in Daytime vs. Cooper’s news program in primetime, and that… Read more »