Silver Fox Goes For Daytime Shine

If you don't know Anderson Cooper at this point in time, you will soon. The award-winning host of CNN's highly rated and critically acclaimed AC360 is now hosting a daytime show which premiered September 12. I watched the second episode on September 13. I have to say it was decent. But I can't really tell how far this show will go. Anderson, aka the Silver Fox is definitely trying to strike a field recently left with a huge void by Oprah.
The first segment is Anderson Cooper talking with Gerard Depardieu, the actor who recently made headlines for not being able to hold his bladder on a plane. It also inspired a viral segment on AC360's RidcuList in which Anderson mentions the most ridiculous members of pop culture, sports, or politics. Unfortunately, the interview is hard to understand because native French speaker Depardieu is very hard to understand. What I could understand was funny.
From their Anderson continues with the episode he calls the Summer Hot List. He talks with his New Year's Eve co-host and friend Kathy Griffin about the weekend they spent together. Then he shows one of the worst videos I could ever imagine. For some reason, he thought we would enjoy all of their escapades on tape. He was wrong very wrong.
 But this is just the beginning, he then has a segment with Snooki who he previously criticized for her novel. They talk and then share another video of them going spray tanning. Why Silver Fox, I cry why? This is not interesting or funny. And nobody really cares you're paler than Edward Cullen in Twilight.
He redeems himself with his Daniel Radcliffe interview. I've never seen or read Harry Potter so what I know of him is from interviews. I think this is the high point of the episode. He asked relevant questions about his celebrity, what drives him, why he wants to be a "real" actor and much more. Anderson Cooper hit his stride here. If he just keeps up with being himself, I think that it will be more interesting than trying to fit in with other shows dealing with pop culture.
 From what I've seen he's kind of like Ellen, trying to be fun and hip. It's not as natural for him because obviously Ellen is a comedienne and actress who knows how to play to the crowd. I think he does know a good bit about pop culture which helps, but it has to come across as more of a part of his life than his job.
 He taps into the Oprah element with the Amy Winehouse family interview, which I didn't see but it's directly focused on an issue and a current event so he's trying to develop there. The September 14th episode supposedly deals with abandonment, particularly child abandonment so he might can bring up interesting points there.
 I think the key to the Silver Fox shining in daytime television is maintaining the charm and appeal that draw people to him at night, just into a new lighter format. He isn't Ellen or Oprah, he's Anderson hence the name of the show. If he just continues to be himself, I'm sure he'll be just fine.