Anderson Cooper kicks off TCA press tour just trying to be himself (VAR, THR, DH)

By Nancy Tartaglione

Anderson Cooper kicked off the Television Critics Assn press tour on Tuesday in support of his new talk show, "Anderson," which is set to bow Sept. 12.

Although Cooper also hosts the weeknight CNN show "Anderson Cooper 360" and does six segments per year for "60 Minutes," he noted his ubiquitous presence likely won't wear thin with viewers given there's little overlap, according to research, between typical daytime viewers and CNN junkies, Variety reported.

He said, "We want the show to cover that full spectrum from important and serious to silly and fun."

The format for "Anderson" will be flexible with most episodes focusing on a single issue and others incorporating multiple segments and live shots of the host from abroad should he be on assignment for CNN.

He told The Hollywood Reporter, "I like the idea of having a show that represents all different sides of my personality, from the serious stuff to the silly reality shows that I'm addicted to."

Deadline said Anderson was "relaxed and affable" during the presentation and added that he acknowledges he'll be far more Oprah and less CNN anchor on "Anderson."

"We won't be doing politicians and pundits on this one," Cooper said, "because we're reaching a different audience."

"I think that camera lens is small and it really transmits what is true, honest and real," he told THR. "The way I've always worked stuff is just to try to be myself. Sometimes in the news business I've gotten knocked because people say I'm too human or in the field I'm too focused on human stories as opposed to the geopolitical significance."

See also Variety's As TCA begins, so do the questions.