So what happens when ‘Live’ isn’t?
Andy Cohen thinks “Watch What Happens Live” will play great in reruns.
“It’s a day party, it’s a night party. Any time is good for a party,” he said Thursday. “I’m excited about more people getting exposed to it at different times of the day.”
The live show is in its eighth season at 11 p.m. on Bravo. Now it’s getting four-week test, starting today, in syndicated reruns. The show will air at 10 p.m. on WRBW-65 and at midnight on WOFL-35. (The Sentinel has a content-sharing agreement with WOFL.)
Cohen picked shows from the last six months for the test. He listed some top-flight guests: Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn.
“They were all very open, revealing,” Cohen said. “I go there with people. Howard Stern is my interviewing role model.”
What does “go there” mean?
“Ask the questions that people might be afraid to ask,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be sexual. It could be past relationships, some scandal or controversy in their life. It’s the kind of stuff you want to hear about.”
He also listed a couple of difficult guests. Gillian Anderson “wasn’t so easy. Amber Rose didn’t want to answer any of my questions.” In Anderson’s defense, he added, “Gillian had no clue where she was.”
Cohen attributes the longevity of “Watch What Happens Live” to its being the only live show in late night and its interactive connection with viewers. “Live” is spontaneous, not preplanned or canned, he added.
“If we mess up or something weird happens, that’s part of the fun,” he said. “Other shows are very edited. This is very loose, fun.”
He is also the impresario of the “Real Housewives” franchise. “There are seven [shows] now, believe it or not,” he said. “The last two came as a surprise. We now usually have on two at a time. That’s enough.”
When asked which show provides the most drama, he paused and didn’t single out a favorite. “Probably Orange County, New York and Atlanta,” he said. “It’s really hard to say, because they still wouldn’t be going so strongly if they weren’t all dramatic.”
He sees a connection to the current occupant of the White House. “He’s a real housewife,” he said. “He’s got his tagline, too.” He cited a Donald Trump line to a Time reporter: “I can't be doing so badly, because I'm president, and you're not.”
Cohen is hosting a new take on “Love Connection” for Fox. “It’s got a lot of heart and humor,” he said. “I’m thrilled to be doing it.”
He thinks back fondly to his fundraiser with Anderson Cooper for Orlando last June after the Pulse attack. Their show at the Dr. Phillips Center raised more than $240,000 for the OneOrlando Fund.
“Besides the mayor and local dignitaries, we met people who were at Pulse,” Cohen said. “Anderson had covered the story so beautifully. He had invited people who had touched him to come. Before the show, it was touching to meet those people. What was really great, it felt like people needed to laugh. It was just an electric night, a great show for us. I think it was great for the people there. We raised a lot of money. We were able to make people laugh, which I think it part of healing.”