Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen swapped their famously tipsy New Year’s Eve routine for a very different kind of countdown — and although their on-air rapport felt instantly recognizable, the setting had a distinctly new tone.
The popular CNN duo hosted ‘Independence Eve Live with Anderson & Andy: Celebrating 250,’ a four-and-a-half-hour broadcast commemorating America’s 250th birthday.
After years spent guiding audiences toward midnight from the crush of Times Square, Cooper and Cohen were instead tasked with building anticipation for a historic national milestone.
CNN also reimagined the iconic New Year’s spectacle with a red, white and blue twist.
Instead of the traditional single descent on New Year’s Eve, the ball dropped at midnight Eastern Time and then began a coast-to-coast progression, scheduled to fall seven more times as midnight arrived in each U.S. time zone, continuing through Hawaii and Guam.
But while the gesture carried plenty of patriotic weight, the turnout was far smaller than the massive crowds usually associated with the December celebration.
On a typical New Year’s Eve, about one million people pack into Times Square, but Friday’s event felt noticeably more restrained, with only several hundred attendees gathered behind barricades.
At one stage, a single spectator could be heard loudly shouting ‘USA! USA!’ into the muggy Manhattan evening. The rallying cry, however, failed to spread.
Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen reunited on CNN to host ‘Independence Eve Live with Anderson & Andy: Celebrating 250,’ a four-and-a-half-hour special marking the USA’s 250th birthday
The pair struggled to keep it together while CNN reporter Randi Kaye rode a mechanical bull
Viewers were treated to the sight of Andy Cohen gradually getting tipsy while his co-host, Anderson Cooper was doubled over with laughter
Still, Cooper and Cohen pressed on with the kind of easy banter that has made them one of television’s most dependable live pairings.
The evening mixed patriotic tributes with celebrity interviews including rapper Cardi B, comedian Dave Chappelle, actor Henry Winkler, Jeopardy’s Ken Jennings and singer Mary J Blige, along with Cohen’s parents who frequently appear on the New Year’s Eve broadcast.
A host of CNN correspondents stationed around the country also appeared, while guests ranged from cultural figures to everyday Americans whose stories reflected different chapters of the nation’s history.
While speaking to Chappelle, Cohen asked him what it means to be an American and how he views the country.
‘Boy that’s a loaded question,’ Chappelle replied. Now I see why Trump gets mad with you all…
‘I’ve got an answer. I don’t agree with everything that our government does. But one thing that I believe and love about being An American is my countryman,’ Chappelle responded.
‘If I am anywhere around the world, we can give each other the ‘Fight Club’ look. We live in a madness that only we really understand what it’s all about. I feel like I’m part of an incredibly community.’
Soon after the ball drop, rapper Cardi B shared her thoughts on being an American
The Times Square rolling ball prepares to drop to mark Fourth of July, as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on Independence Day, in New York
People celebrate after the Times Square rolling ball dropped to mark Fourth of July
Just a few hundred people gathered to watch the July Fourth ball drop, compared to one million on New Years Eve
Soon after the ball drop, rapper Cardi B shared her thoughts on the state of the nation when it comes people of color.
‘I feel like the reason why Caribbeans like me, and Latinos and Hispanic people can thrive in this country is because black African-American’s fought for everyone to be equal,’ the rapper said.
ALSO READ: Bull Rider, 25, Hospitalized After Terrifying Trampling at NYC Rodeo Caught on Video
‘If it wasn’t for them there wouldn’t be no Caribbeans thriving here. It’s important for the history. You know, somebody wants to erase the history in the schools, but you got to keep these histories alive. Let me not get too political. I might get in trouble,’ Cardi stated.
As always, though, the moments viewers were most likely to remember had little to do with the running order.
Many were dressed in the stars & stripes to celebrate the patriotic day
The ball will drop a total of eight times to represent midnight in every United States time zone and inhabited territory
A woman waves a the American flag in Times Square during the ball drop on Friday night
Anderson Cooper once again found himself laughing uncontrollably on live television – this time thanks to Cheri Oteri’s impression of a heavenly Barbara Walters
A summer storm rolled into Times Square during the live broadcast, forcing the hosts to continue the show beneath umbrellas
Cohen spent much of the evening happily clutching a beer with the pair periodically jumping into laughter as the pair veered between scripted segments and improvised exchanges.
Some viewers seemed to enjoy the unexpected live nature of the broadcast.
‘If you’re not watching Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen right now you are missing out on incredible media chaos,’ one watcher tweeted.
Not everyone was convinced by the unseasonable pairing of the duo.
‘The Independence Day 250 thing CNN is doing with Anderson/Andy doesn’t quite have the same buzz to it as NYE. This was always likely going to be a one off, but can’t imagine they try this in other spots,’ one viewer tweeted.
Cohen appeared to spend much of the evening with a beer in hand, regularly bursting into laughter as the live broadcast unfolded
Cardi B was among the final celebrity guests to join Cooper and Cohen before the midnight countdown
Cooper and Cohen were quizzed on American sports mascots
The pair were even immortalized in butter- until they started to melt in the summer heat
At one point they attempted to identify American sports mascots, a challenge that quickly became less about sporting knowledge and more about watching the hosts entertain themselves.
Later, Cooper completely lost his composure when Saturday Night Live alum Cheri Oteri appeared as a heavenly Barbara Walters, descending to oversee CNN’s patriotic ball drop in a surreal sketch that left the veteran anchor laughing too hard to continue.
And because no Anderson-and-Andy live event would seem complete without at least one unexpected obstacle, the weather also played its part.
A summer storm swept through Times Square, forcing the pair to continue the broadcast beneath umbrellas as rain poured onto the plaza around them.
If the occasion lacked the electric buzz of December 31, Cooper and Cohen did their best to supply the energy themselves.
For four-and-a-half hours they laughed, riffed, welcomed guests and counted down to a uniquely American milestone – proving that while New Year’s Eve may remain their natural habitat, they were more than willing to give Independence Eve a try, even if Times Square wasn’t quite ready to return the favor.
