Ep 1. New Year's Eve Live 2020

New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen is an annual show that airs on CNN, showcasing live coverage of festivities from Times Square in New York City to other locations around the world as people ring in the new year. The show typically spans several hours, starting in the late evening on December 31 and continuing through the early hours of January 1.

Season 2020 marked the 14th edition of the show, and featured Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen as hosts for the fourth consecutive year. The episode titled "New Year's Eve Live 2020" promised to be a night filled with glitz and glamour, as well as poignant reflections on the tumultuous year that was 2020.

CNN had teased that the show would be "reimagined" due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which had necessitated changes to the way people gathered and celebrated. This was reflected in the reduced capacity of Times Square, where typically hundreds of thousands of people would converge to watch the ball drop at midnight. In addition to socially distanced crowds, the show would also feature special segments with performances from popular musical acts, interviews with celebrities and personalities, and messages from frontline workers and other individuals who made an impact during the pandemic.

The evening began with Cooper and Cohen setting the stage for the night's festivities, sharing almost palpable excitement about ushering in a new year and leaving 2020 behind. They discussed some of the ways people around the world would be celebrating, including the unusual sight of fireworks displays in empty stadiums. They also noted that for the first time ever, the show would welcome a virtual audience, with fans able to participate from home via video conference.

From there, the show featured a mix of pre-taped and live segments, interspersed with coverage of scenes from Times Square and other cities around the world. Musical performances included Jennifer Lopez, who sang a medley of her hits and even included a performance of "Let's Get Loud" in Spanish. Other performers included Menudo and the Jonas Brothers, who sang from a rooftop in Miami.

One of the standout moments of the night came when Cooper and Cohen interviewed journalist Katie Couric, who offered her reflections on the year that was. She spoke candidly about the impact of the pandemic and the increased attention on social justice issues, saying that she believed 2020 would be remembered as a "transformative" year.

Throughout the show, there were also moments of levity, such as when Cooper and Cohen shared drinks and tried to name all of the U.S. presidents in order. They also read messages from viewers at home, some of whom shared stories of overcoming adversity in 2020, while others simply offered their well wishes for the new year.

As the countdown to midnight approached, the energy in Times Square reached a fever pitch. Cooper and Cohen checked in with correspondents on the ground, who described the scene as one of "hope and resilience." And as the clock struck twelve, the iconic Times Square ball dropped, a tradition that has become synonymous with New Year's Eve celebrations around the world. In a year that was unlike any other, that moment signified a sense of renewal and fresh possibilities.

Overall, New Year's Eve Live 2020 was a fitting sendoff to a year that many would like to forget. Through moments of reflection, joy, and humor, Cooper and Cohen helped viewers usher in a new year with hope and optimism for what the future may hold.