*On top of revealing that his mother taught him how to satisfy women via oral sex on “Conan” as well as being the star of ABC’s “Black-ish,” Anthony Anderson is also set to debut as host of a new talk show on Animal Planet.
Anderson’s new vehicle is “Animal Nation” and it features the actor narrating funny animal videos, talking to celebrities about their pets and being the foil when handlers Dave Salmoni and Jackson Galaxy bring on some exotic creatures.
Regular viewers of the the Animal Planet network got a sneak preview after last weekend’s “Puppy Bowl.” If you’re wondering, “Animal Nation” will occupy a regular time slot on Fridays at 10pm Wastern.
At home, Anderson has two dogs: a shih tzu and a cockapoo.
“I’ve always been fascinated by them,” he said. “I’d watch shows like Johnny Carson and David Letterman when they had animals and thought, ‘This sounds like fun.'”
He calls “Animal Nation” a combination of the “Tonight” show and “Wild Animal Kingdom.”
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Segments are already in the can and among his guests are George Lopez, Bellamy Young, Cheryl Hines, Jerry O’Connell and Dermot Mulroney who were encouraged to bring their pets to set.
He’s already taped segments being attacked by a German Shepherd while wearing a protective suit and carefully handling a poisonous snake.
Anderson says being the host of a talk show was one of the things on his bucket list. He says calls up buddies Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel for advice from time to time.
“I’ve always seen myself as a talk-show host,” he said. “If I can cut my teeth on it with a show like ‘Animal Nation’ right now — and hopefully this runs for a while and we have some fun — then I’ve checked something off my list.”
It sounds like this is preparation for Anderson to host a more general talk show should the opportunity present itself.
source: Charlotte Observer/AP