'The View' sees Joy Behar and Sherri Shepherd returning to ABC show; newcomers joining the panel
ABC's "The View" is one of America's longest daytime talk shows, created by Barbara Walters back in 1997.
The talk show features a panel of female co-hosts who talk about different social, political and celebrity news. Viewers tuned in to see women with different personalities and perspectives engage in passionate and sometimes heated discussions.
However, since Barbara Walters retired in 2013, the talk show encountered many challenges, including dropping viewer ratings and several cast changes. "The View" has since then been a revolving door.
Long-time hosts, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd and Elisabeth Hasselbeck, eventually left the show. New additions, including Jenny McCarthy, also didn't seem to last for more than a year.
Last season's additions found themselves leaving the show after a brief hosting stint.
Rosie Perez announced last July that she would be exiting the show.
Recently, it was also announced that co-host, Nicolle Wallace, would be leaving the show, after one year. Producers had offered Wallace a demotion from co-host to contributor which she then declined. Since then, she has joined MSNBC as a contributor, where she will focus on reporting on Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
ABC has since been trying to find the right group of women that will get viewers tuning back in to the program.
Viewers were excited to learn that Behar will be returning to "The View." Behar, who was part of the original panel, left in 2013 after 16 years to pursue other projects.
Behar spoke to "Good Morning America" to give some insight on why she decided to come back. While she enjoyed not having to talk about pop culture references for two years, she did enjoy her time on the show. "I remembered all the wonderful things and I thought let me go back and try to have some more fun this year and that's why I'm back," she explained. Behar is also looking forward to discuss topics such as Donald Trump and the Duggars.
ABC has also enlisted newcomers, Candace Cameron Bure and Paula Faris, to join the panel this season. Behar, Bure and Faris will join moderator, Whoopi Goldberg, Michelle Collins and Raven-Symoné.
Sherri Shepherd will also be returning to the show as a contributor. She joins Padma Lakshmi, Stacy London, Ana Navarro and Molly Sims as a stable team of guest contributors. The team of contributors will fill in when the hosts are unable to participate.
Walters, who was reportedly upset and frustrated by the many changes, remains optimistic about the upcoming season. "As 'The View' embarks on a remarkable 19th season, I am extremely proud to see the legacy of smart and diverse women engaging in entertaining and thought-provoking conversation continue," Walters said.
"The View" returns on Sept. 8, Tuesday, at 11 a.m. ET.