Jake’s Take Celebrates “The View’s” 20th Anniversary

It’s hard to believe that 19 years ago, news icon Barbara Walters launched a show that has redefined daytime television.

Jake’s Take looks back at some of the greatest moments from the past 19 seasons of the ABC talk show.

The first episode (1997)

On August 11, 1997, The View aired its very first episode. The first panel, Barbara Walters, Meredith Vieira, Star Jones, Debbie Matenopoulous, and (later) Joy Behar, all came from different backgrounds and started a trend that has taken over television: panel shows that talk about hot topics and current events.

Barbara Walters: Bad Driver (2000)

When former co-host Lisa Ling returned for The View co-host reunion (more on that later), the This is Life with Lisa Ling host revealed that her favorite Barbara moment was when Barbara showed that she was an abysmal driver as she failed to navigate a golf cart around a film lot.  While Barbara was panicking, her co-hosts were laughing with glee.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck joins The View (2003)

Before Kelly Clarkson, Terry Fator, Bill Rancic, and Carrie Underwood became household names, Elisabeth Hasselbeck became the first Reality TV show alum to break the barrier and became the first Reality TV contestant to make a name for herself in mainstream media. In true fashion, The View’s remaining original co-hosts (Barbara, Meredith, Star, and Joy) revealed that she was joining the show: Survivor tribal council style!

Star ‘leaves’ The View (2006)

2006 was one of The View’s biggest transitional years. Meredith left The View to replace Katie Couric on the Today Show, and Emmy-winning talk show host Rosie O’Donnell was going to replace the former Who Wants to Be a Millionaire host as the show’s moderator.  However, when tabloids learned that Star Jones was about to be given the ax by Barbara and longtime producer Bill Geddie, the former View founding co-host dropped a huge bomb on her co-hosts on live television, which remains one of the most shocking moments in the show’s history.

 

Rosie O’Donnell joins The View (2006)

For the start of the tenth season, Barbara walked out arm-in-arm with the show’s second moderator: Rosie O’Donnell. I firmly believe that Rosie and to some extent Barbara, Elisabeth, Joy, and Bill Geddie made The View, one of the first daytime talk shows to talk openly about politics for a majority of the show. However, while the only argument Rosie and Elisabeth had was about potty training, nothing compared to their major argument that had the whole world talking.

Rosie vs. Elisabeth (2007)

During Rosie’s first tenure on The View, it is safe to say that she created a lot of feuds. Between fights with Bill O’Reilly, Kelly Ripa, and her arch-nemesis Donald Trump, viewers were left at the edge of their seats when Rosie engaged in the art of verbal warfare.  But when Elisabeth Hasselbeck, The View’s lone conservative host, called out Rosie and Joy for their bashing of then-President George W. Bush and Al-Qaeda, all bets were off, and it became one of The View’s most talked about and controversial moments. The fight also led to Rosie’s first departure from the show.

Whoopi visits The Lion King (2010)

Nearly four months after Rosie O’Donnell abruptly left The View, Entertainment icon Whoopi Goldberg became the show’s moderator and remained on the show since. One of my favorite Whoopi moments of the show was when she visited The Lion King for a special one-night-only performance. Among the characters that Whoopi played on the show included Rafiki and briefly reprised Shenzi the Hyena, a character she voiced in the 1994 animated film adaptation.

President Obama visits The View for the first time (2010)

The View made history on July 29, 2010, when it became the first daytime television show to welcome a sitting United States President as a guest. The audience erupted as President Barack Obama entered the stage to a standing ovation. When Barbara asked President Obama why he chose the show, President Obama humorously stated: “I was trying to find a show that Michelle actually watched.”  The ladies talked to the President about a variety of topics such as rebuilding the economy, H1N1, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the right wing media’s constant harassment against him.

Howard Stern’s first visit to The View (2012)

Anytime Howard Stern attends a television show, the King of All Media seemingly takes over the program. Between digging up old wounds (Sherri Shepherd’s “world is flat” comments), suggesting potential romantic leads for Barbara Walters (future CBS This Morning anchor Charlie Rose) and talking about his new job as the newest America’s Got Talent judge, Howard’s 20-minute visit briefly turned the ABC Daytime show upside down.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck leaves The View (2013)

July 10, 2013, marked the end of a chapter in View history as Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the founding Conservative co-host, left the program for FOX & FRIENDS.  Throughout her 10-year tenure, she bravely defended her views against heated verbal sparring fights with Joy, Rosie O, and at times Whoopi and asked questions that made both sides of the political spectrum think.  Her goodbye speech was pure class, and I hope she returns for a cameo during the show’s 20^th anniversary season.

The View Co-Host Reunion (2014)

For Barbara Walters’ final live show as a regular co-host, all seven past co-hosts (Meredith, Star, Debbie, Joy, Lisa, Elisabeth, and Rosie O) returned for one of the biggest class reunions in talk show history. The ladies shared status reports about their personal lives, the best lessons they learned from Barbara and their favorite memories of Barbara. The show cumulated with a class picture and the revelation that an autographed script from the reunion episode would be placed in the Smithsonian.

Barbara’s final episode (2014)

One View event that will always be my favorite is Barbara’s farewell show. This was an incredible sendoff episode for a television legend. From surprise guests such as future Democratic presidential nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and actor Michael Douglas to a short mockumentary piece that featured Cheri Oteri as Barbara interviewing the news icon. But, the most memorable moment from that show was when Oprah Winfrey introduced Barbara to her legacy: the celebrated journalists and television personalities who all owe their respective careers to Ms. Walters.

 

Whoopi & Billy Crystal honor Robin Williams (2014)

Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, and Robin Williams are one of the most recognized comedy trios of all-time. From Comic Relief to Hollywood Squares, this trio singlehandedly is responsible for entertaining three generations with their films, TV specials, comedy records, Broadway shows, and cartoons. On August 11, 2014, the world was shocked by Robin Williams’ suicide. During The View: Season 18 premiere week, fans were treated to an exclusive interview between the two comedy icons as they honored their friend and brother in one of the season’s moving segments.

The View celebrates 4,000 shows (2015)

Original co-hosts Barbara Walters and Joy Behar helped Whoopi and then co-hosts Rosie Perez & Nicolle Wallace celebrate the show’s milestone 4,000^th show. The episode featured a special interview with Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss, a fantastic trivia game hosted by The View’s Man Friday Mario Cantone, and a special clip show that highlighted some of the best moments in the ABC talk show’s history.

Whoopi Goldberg pulls off a Sister Act surprise (2016)

Since Whoopi’s tenure on The View, the EGOT icon has referenced some of her classic films such as The Color Purple, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Ghost, and Sister Act. While Sister Act was transformed into both a West End and a Broadway show during her time as The View moderator, Whoopi was adamant that it would be difficult for Sister Act to return to the silver screen. But, fans got the next big thing as Whoopi ‘briefly’ reprised her iconic role as Sister Mary Clarence and surprised the Order of the Franciscan Handmaidens of the Most Pure Heart of Mary with $10,000, a year’s worth of gas, and a new Toyota van!

The View’s 20^th season kicks off Tuesday, September 6 on ABC!

I do not own any of the clips that are sprinkled throughout the article. They belong to ABC & Lincoln Square Productions.