Has The View really been canceled?
Over the years, the legendary talk show has been a place for both heartfelt conversations and some nauseating scandals. The View has produced viral moments and memes and more.
Now, a persistent rumor suggests that ABC is canceling the daytime series.
Is it really over? Why?
The March 2024 panel of The View sits at the table along with their guest, Alex Finnie. (Image Credit: ABC)
How long has ‘The View’ lasted?
The View premiered on ABC in 1997 after legendary journalist Barbara Walters created and, for years, hosted it.
The daytime talk show features multiple generations of women. Many of them are experts in their fields, others just famous faces, but all of them have something to say about “hot topics” from politics to culture and beyond.
This August would be the 27th anniversary of The View. It has been a mainstay of ABC’s daytime programming block for nearly three decades.
Over the years, Sunny Hostin has brought her expertise and personal anecdotes to The View. (Image Credit: ABC)
People Still Love Watching ‘The View’
Ostensibly, viewers tune in to ABC’s long-running daytime talk series for a combination of celebrity commentary, relatable takes, and even legal expertise.
From journalists to famous actors to legal professionals to nepo babies to reality TV personalities, The View boasts an array of different points of view. It sort of goes with the name.
Some would argue that the panel being all-women is just a gimmick. Others would say that it’s refreshing to go a few minutes every day without hearing men’s opinions on current events — since male voices tend to overwhelmingly dominate so many aspects of life, entertainment, and culture.
‘The View’ Hosts Make Headlines – and Viewers Nervous
Obviously, Barbara Walters was a living legend, but a rotation of notable woman have followed her at the table.
Rosie O’Donnell was quite the character, and very memorable during her time on the show. Sherri Shepherd once sat on the panel, but now has her own show, having taken the timeslot of poor Wendy Williams.
Even people who are mostly famous for their time on The View have produced, as we noted, memes and viral moments. The clip of Ana Navarro above is a prime example.
Often, short clips of the talk show “break containment” (that is, go well beyond their target audience of somewhat older women) and become widely popular. Especially when the hosts fight or do what we can only describe as misbehave.
Elizabeth Hasselbeck was part of The View from 2003 through 2013. She didn’t win her Emmy Award for competing on Survivor, after all. She quickly became infamous for her, well, bad takes on a number of events.
Hasselbeck set a specific tone for the show. The network has since tried to replicate her role, casting other “villains” (for lack of a better term) like Candace Cameron Bure and Meghan McCain to instigate drama.
Notably, we’re not referring to conservative hosts, here. Nicolle Wallace — who worked for the George W. Bush White House– and Jedediah Bila, Ana Navarro, and Abby Huntsman are all noted conservatives. They never stepped into the “villain” roles like some others, however.
Running low on villains may be a problem for ‘The View’
For years, Meghan McCain held the role as The View‘s primary antagonist. She would literally huff angrily while other hosts spoke, which was an unbecoming and childlike response to disagreements.
Obviously, a lot of people on social media were eager to see ABC show her the door. In July of 2021, McCain announced her upcoming departure, citing her family’s move.
But even as some viewers cheered, we couldn’t help but wonder if it’s good for the show to see such a dramatic person — one who’s right just enough of the time to keep you guessing, but is so often loudly wrong — leave. After all, The View survives on ratings, not on maintaining a moral and behavioral standard.
Whoopi Goldberg appears on The View in 2024. (Image Credit: The View)
Has ‘The View’ really been canceled?
In the summer of 2023, rumors that The View is ending began to take root. Those rumors have continued into 2024 and may go on for months or even years.
However, as of March 2024, there are no indications — not from behind the scenes or any public announcements — that the rumors are true.
At present, ABC has not canceled The View and likely doesn’t plan to any time soon.
‘The View’ Canceled: Will ABC Talk Show End After Nearly 3 Decades? was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.