Is the 17 year-old talk show launching a new panel after longtime host Barbara Walter's exit last month? It appears so, as Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy has exited from the ABC show for various reasons, USA Today reported. Shepherd, who had sat in the panel in the last seven years, was unable to reach terms on a new contract. McCarthy, on the other hand, confirmed later this week in a tweet that she was fired from the show, but fell short to tell fans the reason of her ouster.
The exit of the known hosts would leav Whoopi Goldberg, who has been on the show since 2007, as the remaining returning panelist on the ABC Show.
On the other hand, viewers might still see Shepherd and McCarthy fulfilling their hosting duties, as they are sill reportedly under contract to return the week of July 7 to tape five more weeks, and that the show episode for next week has already been filmed.
On the other hand, USA Today said ABC has plans to introduce a new lineup once the show returns on September 15 for its 18th season. Moreover, it is believed that "The View" would be moving to a neighboring New York studio originally used for Katie Couric's then talk show as its new home. The news outlet said that the relocation was looked forward to as the theater-style seating would allow the future hosts to interact more with their audience.
Bill Carroll, an analyst who follows daytime programming at Katz Television Group, said that host changes are not unusual for the ABC show. Referring to the earlier departures of Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck last year, he added, "Barbara added a certain stability to The View, a certain properness, that when she wasn't there it was a lot more out of control. (And adding new faces can) potentially bring some fresh viewers to sample the show.
Although the network was tight-lipped about its new cast, potential candidates were rumored to be Laila Ali, Bachelorette Andi Dorfman and former "The View" host Rosie O'Donnell.
