Where were you in mid-August 1997? You might have just watched the premiere of South Park while grooving to Oasis, Puff Daddy or Spice Girls. Well, if you were tuned in to ABC during a certain daypart, you would have seen the premiere of a little chat show called The View. Five women — kingpin Barbara Walters, Joy Behar, Star jones, Debbie Matenpuolos and moderator Meredith Vieira — talked about a variety of topics in front of a studio audience. And a franchise was born.
Plenty of hosts and come and gone since then — some for more than one stint — and ABC on Tuesday will air The View: 20 Years in the Making, a primetime special looking back on the show’s first two decades. Here is a look at a few clips from the special, featuring current and former hosts:
Jones (co-host from 1997-2006) on why The View was “revolutionary at the time”:
Vieira (1997-2006) on the show’s growth:
Matenopoulos (1997-99) on the copycat shows:
Lisa Ling (1999-2002) on opportunity for “serious, provocative conversations”:
Sherri Shepherd (2007-14) on her first day:
Candace Cameron Bure (2015-present) on going all fangirl over Kevin Costner:
