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New-look series of The View launches in US

Video: It's a mixed response to the new-look View, which is more serious than its often controversial panel.

2014-09-16_1429The View is back on US television with a revamped line-up of Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O’Donnell, Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace on a new-look set.

The group discussed everything from Joan Rivers to child abuse, Hillary Clinton and mental illness.

Daily Beast found the tone a shift to more serious topics but asked: “Does anyone want to watch an intelligent The View?”
Cautiously, after this first hour, we’ll say yes. First, because it was so refreshing—transfixing, almost, in the surprise of it all—to watch an entire episode of the show that was so civilized and on which everyone was so thoughtful. Second, while the premiere carried an atypically serious tone (and, my god, was this hour so damned serious), there were hints of the whimsy, wily mischief, and godforsaken insanity that have made this show something to love all these years, and inspired so many, as Goldberg rightly noted, blatant rip-offs.

Hollywood Reporter said:
The View seems to have adopted Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” as its new theme music. After Monday’s premiere, it might be a good idea for this show to shake off its dolor, its veneer of politesse, and get back to offering strong points of view.

Newsday said it was “A flawed if promising start”:
What did in fact change were the studio and set — a sprawling, white, columnar mashup of a college basketball gym and Roman temple — and personnel. The new co-hosts are actress Rosie Perez, GOP adviser Nicolle Wallace, and Rosie O’Donnell, back after a seven-year absence. As a jokey rite of passage, each deferred to a magisterial Barbara Walters during the opening segment by kissing her ring. (“I don’t know what all the fuss is about,” she deadpanned.)

Deadline said:
The Hot Topics segment is clunky — like a bunch of ladies just getting to know each other — Wallace says she only found out 10 days ago she was a go. Hottest Hot Topic: Ray Rice suspension from the Baltimore Ravens after TMZ released video of him punching his now-wife in an elevator back in February. It’s a pretty tired subject at this point, given the exhaustive 24/7 coverage on cable news and The Ladies divvy up reactions: Whoopi doesn’t understand why people are freaked out now, given that the incident happened months ago. Perez thinks the video showed Ray “cold clocked” her in a way that was “perhaps just too casual.” Wallace notes the “head of the NFL came up through the PR ranks and “he knows” what a public relations nightmare this is. Rosie says it would be wonderful if people who engage in violent behavior professionally could separate that from their private lives “but I don’t think that’s how the human brain works.”

No sign of this for Australian television yet, but if it takes off Pay TV may be more interested.

5 Responses

  1. Rosie O’donnell is the best contributor on the view. Thats what brings the seriousness of the show back up. It was terrible after she left. Whoopi is good but she is just too nice. Cant believe none of the Aussie networks including Foxtel wont show this. Channel 10 are also missing out with The Talk which is another good show.. Channel 10 have nothing to shoe between 7am-8.30 so why don’t they show The Talk instead of repeats.

  2. Why is this show not on aussie tv . Cmon foxtel we want to watch but we want original programming from the USA topical and current shows like the view ..we pay one hundred bucks a month for repeats of Seinfeld and and Big Bang and Simpsons .if it was not for the EPL I wouldn’t bother with pay tv .the rest of the channels are crap.

  3. I would love to see Nine bring this back to partner with Ellen – or at least put it on Go! after the ellen repeat at at 5.30 weekdays, much better than decade old People’s Court repeats.
    On the topic of The Talk, why don’t Ten strip this 5 days a week fast tracked instead of months old on the weekend? Is this to ‘save’ Studio 10 audiences from making comparisons?

  4. I know we have Studio 10 and The Talk on weekends, but The View is the best of the lot and I wish it were available on FTA again especially with Rosie O’Donnell rejoining the panel.

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