The View Returns for Season 18 Refresh: How They’d Do?

The ladies of The View returned with a new look, a new panel, and a tiny table. It’s too soon to judge their chemistry, but the ratings speak for itself. The debut garnered an 8-year high in total viewers, and a 3-year high in key demos. As for the standard concerns, there’s a few noteworthy elements. First, Rosie O’Donnell was on her best behavior, with the exception of an acerbic, random attack on Woody Allen, which was clearly not on the hot-topic list. It’s an easy guess that the outspoken comedian’s restraint will wane quickly. Rosie Perez was a standout star, speaking her mind with sass and conviction, and Nicolle Wallace found an opportunity to insert her political perspective, of which we’ll hopefully see more. As for Whoopi, she’s a signature staple, properly steering the ship on all key points. The only issue so far is their failed attempt at a fun factor, and my advice to The View’s new producer is to steal a writer from Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live, because their attempt at an on-air game was awful. Watch the clip below to see the panel in action.