ABC, Lou Rocco/ABC via Getty ImagesThe View is turning 20!
After 4,000 episodes (!!), ABC's long-running daytime chatfest will celebrate its two decades on the air on Friday, August 11. Over its estimable run, Barbara Walter's brainchild has seen a total of 20 co-hosts take a seat at the table. But not all are created equal. Some have made an indelible mark on the series—who can forget Rosie O'Donnell's fiery run in season 10?—while others have passed through with nary a blip on the radar.
In honor of the show's big birthday, we're getting real and ranking the ladies. Who reigns supreme? Read on to find out...
Did you know there's a person named Jedediah currently co-hosting on The View? Joining the chatfest in season 20, the Libertarian fills the requisite "conservative voice" seat, but we wouldn't blame you if you've never heard of her.
The legal analyst began appearing on the series in 2014 as a commentator before being named co-host in season 20. While she's never one to hold back on issues regarding race, she's still a bit too new to have truly made her mark on the show.
Haines gave up her post as Good Morning America weekend anchor to join the panel as co-host for the 20th season, but this early in her tenure, she's yet to really make her mark.
One of the ABC talk show's original members when it began in 1997, Matenonpoulos was the first lady to be fired from the show. And it was kind of easy to understand, given she was just 24 years old when she started her stint, and did not gel at all with the rest of the ladies.
We are big fans of Michelle, we think she's hysterical, but we also recognized during her stint as co-host in season 19 that The View was not the place for her.
Paula's scaled back her co-hosting duties to about one day a week in season 20, but the journalistic background she brings to the table is always welcome.
Joining Season 17 as Elisabeth Hasselbeck's replacement, McCarthy's time on The View was shortlived as she was let go before the season even finished filming. Let's face it, McCarthy's comedic tone was never going to fit with the show's overall tone.
She's young, but experienced and certainly not afraid to share her opinions. Sadly, she stepped away from the series in season 20 to focus on her return to Disney Channel with Raven's Home.
Opinionated and strong in her convictions, Rosie brought a different set of opinions to the table in the season 18 reboot. Sadly, it was short-lived and she was gone by season 19.
A pleasant presence on the panel during seasons 19 and 20, Bure was forced to step away to focus on her commitments to Fuller House and her Hallmark Channel projects.
Confession: we think Saturday Night Live's Kenan Thompson was a better Star Jones than Star Jones. Anyway, moving on. Before her dramatic exit in 2006, announcing her departure on air to the surprise of executive producer Barbara Walters, Jones' received flack for constantly talking about her wedding (with some accusing her of attempting to score freebies by name-dropping companies and products) and for not revealing how she dropped 150 pounds during the show. Still, she was smart (she was a lawyer) and brought a lot of opinions to the table.
It took Nicolle some time to find her footing, but after several months at The View table she found her voice. She's smart and from a different world than the other hosts, a welcome perspective. Alas, her tenure was short-lived and she departed after only one season.
Ling reportedly beat out thousands of others to fill Matenonpoulos' chair and proved to be almost the polar opposite of her predecessor: she was serious and reserved, which wasn't surprising given her impressive journalism background. Still, it was sort of a weird fit with The View's sometimes lighter tone, especially in later seasons.
With an infectious positive attitude and genuine enthusiasm, Shepherd was the voice for single working mothers during her seven-year stint on The View. Sure, she had that whole thinking the world is flat moment, but she learned from that mistake. And we still think it's adorable that Elisabeth Hasselbeck served as one of her bridesmaids in her 2011 wedding.
The former Survivor star replaced Lisa Ling in 2003 and definitely made her presence at the table known from the get-go, thanks to her conservative views and tendency to clash with the rest of the ladies. Say what you will about her politics, but Hasselbeck was always entertaining to watch. (Remember her infamous verbal showdown with Rosie O'Donnell?!)
Rosie made season 10 of The View required viewing. Who can forget her infamous confrontation with Elisabeth Hasselbeck? Her second single-season stint in season 18? Not so much.
As the show's original moderator, who departed in 2006 to take over for Katie Couric on Today, we like to think of Vieira as the metaphorical anchor that kept the group grounded when things got a little too rocky. (Did we just get all philosophical about The View? Why yes, yes, we did.)
Season 18's last woman standing (or, um, sitting?) after Barbara Walters' retirement and Jenny McCarthy and Sherri Shepherd's exits, we're happy to see Goldberg return, thanks to her tendency to tell it like it is. Who didn't love it when she finally sounded off on all of the casting drama surrounding the show, saying, "We are grown ass women...I don't argue with people, we have spirited discussions." Preach. (Unintentional Sister Act reference FTW!)
Always quick with a quip, Joy was never afraid to speak her mind and always held her own throughout her 14 years on the show. Her return in season 19 had us thanking the daytime TV gods.
Was there really any other choice? The show's co-creator and co-executive producer, Walters retired as a co-host in May 2014, with all of the former co-hosts returning to send her off, after 17 seasons and almost 4,000 episodes under her belt. Your favorites could never.
Do you agree with our ranking? Or was your fave robbed of be No. 1? Sound off in the comments below!
The View airs weekdays on ABC.