ABC/Lou RoccoThis was Joy Behar's life on The View—and Barbara Walters and the gang made sure she went out with a bang.
In honor of their cohost's last day on the long-running morning show, The View gals invited on some very special guests to help fete the funnylady, among them, Regis Philbin, Meredith Vieira, Joan Rivers and Tony Bennett.
"Hello and welcome to quite a monumental day on The View," began moderator Whoopi Goldberg. "After 16 seasons…"
"A monument is leaving," finished Behar.
And so began an entire episode dedicated to recounting all the great moments from the comedian's stint on The View since she began as an original panelist when the show premiered way back on Aug. 11, 1997. Behind The View gabbers loomed the graphic, "This WAS Your Life on The View Joy Behar," a big hint at things to come.
"You told me not to ask questions, don't tell me who's on the show, none of that. All I know that picture of me before the first day, when we first started, that was before the keratin treatment, I'd just like to point out," quipped Behar.
Sherri Shepherd, who's been on the chatfest with Whoopi since 2007, recalled how Joy once gave her some good advice about ignoring public criticism.
"She said, 'Sherri, don't worry about what people say; as soon as you open your mouth, you lose half your audience every single day,'" she said. "She gave me these rules on how to live at The View."
When they returned from a commercial break, longtime View guest cohost Mario Cantone appeared at a podium, serving as the Master of Ceremonies for the "This Is Your Life"-style tribute as Barbara and the rest of the cohosts sat in the audience.
A series of memorable clips then followed: Joy buckling in Tom Cruise on The View couch; shouting down Bill O'Reilly when she and Whoopi walked off; getting a foot massage from Matthew McConaughey; and having LL Cool J use her to do bench presses.
At that point, enter Philbin, who recounted how he introduced Behar to Walters, prompting the latter to tap her for The View.
"Barbara takes out a little note pad. Joy Behar, she writes it down, and I knew something was gonna happen. That was the beginning," said Reeg.
In one particularly hilarious moment, Vieira came out introduced by Cantone as Joy's "sister lesbian" because of a liplock they once shared.
"Maybe it was that faint smell of peppermint and gin on her breath," joked the View vet, adding that the infamous kiss started a "pattern."
After clips ran of Behar smooching various guests, Meredith planted one right on the former's kisser, only to have Joy do the same to Barbara, who then gave it back to Meredith, and before long Regis, Whoopi and Sherri got in on the act.
"This is like hot lesbian sex in the sunshine home," yelled Cantone.
Rivers talked about Joy doing radio long ago and dished that the thing she loves about Behar is family because they're both grandmothers.
While Bennett took time out of celebrating his 87th birthday to perform his classic "The Good Life" in her honor.
Other surprise guests included Behar's longtime pal Susie Essman of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Alan Alda, her costar from Woody Allen's Manhattan Murder Mystery, while video congratulations were also sent by Nathan Lane, Debbie Reynolds, Aziz Ansari, Steve Martin, Carol Burnett, and Jane Lynch.
Finally, The View cohosts took their seats onstage to bid their final goodbyes.
"I love you, Joy. I've loved every moment working with you. Thank you, thank you and thank you and we are really going to miss you," said Walters.
The legendary journalist then gave Behar the last word. After offering her thanks to her family, producers, viewers and especially her hair and makeup people, the comic paid tribute to her fellow panelists.
"My cohosts who stay with me now and to all the girls I've sat here before, I'd love to say thank you," she said. "I was born in the only-child seat but now I know what sibling rivalry is all about."
And to Walters, she left her with some kind words and, of course, one last (inside) joke.
"Thank you for asking me to join you at the table all these years ago. My life hasn't been the same since. You're such a legend and a friend of mine. You're an icon," said Joy. "And if you'll allow me there's something I've been meaning to say on your behalf for 16 years: F--k Harry Reasoner."