Rosy Outlook: O’Donnell’s Comeback Helps The View’s Season Premiere Draws Show’s Best Ratings In 8 Years
Sept. 17 2014, Published 8:26 a.m. ET
So far, so good, for the new lineup of The View.
The show’s season premiere Monday, featuring a reshuffled cast of the returning Rosie O’Donnell and new faces Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace, garnered 3.9 million viewers, good enough for its’ best ratings since 2006, and the second-highest season debut in its’ 18-year run.
The numbers were equally impressive in the show’s target demographics, as Monday’s opening volley marked the program's best numbers since 2011 with women ages 25-54, and 18-49.
The ladies wasted little time in diving into divisive topics, including the NFL scandals swirling around Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson, and politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin.
Only Whoopi Goldberg remains on the panel from last season, as other wholesale changes to the ABC chat-fest included the exits of creator Barbara Walters, panelists Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy, and veteran producer Bill Geddie.
O’Donnell, 52, is back on the show after seven years away; she told ABC News she has a more positive mentality in her second time on the dais.
"I feel good: I wouldn't have said yes to coming back if I didn’t,” she said. “The concept of being able to do this show in a way that celebrates and elevates women is hard for me to resist."
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