Who Created ‘The View’? Find out How the Iconic Talk Show Came to Be!

It’s been twenty years since The View made its way into the living rooms of America and left an indelible mark on the landscape of pop culture. While the daytime program’s panel has seen plenty of personalities come and go over the years, the show’s creator still serves as an executive producer. That’s right, we’re talking about none other than Barbara Walters.

Two decades ago, the legendary broadcaster, 87, came up with the groundbreaking idea to have an all-women panel gather every morning to discuss current events, politics, social issues, and entertainment news. With the help of her BarWalls Productions partner, Bill Geddie, Barbara brought The View to life on ABC in August 1997.

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The veteran journalist offered her strong opinions and invaluable insight on The View from its premiere up until May 2014, when she finally bid farewell after 17 seasons. For her final episode, several notable names — including Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, and Michael Douglas — came together to give Barbara a send-off to remember.

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"I want to start by saying I can't believe this day has come and I can't believe it's for real," Hillary, now 69, told Barbara at the time. "Because I don't know what we're all going to do without seeing you go from one place to another, asking questions that we'd all like to ask.”

At the end of the monumental episode, Barbara told the audience that she felt accomplished knowing that her work on the Daytime Emmy-winning show has inspired so many other women to pursue careers in broadcast journalism.

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"How proud when I see all the young women who are making and reporting the news. If I did anything to help make that happen, that is my legacy,” she said. “From the bottom of my heart, to all of you with whom I have worked and who have watched and been by my side, I can say: 'Thank you.'"