Since leaving The View after 17 seasons, Barbara Walters' once very popular day time TV talk show has seen a steady decline in the ratings. According to the latest gossip news updates, the iconic 86-year-old journalist is now having to consider coming out of semi-retirement just to make sure that ABC doesn't wind up having to cancel the show spent so long building up. Meanwhile, a devoted section of The View's viewership are doing their best to have Raven-Symoné fired from the cast in the wake of some of her more controversial comments.
Saving The View from the chopping block may be too much to ask -- even of Barbara Walters -- but word has it that the veteran journalist is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the show she started on the air for at least one more season.
One source in the latest November 9, issue of the National Enquirer claims that Barbara has gotten it into her head, that she is perhaps the only one that can save The View at the point:
"She created it, and to see the show turn into this hodgepodge of topics -- which gets constant press -- upsets her.
"She doesn't want to see it cancelled and thinks she is the only one that can save it."
While it might seem like the cure The View's woes is to bring Barbara back as a fulltime co-host, some folks are insisting the show would be far better if they focused on replacing Raven-Symone instead.
According to the reported author of the Change.com petition -- which has already garnered more than 130,000 online signatures -- Che Scott-Heron, Symoné needs to be replaced by someone that more accurately represents the views of the African-American community (via ABC News):
"Please understand that this petition was not out of spite or hatred for Raven-Symoné but merely for the love of my own people.
"As a race I know that we can achieve so much, and I would love to have role models on television fitting of our strength."
For their part, ABC's official spokesman made it clear that the network has no intention of replacing Raven, regardless of how many signatures Scott-Heron may have collected (via People):
"We love Raven. She is confident, genuine and opinionated, all qualities that make her a great addition to the panel."
What do you think The View needs to do to get things back on track?
Would ABC be smart in brining Barbara Walters back to the cast until the ratings leveled back out?
Or, is it too late for The View to even hope to become relevant again?
Let us hear what you would do if given the chance in the comment field below.
