Season 19 of 'The View' kicks off with new cast, old favorite

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Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Season 19 of 'The View' kicks off with new cast, old favorite
Sandy Kenyon has all the details

Tuesday kicked off a whole new View here at ABC. The hit talk show debuted its new season with a retooled cast and the return of a longtime favorite.

Two years after Joy Behar departed, one of the original judges when the show began in 1997 returned to sit side by side with a few recent additions to the panel.

Whoopi Goldberg returns as moderator for Season 19, with ABC News' Paula Faris and Candace Cameron Bure joining the panel. Michelle Collins and Raven Simone had already been introduced as new hosts.

The former star of Full House and the upcoming Fuller House offers a conservative viewpoint sure to contrast with others. And in fact, next year's presidential election is one reason Behar decided to return.

"I think that Trump being in the race and Hillary and another Bush, you know, come on, it's too good," she said. "Then Bernie Sanders, who I also like very much. I think it's the year for politics, it's a great year to talk."

Behar said she was happy with life away from "The View," minding her own business when she got a call from the show's consultants. The deal for her to return came quickly, and co-creator Barbara Walters approved, sending her a note saying she was thrilled.

Faris, a 39-year-old co-anchor of Good Morning America Weekend, said she can't wait for the relationship she hopes to develop with viewers.

"What I love about the The View is that no topic is off the table and every viewer can feel like they have a voice on the show," she said.

Bure, meanwhile, said she is excited to be sharing the panel with audiences and co-hosts of all ages.

"I am honored to be a new addition to such a strong group of bright and opinionated women," she said. "I look forward to sharing this exciting journey with viewers new and old."

Contributors to the show will be Padma Lakshmi, Ana Navarro, Stacy London, Sherri Shepherd and Molly Sims.