‘The View’: Panelist Purge Progresses

It’s Panelist Purge season on The View again, in what is becoming an annual rite of spring when producers and/or ABC News execs huddle and decide who will be the next season’s crop of Practically Perfect Panelists, replacing this season’s PPPs who, in turn, had replaced Previous Year’s PPPs. The View is quickly becoming one of the most dangerous places for TV on-air talent, given the bleak survival rate.

On the bright side, the show’s Den Mom, Whoopi Goldberg is expected to return. Her contract is coming up, but they’re negotiating a new one with an announcement expected soon-ish.

As each potential panelist’s name rises to the surface, Reporters Who Cover Television breathlessly report the news. They are careful to have gotten the information from multiple informed sources, if not quite so careful to make sure the information hasn’t already been reported elsewhere, days earlier, before labeling their report “Exclusive.” In fairness, why should Reporters Who Cover Television be any more careful about throwing around “exclusive” claims than are the TV journalists they cover?

Anyway, days ago it was reported in the Daily Mail that Michelle Collins was leaving The View – no surprise given how seldom she’d been seen on the show of late. Meanwhile, frequent guest Sarah Haines of Good Morning America was such a darling of The View, it threw her a baby shower in February. Daily Mail also reported days ago that Haines would replace Collins. So far batting 1.000, according to our sources.

Looking across the landscape, former CNN legal contributor Sunny Hostin has been a fairly frequent guest, and you should not be surprised if she too becomes a regular. Steel yourself, if you are fans of the show’s Raven-Symone, who joined the show one year ago this month, and Candace Cameron Bure, who was named to the show in August.

As for Whoopi ,  the Daily Mail has reported, so don’t you fall for that “Exclusive” stuff when it’s reported again.

ABC News did not respond to today’s request for comment. Looking across the landscape, so far this Panelists Purge Season, it would appear the division has been opting to make a very complimentary comment about the current panelist in question, followed by “When we are ready to make an announcement about next season, we will.” We will keep you posted when we hear back.

Update: ABC News responded “We’re lucky to have terrific and talented guest co-hosts fill in at the table and we include Sara Haines on that list. When we are ready to make to make an announcement about next season, we will.”