The View’s explosive tell-all about Barbara Walters, Rosie O’Donnell and more to be turned into TV series – The Sun

AFTER almost 25 years on the air, with various co-hosts rotating in and out, The View is getting the scripted adaptation treatment.

The popular ABC talk show, which was created by Barbara Walters, is being turned into a TV miniseries, based on the best-selling book about the program’s behind-the-scenes drama.

Eric Feig’s company PictureStart has purchased the TV rights to Ramin Setoodeh’s Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View, which was first published last year.

Ryan Lindenberg, PictureStart’s executive VP of production, told Variety in a statement: “It started as a bet nobody thought would ever work.

“But when icon Barbara Walters created The View 23 years ago, she also began a conversation that has not ceased in breaking ground, pulling in audiences and guests around the world and remaining a cultural juggernaut.

“Ramin’s amazing book is the perfect fodder for an addictive, juicy, wickedly smart and provocative series that will have viewers on the edge of their seats, wanting more.”

Barbara created the talk show in 1997 to give women a platform to speak on important topics — both to them and their viewers.

Soon, personalities started to clash and power struggles began to break out amongst Barbara and the other the co-hosts, including Whoopi Goldberg, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Joy Behar, Rosie O’Donnell and Star Jones.

Barbara led the show until her retirement in 2014, and Whoopi, who joined in 2007, is currently the show’s moderator.

Joy is the only original co-host still on the show.

Meredith Vieira was on from 1997 to 2006, as was Star, and Debbie Matenopoulos hosted from 1997 to 1999.

Rosie was only on the show for seasons 10 and 18, while Elisabeth was there from seasons 6 through 16.

PictureStart plans to cast A-list actresses to play the famous talk show hosts, though no roles have been filled just yet.

There’s currently no network attached to the project.

Aside from detailing all of the early drama on The View, the latest reprinting of Ladies Who Punch included an epilogue from current co-host Meghan McCain, who revealed she almost quit the talk show once.

Meghan opened up about joining the popular ABC show in 2017, losing her dad Senator John McCain shortly thereafter and almost leaving.

She shared: “I often think that I must have been out of my f***ing mind to do the most historically controversial show in all of television at a time when I was going through so much emotionally.

“I just wish people at home would give me a break, because I’ve been dealing with so much.”

Recently, Meghan’s gotten into fights with Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar and Abby Huntsman, the latter of whom  has since quit the show.

She added in the book: “It’s been a lot to deal with the drama of the show, the leaking in the press, and then my grief all at the same time…There are times when I have wanted to completely give up and leave.”

What keeps her on the show is remembering that her late father “really wanted” her on The View.

The ABC talk show airs weekdays at 11 a.m.

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