‘The Talk’ Topples ‘The View’ In Ratings — Can ‘The View’ Be Saved?

The View may be better known, but The Talk is more watched. For the first time in the history of the competing woman-centered day-time talk shows, The Talk outperformed in the Nielsen ratings. The ratings report is the latest bit of bad news for The View, which may already be on the chopping block after 18 seasons on the air.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, for the week ending on January 11, The Talk averaged 2.95 million viewers, while The View had 2.88 million. Likewise, the two shows tied for the second time in their key demographics, women age 25-54 and 18-49.

Inspired by a mother’s group that panelist Sara Gilbert joined, CBS’s The Talk emulates its ABC counterpart in nearly every way. Perhaps the most notable difference between the two shows is the atmosphere.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, moderator Whoopi Goldberg and panelist Rosie O’Donnell are “probably the biggest opposing forces” in day-time talk. Their bickering, both on and off camera, has been a constant struggle for the show, especially in its “reinvention” after Barbara Walters left last year.

Although that seems like it should be a good thing — after all, endless fighting has become a staple of cable news — audiences have been royally turned-off by the dueling actresses. Mad World News reports that Goldberg and O’Donnell’s sparring often dominates the show, spilling over into the time for interviews.

The Talk, on the other hand, has maintained some decorum.

The Talk also beats The View in the reviews, with IMDb giving The View a paltry 3.1, and The Talk a slightly higher 3.9. TV.com critics also prefer the CBS talk show, giving it a 6.4, far above The View at 5.1.

The bad news for team Goldberg and O’Donnell comes at a critical time for the show. The ratings have been dropping fast since creator Barbara Walters left, and ABC has been desperately trying to restore its previous viewership.

ABC executives moved The View to its ABC News division, which has had fantastic success with Good Morning America, but the change hasn’t worked. The latest shakeup might be more new cast members. Rosie Perez is leaving the show, according to the Daily Beast. Rosie O’Donnell has tried to squash reports of Perez’s leaving as an unfounded rumor, but more news outlets continue to report the story with confidence.

An insider told the Daily Mail, “[T]he brass at ABC feels like they’ve tried to do everything possible to breathe new life into this show. They’re ready to abandon ship at this point.”

Deadline reports that Barbara Walters returned to the show as a guest co-host. Although she’s certainly not there to stay, it might bring a little relief to The View’s audience.

[Image Credit: Chad J. McNeeley/Wikimedia Commons]