‘The View’ Takes a Positive Turn With Meghan McCain out and Tyra Banks in

When you hear fans of The View complaining about the direction the show’s taken in recent years, it usually comes down to the energy Meghan McCain brings to the table. In a word, it’s the negative energy McCain has brought to The View that has many viewers wishing her gone.

The show’s producers see it a different way, of course. Replacing a co-host with a famous name is never easy. Just ask yourself who replaced Abby Huntsman after her January departure. Or ask why the show wanted both Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck back after letting them go in 2013.

For now, fans who have tired of McCain have to settle for days when the co-host is out and Ana Navarro takes her place. But on February 10, with McCain and Whoopi Goldberg both out, fans got a look at Navarro and guest-host Tyra Banks on The View. It was a relatively drama-free hour.

‘The View’ had a much more positive vibe with Banks aboard

Changing the makeup of the table always has an impact on the feel of The View, but it was more pronounced than normal with McCain and Whoopi both absent. With Behar in the moderator’s chair and a Banks seated between Navarro and Sunny Hostin, the show lost its confrontational feel.

For fans who’ve grown weary of McCain’s habitual tantrums, that must have been a welcome change. With Banks not diving deep into the political segments, the show also had a lighter feel than usual. However, the script included the usual number of Hot Topics segments.

On the subject of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman’s dismissal from his post, Navarro brought her usual passion. “I’m so pissed, I’m livid,” she said. “Alexander Vindman has shrapnel in his body, has a purple heart, wore the uniform of this country … and got escorted out of the White House like a common thief by a draft dodger.”

Soon after, Behar asked Banks an interesting question. “As a mogul … would you fire someone you considered disloyal [as Trump had Vindman]?” In response, Banks told the story of having staffers do anonymous feedback interviews so she’d become a better boss.

In that moment, it felt like a throwback episode of The View circa 2003. Someone who hadn’t grown up in a famous family (e.g., Huntsman, McCain) was bringing wisdom she’d gained from her career in business world.

‘View’ fans on Twitter liked Banks but wanted more political edge

There’s a sizable following of The View on Twitter, and fans began taking stock of Banks as soon as the show started. Many on the site expressed joy at McCain being out and were happy to see Banks in her place. However, a number of viewers said they preferred co-hosts with more political chops.

If you saw the tweet previewing Banks’ appearance, you could have predicted the enthusiasm levels were low. The View account, with over 800,000 followers, only saw eight retweets and about 75 “likes” from the tweet.

While Twitter only tells a part of the story, the low engagement should answer any questions whether producers are considering Banks as a replacement for Huntsman. (It’s highly unlikely.)

The last time The View steered away from politics and went with a pop-culture angle (the Jenny McCarthy experiment), the show got some of its worst ratings to date. Don’t expect them to try that again.

Also see: Why ‘The View’ Insiders Believe Abby Huntsman’s Days Were Numbered Anyway