ABC's THE VIEW to Begin 'Sweet 16' Season on 9/4

Celebrate "Sweet 16" when ABC's THE VIEW returns for its new season, live, Tuesday, September 4, 2012. "The View" airs Monday-Friday (11:00 am-12:00 pm, ET) on the ABC Television Network. 

"The View"  features ABC News correspondent Barbara Walters - who appears on average three days a week - moderator Whoopi Goldberg, comedian Joy Behar, actress/comedian Sherri Shepherd and designer and former "Survivor: The Australian Outback" participant Elisabeth Hasselbeck. "The View" consists of hot topics in the news, the best experts in their field, celebrity interviews and general entertainment. The program celebrated its 2000th show on February 2, 2006, and is now in its 12th season on the ABC Television Network.

Barbara Walters' ground-breaking exclusive interviews with world figures and her enterprising reporting have made her one of the most highly acclaimed journalists on television. She has received worldwide recognition for her work and has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards. Her interviews and reports appear regularly on the ABC weekly newsmagazine "20/20" and in "The Barbara Walters Specials." Ms. Walters joined ABC News in 1976 as the first woman to co-host the network news. Ms. Walters is also a New York Times best selling author for her memoir "Audition," released in 2008.

In 2002 Whoopi Goldberg became one of a very elite group of artists who have won the Grammy ("Whoopi Goldberg," 1985), the Academy Award ("Ghost," 1991), the Golden Globe ("The Color Purple," 1985 and "Ghost," 1991), the Emmy (as host of AMC's "Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel," 2002) and a Tony (producer of "Thoroughly Modern Millie," 2002). She is equally well known for her humanitarian efforts on behalf of children, the homeless, human rights, education, substance abuse and the battle against AIDS, as well as many other causes and charities. Among her many charitable activities, Ms. Goldberg is a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations.

Joy Behar, a frequent comedy headliner, is among today's leading comic talents. Whether performing standup comedy or interviewing politicians and artists, she is a comedic original and a leading woman both on stage and screen. Ms. Behar starred in her own HBO special as well as her hilarious cable series "Love, Hate & Joy" and was the voice of a neurotic patient on "Dr. Katz." She has appeared in the films "Cookie," "This Is My Life" and Woody Allen's "Manhattan Murder Mystery." She starred in the off-Broadway hits "The Food Chain" and the critically-acclaimed "The Vagina Monologues." Ms. Behar is the celebrated author of "Joy Shtick: or What Is the Existential Vacuum and Does It Come with Attachments?," "Sheetzucacapoopoo: My Kind of Dog," "When You Need a Lift" and "Sheetzucacapoopoo 2: Max Goes to the Dogs." Ms. Behar performed to sold out crowds at Alice Tulley Hall in Lincoln Center and during her one woman show, "Bitchin' with Behar," at New York's Zipper Theater. She is a frequent substitute host for Larry King on "Larry King Live" on CNN.

Sherri Shepherd, an accomplished stand-up comic, voiced the role of Ben Stiller's "lioness mother" in "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" and co-stars with Lenny Kravitz and Paula Patton in "Precious." She has been featured in the motion pictures "Who's Your Caddy," "Beauty Shop," "Cellular" and "Guess Who." For four seasons she starred on ABC's "Less than Perfect."

Ms. Shepherd is also the voice of twin toucans Cheryl and Meryl in the Disney Channel's comedy series, "Brandy & Mr. Whiskers," and often guests as Tracy Morgan's wife, Angie Jordan, on "30 Rock." Ms. Shepherd was a co-host of ABC's broadcast of "The 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards" and appeared in one episode of "Entourage." Ms. Shepherd has performed at The Comedy Store, The Improv and the Laugh Factory in Hollywood.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck is best known to audiences as a participant on the wildly popular second edition of the "Survivor" reality show, "Survivor: The Australian Outback." In August, 2004, she spoke at the Republican National Convention, where she delivered a heartfelt speech that emphasized her continued effort in support of Breast Cancer prevention and research. She and her husband, Tim Hasselbeck, a former NFL Quarterback and now an ESPN NFL analyst, have two children, Grace and Taylor. Ms. Hasselbeck is expecting her third child in August, 2009.

"The View" is the recipient of 24 Daytime Emmy® Awards, numerous Daytime Emmy Award nominations, including 11 consecutive nominations for Outstanding Talk Show and 12 consecutive nominations for Outstanding Talk Show Host, the 2009 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Talk Series, the Gracie Award from the Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television, two Prism Commendations presented by the Entertainment Industries Council & National Institute on Drug Abuse, the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding TV Talk Show, the Los Angeles Daily News Reader's Choice Award for Best Morning Talk Show, the Good Housekeeping Great Works Award, and was also voted Favorite Talk Show by Viewers Voice, Inc., a non-profit organization that supports television programming.

Photo credit: ABC/ Donna Svennevik