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The show was originally called the View from Here. However, there was already a program airing in Canada with the same name, and ABC execs decided to change it to the View. They originally started out sitting around a round table, but found it ineffective because half of the women had their backs to the audiece. They also used, The City's , an old soap opera, set.  They didn't commit to their own set until their fifth season.  Tom Selleck and Regis Philbin were the first two guests on the View. There have been numerous parodies done by both Saturday Night Live and MadTV.