'The View' from here on out: Who will it be?

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

A parade of fresh faces is winding through the set of The View, where Star Jones Reynolds sat until her abrupt departure last week. Show creator and co-host Barbara Walters had better dust off her dancing shoes.

Monday's guest host is Hawaiian beauty Carrie Ann Inaba, 35, a choreographer who was a judge on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Kelly Monaco, 30, the General Hospital actress who took top honors on Dancing's first season, steps up as a View guest host Tuesday.

Also on tap: American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee, 22, on July 19, and Shannen Doherty, 35, on July 31 and Aug. 1.

They follow this week's revolving-door co-hosts, including Brandy, 27, a judge on NBC's America's Got Talent, who filled in Wednesday and returns Friday.

"It's a peculiar mix," says media ad buyer Barry Lowenthal of The Media Kitchen. The roster of young women, none of whom have talk-show experience, suggests producers might be "finding people they can groom into something. They did that with Star."

McPhee and Brandy, Lowenthal says, are the most interesting candidates.

"Katharine has a stage presence. She's still top-of-mind" among TV audiences. But "now that The View has all white hosts, it's just a matter of time before they'll want to consider the African-American audience. Brandy is young and beautiful."

The show has 3 million viewers, according to research from Nielsen (for March 28-June 26), a 4% drop from the same time last year.

The View guest-host lineup includes some veteran substitutes. One Life to Live's Renee Goldsberry, 35, filled in before the Fourth of July. Today, All My Children's Susan Lucci, 59, joins the hosts.

A replacement for Reynolds, 44, who left because her contract was not being renewed, is expected to be named in the fall. ABC won't say whether the stand-ins are candidates for a full-time gig. The View goes on hiatus Aug. 4 and returns Sept. 5 with Rosie O'Donnell, 44, taking Meredith Vieira's former seat.

To see more of USAToday.com, or to subscribe, go to http://www.usatoday.com