Barbara Walters Announces Official Retirement Date from 'The View'

In what should truly be considered the end of an era, Barbara Walters has finally attached an official air date to her pending retirement from ABC's popular daytime talk show 'The View.' The network revealed early Monday morning that the well-known journalist will be taking her final bow as co-host on Friday, May 16.

A two-hour special will also be aired later that evening at 9/8c, which will both honor and highlight Walters' monumental life and astounding career.

“In this business there are legends, there are icons, and then there is Barbara Walters,” Chairman and Chief Executive of The Walt Disney Company, Robert A. Iger, said in a statement. “She’s a dear friend and colleague as well as someone I deeply admire, and it’s impossible to fully convey her impact and influence on television. She broke barriers, defied convention, made history and set the standard for journalistic excellence for more than 50 years. It’s hard to imagine television without her.”

Of course, this announcement shouldn't come as a complete shock to viewers, given how Walters herself announced just last May that the 2013-2014 season would be her last year. However, it's still hard to imagine the show without her in it.

But that doesn't mean she won't still be keeping busy. Walters will remain an executive producer on 'The View' (which she created back in 1997). And, according to the network, she “will be a lifelong member of ABC News, contributing as news warrants.”