The View is losing yet another panelist, but this one isn’t leaving in the same fashion as most of her predecessors.
Raven-Symone announced her exit from the ABC talk show during Thursday’s episode. And, in a twist that only her teen-era alter ego probably saw coming, she’ll turn her attention to a potential revival of her mid-2000s Disney Channel vehicle That’s So Raven.
Described as a spinoff, the project is still in the development stage, but Raven-Symone is attached to executive produce and star as a grown-up version of the psychic high schooler she played for five years. Few details have been revealed, though a script is in the works and a casting search for younger actors is said to be underway soon.
On The View, Raven-Symone said there isn’t a title for the project, but she’s calling it That’s So Raven 2.
“It’s Raven Baxter. I’m still me. I’m still Raven,” she explained of her character in the spinoff. “But I’m going to be a mother this time. I’m going to be a single mother raising two kids, and one of them is going to learn that she has visions.”
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Raven-Symone — who began her announcement by saying she was “excited and sad but mostly excited” — explained that she’d only been on The View on Fridays because she’d been so busy working on the revival.
Disney Channel has had success with revisiting a similar kid-friendly franchise in Boy Meets World follow-up Girl Meets World. Like the latter project, the new iteration of That’s So Raven will feature a mix of new and familiar characters.
The original series ran from 2003-2007 and helped further mint its star, who achieved childhood fame with The Cosby Show and Hangin‘ With Mr. Cooper.
Raven-Symone’s last day on The View will be later this year, after which she’ll relocate back to Los Angeles full-time to focus on the sitcom. The move keeps her in the Disney-ABC family, though it’s worth noting that one of her View colleagues hasn’t had any trouble pulling double duty in a similar scenario (Candace Cameron Bure is a regular View panelist and a star on Fuller House, which is filmed in L.A.).
In saying her goodbyes, Raven-Symone made a special point of thanking the cameramen, jumping up and running over to point them out as well as her hair and makeup team and The View‘s writers and producers.
“I’ve been on this panel with multiple females. I’ve had wonderful times with people,” she said. “I’ve learned so much, and I will say my experience has been multidimensional.”
Raven-Symone also thanked ABC News executive Barbara Fedida and addressed The View co-executive producer Brian Teta, telling him, “You’re awesome,” and replying to his “I’m going to miss you” with “I’m going to miss you, too.”
For The View, it marks the latest in a long line of brief casting stints. Raven-Symone joined in 2015. The year since has also seen dismissals for Michelle Collins and Nicolle Wallace. That leaves a current revolving panel of longtime moderator Whoopi Goldberg, returning co-host Joy Behar, Cameron Bure and Paula Faris — as well as 2016 additions Sara Haines, Jedediah Bila and Sunny Hostin.
What The View may still lack in casting stability, it’s at least partially made up for in ratings improvement. Season-to-date, the show is up 16 percent with a daily average 2.9 million viewers.
Watch Raven-Symone’s View announcement below.
Hilary Lewis also contributed to this report.
