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We went behind the scenes of The View as Barbara Walters and the rest of the ladies celebrated Tuesday's premiere of the show's 16th season.

The debut show featured actress Jamie Lee Curtis and NBA star Dwyane Wade, plus a discussion during the "Hot Topics" segment about Clint Eastwood's appearance at the Republican National Convention and the popularity of six-year-old pageant queen/reality TV star Honey Boo Boo Child.

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"We came on the air in August, and they said 'You may last one year,'" Walters told us about launching the show in 1997. "We didn't know until April of that year that we were going to make the next year. We had no hoopla, no big press, we had no big guest stars -- and here we are."

Co-host Whoopi Goldberg said it was great that the show has lasted so long and added that she's just glad to still be working. "It's nice to have a job, how about that. It's great to have a job."

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In reflecting on the success of The View, Goldberg said the show's format has remained the same despite many attempts to copy it. "We do what we do. We talk politics, we talk silly stuff, we talk real stuff, we talk fantastic stuff." She added: "There are many, many, many imitators, but 16 seasons says that the solidness is there."

Watch the video for more from our visit to The View and to hear the co-hosts talk about Good Morning America's Robin Roberts, who left the ABC morning show last week on a leave absence in preparation for a bone marrow transplant.

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