BARBARA WALTERS (1929-2022). Photo courtesy The Walt Disney Company.

“Without Barbara Walters, there wouldn’t have been me–nor any other woman you see on the evening, morning and daily news.”—Oprah Winfrey.

I confess. When The View debuted on ABC on August 11, 1997, I predicted its quick demise.  I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to watch five women bitch and gossip about their love lives, show biz scandals, skin care and current events for an hour every day.  Boy was I wrong!  Needless to say, when I’m home, I never miss an episode.

Let’s face it, I should have known better, given that veteran broadcaster Barbara Walters originated the concept. She also co-hosted with a smile–and an iron fist–until her retirement from the show in 2014.

The View would not only enhance her storied broadcast legacy but prove to be a feather in ABC’s cap.  Copycat programming began popping up on rival networks; The View and Barbara were satirized on NBC’s Saturday Night Live; and, for better or worse, the show paved the way for such female-dominated reality TV franchises as The Housewives series.  The View grew to become a cultural and political touchstone that gave women–left, right and center–a voice in a universe previously dominated by men.

The early days…TODAY SHOW co-hosts Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs. Photo: NBC News.

The bumpy back story of Barbara Walters’ 50-year career in broadcast journalism, historically a “men’s club” closed to women, was well known to broadcast insiders, but not to the general public who took her stardom for granted.  While Emmy® Award-winning producer/director Jackie Jesko knew that Walters paved the way for women in front of and behind network TV cameras, it was clear that the personal price she paid at various stages of her career would resonate with women of all ages.  It was a story that needed to be told.

Jackie Jesko‘s feature-length documentary, Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything, makes its timely network TV debut on ABC tonight, Thursday, September 25, 2025 (on what would have been Barbara’s 96th birthday!), at 9:00 p.m. ET/8:00 C.  The film is also available for streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.

Despite being diminished and even derailed by male colleagues who were legends in their own time (and minds!), Barbara Walters was always one step ahead…and resilient, relentless and fearless.  These traits fueled her drive to establish a foothold in broadcast journalism that began behind-the-scenes as a writer, then as a co-host of NBC’s The Today Show; segued in 1976 to ABC News as the ill-fated “first woman in the U.S.” to co-host the Evening News; to her success as a roving reporter in the field thanks to Roone Arledge who tapped her potential; then as a co-host and commentator of ABC-TV’s phenomenally successful Friday night series, ABC News 20/20; and finally as the creator and co-host of The View.

To tell this story, Ms. Jesko incorporated a treasure trove of archival broadcast footage and photos and made good use of Walters’ own voice over recordings and on-camera commentary from seasoned notables who worked with, were mentored, inspired or interviewed by Walters.  Standouts include Oprah Winfrey, Joy Behar, Bette Midler, Cindy Adams, Cynthia McFadden, Katie Couric, Connie Chung, Andy Cohen and Monica Lewinsky.  

Barbara Walters interviewed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in his tent in Tripoli, Libya. The interview aired on “ABC News 20/20” on January 27, 1989. Photo: ABC News/The Walt Disney Co.

The film provides fascinating insight into her talent for “gets,” gaining exclusive access to elusive interview subjects, and convincing such prickly world leaders as Muammar Gaddafi, Fidel Castro, Anwar El-Sadat and Menachem Begin, and the likes of Monica Lewinsky and the Menendez brothers to sit down with her instead of other superstar male and female colleagues (Walter Cronkite, Peter Jennings, John Chancellor, Diane Sawyer).  She asked questions out of left field that no one else dared ask, and her subjects invariably shed a tear or two during their interviews.

“She distinguished us,” recalled David Sloan, senior executive producer, ABC News. “She made ABC News a destination for the biggest newsmakers of the time…and being a magnet for those interviews was her greatest contribution to the  division.  ABC News thanked her for that and gave her the oxygen to reach the stratosphere.”

Make no mistake, Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything is no puff piece. It covers the highs and lows of her career, personality and personal life, warts and all, including her sketchy choice of male lovers, the failure of her three marriages and the toll on the well being of her daughter, who she loved dearly.  As such, this film will be an outstanding evergreen addition to high school, college and university classes focusing on the History of Broadcast Journalism, as well as Women’s Studies programming in colleges, libraries and community venues.

“My hope for the film is that audiences feel they get to know the real Barbara, in all her complexities–her private struggles and her public triumphs,” said producer/director Jackie Jesko. “Barbara stayed a television fixture for five decades, battling rampant sexism, fierce competition and a constantly evolving media landscape. Barbara’s story gives us the opportunity to explore the changing relationship between journalism, fame, and truth.”

Katharine Hepburn chose Barbara Walters as her interviewer, circa 1981, for this rare TV appearance. Photo: ABC News/The Walt Disney Co.

Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything makes its network TV debut at 9:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. Central, on ABC tonight, Thursday, September 25, 2025, on what would have been Barbara’s 96th birthday. The film is also available for streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.  Don’t miss it! –Judith Trojan