CBS has its own 'View' of daytime talkfest

Now, CBS will take a crack at "The View." The network Wednesday said it will launch a daytime hour this fall aimed at women and featuring six celebrity co-hosts.

The as-yet untitled show is expected to replace the long-running soap opera "As the World Turns," which will leave the air on Sept. 17.

The hosts are:

Julie Chen (CBS' "Early Show" and "Big Brother");

Sara Gilbert ("Roseanne");

Sharon Osbourne ("America's Got Talent");

Holly Robinson Peete ("Celebrity Apprentice");

Leah Remini ("The King of Queens"); and

Marissa Jaret Winokur (Broadway's "Hairspray").

The common denominator in this group is motherhood; all hosts have children, including Gilbert, with her lesbian partner, Allison Adler, via a donor. Chen is married to CBS chairman Leslie Moonves.

CBS did attempt to distance itself, however slightly, from comparisons with "The View."

Barbara Bloom, head of daytime for the network, said in a statement: "We were looking for a new format that would speak to the core audience but also have the topical and entertainment value to go even broader. This panel is not a bashful bunch; they are outspoken on any issue you put on the table."