A pre-taped Adam Lambert returns to perform on ABC

In Thursday's episode of "Sanctimoniously Dumping Adam Lambert," "The View's" Whoopi Goldberg said the daytime talk show's chat with, and performance by, Bad Boy Lambert had been pre-taped at the direction of ABC because the network is "still concerned about his musical performance because of what happened at the American Music Awards."

We sat up and took notice, because our ABC source -- the one who wanted to remain anonymous because he had not authorized himself to speak -- had insisted Lambert's "The View" appearance was being taped because Lambert could not be in town Thursday to perform live.

"We're showing it today, when he's not on live. But he was on [ABC's broadcast of "Barbara Walters Presents the 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009"] with Barbara last night -- but that wasn't live either," Whoopi noted, resignedly, at the start of "The View."

Lambert's visit with the ladies of "The View" was his first ABC performance since the American Music Awards, broadcast on . . . ABC. His show-closing, knicker-knotting rendition of "For Your Entertainment" included a male dancer's face winding up in the vicinity of Lambert's crotch and Lambert executing a guy-on-guy kiss. In response, ABC dumped him from scheduled performances on the network's "Good Morning America," "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest."

"I think this is . . . ABC extending the olive branch," "View" co-executive producer Bill Geddie had video-blogged before the taping of Lambert's appearance on Thursday's show.

"I think ABC is keeping it a lot more alive than anybody else," Whoopi said of the Lambert Kerfuffle at the top of the show.

Our ears perked up again, because ABC press wranglers have kept insisting they wish the whole meshugas would go away -- fast.

"View" executive producer and on-air Den Mother Babs Walters, who has been carefully fanning the Flames of Excess on the Lambert story for days so as to goose ratings for her "Most Fascinating People" and Thursday's "View"-cast, knew a douse of cold water when she saw one. Realizing quick action was needed lest this show turn into a screed against ABC for its treatment of Lambert, she jumped in with:

"I don't know what's going to happen!"

It was a little strange, since she was speaking live about a performance and interview that, to recap, had been taped.

"I read that he might be singing at the Academy Awards!" she added, for good measure.

"That's live!" chimed in "The View's" comic relief, Joy Behar.