After a long stint lasting 16 years, Jon Stewart is back to host The Daly Show after the exit of Trevor Noah a year back. But his return as host will be in a limited capacity. He will host on Monday nights till the 2024 elections.
The Daily Show will continue with the system of rotating correspondents throughout the week. The rest of the days will be helmed by other correspondents.
Jon Stewart succeeded Craig Kilborn in 1999. Noah took over in 2015 and stepped down in 2022. And even since it has been presented by several hosts, including John Leguizamo, Chelsea Handler, Leslie Jones, and Hasan Minhaj.
MTV Entertainment Studios and Showtime’s CEO Chris McCarthy said that Jon Stewart’s return was an honor. He said that Jon Stewart was the voice of this generation and his return to Paramount Global-owned Comedy Central would bring clarity to the division and insanity leading up to the election this year.
Jon Stewart Will Have To Cope With The Changing Times
McCarthy said that Jon Stewart was the right person to expose the false rhetoric and shed light on the performative politics and the pervading hypocrisy with his brilliant wit.
Monday sees the highest viewership on the show and Jon Stewart will take on an additional role of executive producer on the show till the end of next year. This move is a significant success for Comedy Central and Paramount Global. The company has in recent years faced streaming losses and a drastic fall in revenue.
Both Jon Stewart and The Daily Show have struggled in recent years to adapt to a changing media landscape. He will have to again make adjustments and cope with a radically changed political environment.
There is an understandable hype over his return. But it is also true that much has changed since Stewart created The Daily Show to take on the atmosphere of delicate political dysfunction. and he will have to take on the challenges it brings for the aging star of late-night mainstream political satire.