"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," airing on Comedy Central, has been a fixture in households across the country. From humble beginnings in 1999, Jon Stewart began his 16-year, 2,600 telecast run as the host of the wickedly satirical "Daily Show." The program boasted over 2 million nightly viewers and inspired three popular spin-offs: "The Colbert Report," "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," and "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore." Mainly drawing its comedy and satire from recent news stories, political figures, and media organizations, the show has won 19 Emmy Awards and two Peabody awards for its accurate, yet hilarious, accounts of current events.
"I like keeping up with the news," Jon Stewart told The Associated Press when he began in 1999, "even though I think it's gotten so out of control. But that's what I like about "The Daily Show": It's like checks and balances."
As an avid "Daily Show" watcher myself, I can’t help but feel a little heartbroken at the end of Stewart’s career as its host. I’m not going to lie-- I cried during the final episode of "The Colbert Report," which aired in December 2015, and I’m preparing myself to handle Stewart’s final bow. Fans of the show know that Stephen Colbert even worked with Jon Stewart as a correspondent on "The Daily Show."
And their shows were really effective sources of news! A survey released by the Pew Research Center showed that viewers who watched both "The Colbert Report" and "The Daily Show" tended to be more knowledgeable about news than audiences of other news sources. Additionally, the Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism released a report suggesting that "The Daily Show" comes “close to providing the complete daily news.” My political science professor even assigned watching it as a way of starting meaningful class discussions about national and world politics.
What’s Next?
Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s 11 p.m. (Eastern) comedy hour was perfect, and now, not long after Colbert’s departure from the Comedy Central slate, Stewart is bidding farewell to the network. Unlike Colbert, who is preparing to take over David Letterman's "The Late Show" on September 8, Stewart didn’t announce any particular plans after his retirement from the show.
“I don’t have any specific plans,” Stewart said in his on-air announcement. “I have a lot of ideas. I have a lot of things in my head. We’re going to have dinner on a school night with my family, who, I have heard from multiple sources, are lovely people,” he joked. “You know, I’m not going to try to sum up what this place has meant to me over the years. I couldn’t do that. We got plenty of time.”
“This show doesn’t deserve an even slightly restless host and neither do you,” he continued. “I don’t think I’m going to miss being on television every day. I’m going to miss coming here every day. I love the people here. They are the best.”
Although Jon Stewart might never return to television, directing and filmmaking may be in his future. Stewart took a hiatus in 2013 to film his directorial debut, Rosewater, which tells the story of the real Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-born journalist living in London who was arrested in Iran while covering the 2009 elections for Newsweek. The movie was received with generally favorable reviews, but Stewart has yet to discuss any upcoming projects that might be in the works.
Who’s the New Host?
As a millennial, I have difficulty imagining a world without Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show" (especially during this hilarious, Trump-filled campaign season), but I have faith that Trevor Noah, the show’s new host, will live up to the comedic standards of his predecessor. The show won’t be the same, but it’s not supposed to be.
"The biggest pressure is living up to the expectations that Jon has for me,” Trevor Noah, 31, said in an interview with "Entertainment Weekly." “Jon believes in me … for years we’ve been talking. I never dreamed I’d be sitting in this chair. I guess he knew something about me that I didn’t know at the time. There’s an immense pressure, personally. But it’s about the show first, it’s not about me.”
The Legacy
As Comedy Central president Michele Ganeless said in a statement, “[Jon's] comedic brilliance is second to none. Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera. Through his unique voice and vision, 'The Daily Show' has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come.’’
Tears may be shed during Jon Stewart’s final show, but they will be in celebration of his comedic legacy that helped shaped the political and cultural attitudes of this generation. I will always be a fan, even after his final “Moment of Zen.”
Farewell, Jon, and thank you for everything.
Don’t forget to catch his final episode on August 6 at 11 p.m (Eastern) on Comedy Central!
If you are really going through Jon Stewart withdrawal, do these three things right now:
- Check out the Comedy Central website. Up until the airing of his final show, “Your Month of Zen” on Comedy Central allows viewers to stream the entirety of his "Daily Show" tenure.
- Watch “News Your Own Adventure.” This special premiered on August 2, and it showcases fan-favorite clips and segments.
- Watch "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" on HBO. It’s just brilliant. For non-HBO subscribers, many segments can be found on YouTube.
