The news of Jon Stewart’s return to “The Daily Show” caps off a lengthy search for his ultimate replacement after first leaving the hit late-night talk show back in 2015. (Talk about good timing, politically-speaking.) Heir apparent Trevor Noah subsequently took up the reins but, upon his departure after seven years, fans of the program resigned themselves to the possibility of a rotating series of hosts. This became especially likely once it became clear that one-time leading frontrunner Hasan Minhaj had a bit too much baggage, particularly after a disastrous profile with The New Yorker that called into question the validity of his anecdote-based humor. Now, however, Stewart has pulled the ultimate “Fine, I’ll do it myself” move (to keep the superhero movie theme going, don’t mind me) in what’ll assuredly result in a ratings boost for Comedy Central.
The move comes after Stewart’s transition to the Apple TV+ streaming series “The Problem With Jon Stewart” flamed out after its second season, a disappointing result that was chalked up to “creative differences” between the always-headstrong Stewart and gun-shy Apple executives. The well-traveled host should have no problems on that front as he makes his way back to familiar territory over at Comedy Central. Intriguingly, though the once-a-week move was likely made to accommodate Stewart’s desire for less wear and tear these days, THR describes him as “heavily involved” in the capacity of executive producer — even on nights that he won’t be hosting “The Daily Show.” Short of a full-fledged reunion tour, this seems like the absolute best-case scenario that fans could’ve hoped for.
After years away from the grind of “The Daily Show,” having a reinvigorated Jon Stewart on our airwaves in the lead-up to the next presidential election is just what the doctor ordered.