After a twelve-week hiatus to make his directorial debut in Rosewater, Jon Stewart returns to The Daily Show in its 19th season.
Since 1996, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show has established itself as America’s premier source of current news. During its 18-year run, the show has earned 18 Primetime Emmy awards and helped launch the careers of comedians like Steve Carrell, Demetri Martin, and Stephen Colbert. It has reached such a tremendous level of popularity with Jon Stewart, that it is now making the news, as well as reporting it.
The show has seen much change over the years as it has come to evolve into the characteristic mix of comedic satire and sharp political commentary that it is known and renowned for today. It is a little known fact that the show began without Stewart, but with television personality Craig Kilborn. The transition from Kilborn to Stewart also resulted in the transition of The Daily Show into a show which predominantly dealt with the political issues of the day. This transition allowed the show to gain critical acclaim as its ratings catapulted to record heights in its coverage of the 2000 and 2004 elections, in which Stewart began to employ his characteristic satirical take on political issues.
One would think that such a conversion to a more political show would repel younger viewers, however, Stewart’s ability to blend humor with any news story has resulted in just the opposite. Nowadays, many younger audience members have chosen Stewart’s show over traditional news outlets like Fox and NBC. With the help of its youthful and pop-culture-savvy writing staff, the show has been able to remain “hip” for the show’s incredible span of seasons.
The Daily Show features a larger-than-life team of correspondents, who in every episode participate in one segment which usually draws attention to something happening in the news. The cast of these “special team correspondents” with confrontational and cavalier attitudes conflict with the “straight man” personality of Jon Stewart.
In the show’s third act, Stewart infuses a classic element of the late night talk show: the interview which he conducts with a special guest. The likes of which range from athletes, authors, and musicians, to political figures and pundits. The Daily Show has become the hot destination for authors and politicians who want to appeal to a younger liberal audience. These guests have ranged from President Barack Obama, whose interview with Stewart reached 3.6 million viewers, to best selling author J.K. Rowling and Academy Award winner George Clooney.
Stewart’s incredible talent in this daily three-act performance has allowed for the show’s 15 years on the air. Tune into Comedy Central at 11 o’clock on Mondays to Thursdays for a creative and hilarious episode of The Daily Show.