Jon Stewart, the former host of “The Daily Show,” is set to return to the Comedy Central series on Monday nights through the 2024 election. This announcement follows a yearlong search for Trevor Noah’s replacement, with Stewart agreeing to return on a weekly basis starting February 12, 2024. The move is considered a significant coup for both the show and its parent company, Paramount.
Stewart, who hosted “The Daily Show” for 16 years, will serve as an executive producer on the other nights of the week and will be actively involved in shaping new talent for the show. The decision to bring back Stewart for just one night a week, particularly at the beginning of the week to set the agenda, is seen as a compromise to accommodate his preferences and address his exhaustion concerns from his initial run.
Stewart left his Apple TV+ show, “The Problem,” prematurely due to creative differences over potential topics and guests. His return to “The Daily Show” is seen as a perfect fit for the current political climate, providing his unique voice and wit to navigate the complexity of issues as the 2024 election season approaches.
Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, expressed enthusiasm about Stewart’s return, stating, “Jon Stewart is the voice of our generation, and we are honored to have him return to Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show’ to help us all make sense of the insanity and division roiling the country.”
Stewart’s return to “The Daily Show” comes after Trevor Noah announced his exit in September 2022. The show had initially cycled through celebrity guest hosts beginning in January 2023, and the format proved successful, contributing to higher tune-in numbers and increased social media engagement. However, Hasan Minhaj, initially considered for Noah’s replacement, faced controversy, leading to Paramount executives distancing themselves from Minhaj and reevaluating their options.
With Jon Stewart’s return, the show aims to maintain its significance as a platform for political satire and commentary amid the evolving landscape of late-night television.