Jon Stewart Is Leaving The Daily Show

[solotrek]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  (Imagine a copy of the painting of "The Scream" here.)  First Colbert, then Craig Ferguson and now Jon.  I can't stand it, I can't stand it ...

This has been basically what my mind has been like.

[Unusual Suspect]

Honestly, I'm not surprised, he's been talking about leaving for awhile. That said, I'm still ... Nooooooo!

[trow125]

It's never too early for speculation to begin, apparently. Most of these suggestions, except Jessica and Aasif, are just horrible, and I say that as someone who is a huge fan of some of the personalities cited (like John Hodgman & Patton Oswalt).

[heckkitty]

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

[Galileo908]

Honestly, I'm not surprised, he's been talking about leaving for awhile. That said, I'm still ... Nooooooo!

I had that same reaction. Fortunately I was on my way to therapy when I heard the news.

 

My picks for Jon's successor would be John Oliver or Larry Wilmore...if this news came a year ago. Now? I'd say Jessica Williams, Bassem Youssef or for the longshot, John Hodgman.

Edited February 11, 2015 by Galileo908

[alynch]

According to Brian Stelter, the exit could take place any time between July and November, which is pretty vague.

When exactly is Jon Stewart signing off from @TheDailyShow? Could be as early as July -- could be as late as November. I hear that Stewart wants to sign off closer to July; @ComedyCentral wants him to stay through the fall.

Edited February 11, 2015 by alynch

[bmoore4026]

:(

 

Stewart retiring

Colbert hosting the Letterman Show

Oliver having his own successful show on HBO

 

Who could take over?  Please don't let them bring back that douche Craig Kilborne.

Edited February 11, 2015 by bmoore4026

[formerlyfreedom]

That was a very lovely way to announce it. Thank you, Mr. Stewart, for giving us the past 17 years! Enjoy dinner with your (allegedly) lovely family!

[buttersister]

Okay, I watched Jon make the announcement and now there's an awful lot of fluid streaming down my face. My Jon love continues.

Edited February 11, 2015 by buttersister

[jbrecken]

I'm sure we'll get test weeks of different replacement hosts. The key will be finding someone else who embodies both sarcasm and heart.

[Tetraneutron]

Of the suggestions being thrown around, the only one I can SORT OF see is Kristen Schaal. She wouldn't be Stewart clone, but her style of humor is right for this sort of thing. (Have you read The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex? If you haven't, go read it now.)

 

But I still think it's a bad idea. Anyone hosting it would be stuck in Stewart's shadow. Colbert, Wilmore, and Oliver did their own slight variations on the format but they still had to have a new show to do it right.

[alynch]

Okay, so during the announcement Stewart said that his contract is up in September, but he may leave before or after then. I hope Comedy Central can convince him to finish out the year.

[ajsnaves]

While unlikely, I don't think it is out of the question for John Oliver to come back.  My understanding is that he had a two season contract with HBO (I could possibly be making that up, but I could swear I read that somewhere). If Jon stays through the fall, then Oliver may well be done with his second season and available to move if he wanted too. He could be at the desk in time for the Iowa Caucuses. Again, I will be surprised if that happens, but a boy can dream.

[Milburn Stone]

Brian Unger.

 

Just kidding. But I did always like him.

[Rai]

Oh, how I remember it so clearly.  College, 1998, I watched as Craig Kilborn announced his own departure and was somewhat bummed until he interviewed his replacement for his final show, a somewhat more tactiturn and snarky dude who I honestly wasn't familiar with at all.  And I was there for that dude's first show when he returned in the new year.  I got through Democalpyse 2000 with him.  I moved to New York when I graduated college in 2001 and survived a post-9/11 New York with his support (the first episode after That Day is one of those huge indelible moments in TV history for me).  Basically, Jon Stewart has been part of my whole adult life and maturation, and I'm not sure what it's going to be like to face politics and New York life without him.  Tonight's announcement -- even though I knew it was coming -- was harder to watch than I expected.  But best of luck in whatever he does next.

 

Sam Bee!  Sam Bee! 

Edited February 11, 2015 by Rai

[Irlandesa]

While unlikely, I don't think it is out of the question for John Oliver to come back.  My understanding is that he had a two season contract with HBO (I could possibly be making that up, but I could swear I read that somewhere). If Jon stays through the fall, then Oliver may well be done with his second season and available to move if he wanted too. He could be at the desk in time for the Iowa Caucuses.

You probably read that in The Hollywood Reporter's interview with him.

 

If he had to leave The Daily Show, HBO's offer -- a two-year deal with an option for more, complete creative freedom (no obligatory interviews with celebrities promoting their latest film or TV project) and none of the ratings pressure (or potential for disgruntlement on the part of sponsors) inherent to commercial television -- was hard to match.

 

The first season had 24 episodes. This season will have 35 episodes which would take him through to the first week of October if he did an episode every Sunday.  That likely won't be his schedule.  In theory, they could have guest hosts until he was free if that were the direction he wanted to pursue but HBO will be able to offer him more creative freedom. 

 

Jessica would be good but she's so young and I think Comedy Central will want to choose someone unlikely to jump ship. They'll want stability.  I like the idea of Sam Bee at least getting a tryout.  And for those who don't like her as a correspondent, desk persona and correspondent persona are usually different. I do know there were people who didn't like Oliver as a correspondent but liked him at the desk. 

[Mockingbird]

On a selfish note, my chances for seeing him in person are so diminished I could cry.

Amidst all of my sadness over Jon's announcement today and my concern for my sanity without him, the knowledge that I won't get to check "Attend a taping of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" off my bucket list has been hard to accept.

[Sienna]

I actually think Chris Hardwick could do a really good job. Also have to throw in a vote for my girl, Kristen Schaal.

[Morbs]

I think it's time for Jon to leave.  That much Fox News and immersion in grotesque Republican politics and soundbites has got to have an affect on a person's mental well being.  I hope he takes a few years off to spend time with his family, write and direct various projects, and then returns with an hour long talk show where he can spend long time with interesting, offbeat guests, and not just the same old actors plugging the same old shit.  End of an era, but I think it's time, get out now before the election.

[Tetraneutron]

Good idea. Could you imagine his show, which transformed the political-comedy landscape, ending with him announcing Jeb as the next President? Not exactly leaving on a high note.

[Victor the Crab]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

:.....(

Seriously though, the longer there was no word about Jon renegotiating an extension to his Comedy Central contract, after it was up in late summer, the more fearful I felt he was not returning. Tonight just confirmed it. No surprise, but it still sucks massive donkey balls!

[Victor the Crab]

As for who will replace him, I can't imagine any of the current correspondents filling in. Jessica may be the obvious choice, but she's just an actor right now, and not involved in the writing/development part of the show the way that others who would be replacements like Stephen or Ollie or Wyatt were. Samantha and Jason were last minute fill ins, but not people you'd consider permanent replacements.

 

Forget Ollie coming back. He's in a very, very good spot where he can create a half hour show once a week without having to worry about advertisers breathing down his neck over anything they may disapprove of.

 

But there is something I wonder. Perhaps Bassem Youssef's appearance last night was a precursor to bigger things for him. With him being in the United States till late spring at least, maybe Jon has an eye for him filling his chair once he's gone. He's shown he has the chops to host his own show, plus, being a keen observer of what Jon has done, he can carry on his tradition. I don't know, I'm just throwing it out there.

 

(* Being a Canadian, I'd throw my two cents in for Rick Mercer. But that will never happen. Mercer has stated, more than once, that he doesn't like being bound to a desk, like Jon has done, and would rather be out in the public.Plus, he likes being a voice of conscience in Canada, which he'd lose were he to move south of the 49th.)

One more thing: Anyone taking glee in Jon leaving is a sad, pathetic loser with no sense of humor and no life!

Waving sadly at Victor the Crab.

 

Huge hugs to you, Undercover. <:)

[Delwyn]

One of my strongest TV fan memories is of being totally gutted, at the age of 16, by the cancellation of The Jon Stewart Show. His short standup, Howard, Talk Show Jon (which I found as a ringtone and used frequently a few years back). The end days, smoking with Gillian Anderson and giving away office supplies.

I actually had VHS of his final weeks until about two months ago, but had to trash them because the tracking on my '90s VCR didn't work on a later model.

Time for him to go, but still sad.

Edited February 11, 2015 by Delwyn

[Wax Lion]

I wish I could remember what it was but when Jon Stewart was announced as Craig Kilborne's replacement, my immediate through was, "Yes, that's exactly who it should have been all along." I know I watched The Jon Stewart Show and liked him before then, but when I read articles of Jon's early career, I'm not sure what gave me such a strong loyalty to him. Heck, I didn't even have cable when Jon took over but his was one of the shows I made sure to start watching when I got cable again.

 

 

Okay, so during the announcement Stewart said that his contract is up in September, but he may leave before or after then. I hope Comedy Central can convince him to finish out the year.

 

Isn't Colbert debuting in September? If Jon's last show is in September, I have a feeling CBS and Viacom will work to make sure the start/end dates show some synergy. Maybe Jon will end in just before Stephen's debut, so that we can channel our sadness into hope for seeing Stephen again, albeit in a different context.

 

And you know who immediately came to mind as a dream Daily Show host after Jon, Bassem Youssef. His correspondent-ish appearance just felt immediately perfect, like he'd been doing secret practice shows at the desk and is ready to step in tomorrow

[kennyab]

My second reaction (after rolling around on the floor after that gut punch) was that they brought in Trevor Noah a couple of months ago to test him as replacement. He's politically savvy, very funny, and incredibly personable. And he's one of those people who can just bring up relevant facts on seemingly any subject on command. All host qualities.

 

I'm intrigued by the idea of Jessica Williams or Wyatt Cenac. For me, they've been the best correspondents of the last ten years. I've never seen Jessica out-of-character, though, so I'm not sure what she'd be like as host. Wyatt's got the goods, but I don't know if he'd be interested in the gig. He strikes me as being in the point in his career where he doesn't want to be at a desk.

 

But my #1 pick is still Trevor. He just seems to have the complete package ready to go.

[brgjoe]

Like many of you, I had a feeling the end was near.  Yet when I saw the announcement, it still was like a kick in the nads. 

 

Jon (and later Stephen) were always the go-to shows for me -- especially after a major event happening in the country or the world in general.  Now with Stephen gone (or at least in hiatus) and Jon on his way out...I don't know what I am going to do with myself those 4 nights a week.  Guess tune into Stephen's show once it starts on CBS.  But will most certainly miss Jon's humor and commentary.  He did the media's job better than the mainstream medit did a lot of times.

 

If I had to pick a new host.  I'd go with Ollie.  Yes, yes, I know, he has a pretty good gig at HBO.  But I would think there would be a clause in his contract over there that if The Daily Show did become open, that he could seek that position.  That being said, if not him, I'd choose Jessica.  She's young, but I think would grow into the job nicely. 

 

At least we have some time to enjoy Jon at the Daily Show for a few more months until the end cometh.

[revbfc]

I want the Daily Show to go on, but I also hope they look outside the for another host. How would everyone feel about Louis CK as host?

[Iboatedhere]

How difficult do you think it's going to be to get tickets for his show now? My sister and I are dying to go.

[Milburn Stone]

How would everyone feel about Louis CK as host?

 

That's intriguing, but someone who's already "big" probably wouldn't take it because the downside for such a person is so much bigger than the upside. The upside? Being nearly as good as Stewart. The downside? Not being nearly as good as Stewart, and being known forever as the guy who failed. They need someone for whom this opportunity has more upside than down. Samantha Bee (among others) fits that description. I think she could be great.

 

That said, Louis CK has done riskier things in his life, and he'd be fantastic, too.

Edited February 11, 2015 by Milburn Stone

[solotrek]

How difficult do you think it's going to be to get tickets for his show now? My sister and I are dying to go.

Getting tickets won't necessarily be the problem, it's going to be the number of people in the VIP line. I think it means if you get a ticket, you're going to show up mad early (like...before noon) to get a better ticket number because chances of getting in when you're further in the back just got destroyed.

 

ETA: There's always the asshole who gets more tickets than he/she should or the nice person that cancels in the last minute. So I suppose it isn't that dire. But it will be harder to get in via the "no ticket" line.

Edited February 11, 2015 by maculae

[RedZoneTuba]

Please, not Samantha Bee.  She can be OK in small doses playing a role as a reporter, but there's something about her voice and demeanor that indicates she'd be terrible in interviews and serious parts of the monologue.  She just seems always sarcastic and/or condescending to me.  I believe if we were at lunch and she said "Pass the salt, please" I'd think "What did she mean by THAT?!?".

[Iboatedhere]

Getting tickets won't necessarily be the problem, it's going to be the number of people in the VIP line. I think it means if you get a ticket, you're going to show up mad early (like...before noon) to get a better ticket number because chances of getting in when you're further in the back just got destroyed.

 

ETA: There's always the asshole who gets more tickets than he/she should or the nice person that cancels in the last minute. So I suppose it isn't that dire. But it will be harder to get in via the "no ticket" line.

Thanks. The only thing I worry about is the 'reservations don't guarantee entry' part of the process.

[stillshimpy]

I'm holding out hope that it will be Bassam Youseff or Trevor Noah.  I like Kristen Schlaal I apologize for what I feel certain were many crimes against her name there),  too and I think she could easily drop character and do the job.  I think that's also the case with Samantha Bee.  She's usually playing a character for her bits -- which I would not wish to see that character as host, too much mugging and her brand of satire involves too broad an approach for every night -- but I think if she was just being Samantha Bee, she'd be fine. 

 

I'm actually pretty confident that they will land someone for this who will fit the bill, mostly I'm just fixated on how much I'll miss Jon.  

[Crisopera]

What about W. Kamau Bell? "Totally Biased" was a great show that wasn't given a chance on FX, let alone on FXX.

[attica]

I had relatives visit from out of town over Christmas, and they wanted to do the whole NYC-holiday thing. You here will not be surprised that they were more excited to see the giant Jon on the side of the building on 11th Avenue than they were to see the Rock Center tree. They've seen the tree in a million movies. But Giant Jon? Once in a lifetime.

 

Is it too much to ask that Giant Jon gets preserved somehow? He's a landmark, for cryin' out loud!

 

::waving at my taping report accomplices, UndercCover and shamskygirl::

[Shermie]

While John Oliver is my first choice, I do think Jason Jones could do it. He did great work on some of his international bits, when he was actually trying to be serious. Sam and Kristen are too much for me, they are good in small doses. Basses Yousef would be a great choice.

As for Jon leaving to spend more time with his family? Totally lame reason. He does four half hour shows a week, which are produced during the day. Obviously, I'm not stupid enough to think he only works two hours a week, I know about the demands of writing, producing, editing, etc. but it's not like he does all that alone. So he works all day, every day producing the show? That makes him like every other parent on the planet who work. And he would take off for a week or two at least six times a year, which is a lot of vacation time. (Not including his summer to direct his movie, which is an entirely separate choice on his part)

Maybe he wants to enter politics.

Maybe he wants to make movies full time.

Maybe there's a personal reason, like a health issue.

Maybe he received another offer, which he is not at liberty to divulge yet.

[teddysmom]

I'm wondering if they will get John Oliver to return?

This gets my vote. I don't know what kind of contract Oliver has with HBO, but he should get the TDS gig. He proved he could do it and I would love to see him more than once a week.

[stillshimpy]

As for Jon leaving to spend more time with his family? Totally lame reason.

 

Heh.  Well, not if you're his family, I suspect.  Then it's a great reason.  

 

 

 

He does four half hour shows a week, which are produced during the day. Obviously, I'm not stupid enough to think he only works two hours a week, I know about the demands of writing, producing, editing, etc. but it's not like he does all that alone. So he works all day, every day producing the show? That makes him like every other parent on the planet who work

 

A lot of the Dark Weeks are actually prep weeks, but I don't think that Jon would argue he has third-world-garment-factory sort of conditions.  It's just, most people, if they did not have to work would at least consider not working and if money was not an object, then I think that most people would want to do something they love.  Something they feel makes the world better, or themselves better or happier.  

 

I think realistically it's a little soul-numbing to immerse oneself in the material for political satire.  Concentrate on how much a process and politicians can suck, pretty much all the time.  I can see seventeen years being a reasonable threshold for Jon. 

 

I can also see and appreciate why, rather than steeping in the political bile day after day, he might want to go home and marathon Frozen with his wife and kids.  Spend some time believing it's all going to be okay.  Or maybe devote more time to improving the world his family is in?  

 

I just think that whereas I will miss the guy, I can respect his reasons.  He's rich.  He's not doing this to put bread on the table for his family.  He did it for seventeen years and it has earned him the freedom to say, "Is there something I would rather be doing?"  

 

Then there are people like Jay Leno who set the bad example of what happens when you cling to something for too long.  Sure, some people miss him, I'm sure, but he lost the respect of nearly all of his peers because he couldn't recognize it was time to do something else.  

 

I don't like this news.  I selfishly want Jon to spend some time with me via the TV every night, but I have a lot of respect for his reasoning and am just grateful he didn't take a powder as soon as he could afford to do so.  The writing has been on the wall here since he moved to New Jersey and you can't actually employ a time machine to get back to the time your kids were young.  Plus, his kids also have some of the pressures of being the children of a famous man to face, which while not some great hardship, is also not the easiest row to hoe.  

 

Yes, most parents have to work a forty hour week at least, but if they financially had the freedom to decide to pursue a passion vs. employment, I have a feeling a lot more of them would be working on novels, plays, etc.  Particularly people drawn to the performing arts.  

Edited February 11, 2015 by stillshimpy

[Victor the Crab]

Hey, if we can't get Ollie to host TDS, and I don't believe he will, how about Andy Zaltzman?

[A Boston Gal]

Hey, if we can't get Ollie to host TDS, and I don't believe he will, how about Andy Zaltzman?

Only if he brings his sister Helen with him.

[solotrek]

While John Oliver is my first choice, I do think Jason Jones could do it. He did great work on some of his international bits, when he was actually trying to be serious. Sam and Kristen are too much for me, they are good in small doses. Basses Yousef would be a great choice.

 

I'd love for Jason to get it. Not just for his international bits, I thought he did a decent enough job hosting with a few hours notice. His correspondent pieces tend to be my favorites and I've seen him do serious interviews (he did an interview of Maziar and Gael during the Rosewater run at the Apple store and he also interviewed Maziar during the release of his book). He just needs some brushing up.

 

It's kind of obvious they were trying to give him some fun experience when he was hosting all those weird variety show/talk show things for those meet the correspondent internet things.

 

TBH, I don't think he'll get it. I read a lot of people saying make it a woman or bust. I just hope, regardless of gender or race, it's a person with Jon's ethos, pathos, logos, and humor.

[Captanne]

No one will ever be Jon.  I hope his heir finds his or her own niche and is an equal foil for the likes of FOX News and keeping the rest of the media honest.

[Lorimac]

Teen-Age Couch Son, age 17, is an avid fan of TDS. Even though he has to be up at 6:15 to get to high school, he never misses a new episode. He has been waiting to turn 18 so he can go see TDS live (they do not let you go until you turn 18). Let me tell you - his heart is broken.

[divaTy]

Somehow Brian Williams actually makes sense to me, but I don't know how he would be writing comedy.

[The Luvly Junkie]

Teen-Age Couch Son, age 17, is an avid fan of TDS. Even though he has to be up at 6:15 to get to high school, he never misses a new episode. He has been waiting to turn 18 so he can go see TDS live (they do not let you go until you turn 18). Let me tell you - his heart is broken.

        So much sad. It's not like he turned 17 recently, did he? For a show where the young demographics keep the show's relevance, I could wish they can lift the 18+ limit just slightly for the younger audience to have a taste of TDS (or at least meet Jonny-bun). I feel like there are other young people who are inspired by Jonny-bun feel heartbroken about the announcement and will never able to attend TDS just because you're 1-2 years below the age. (sigh)

[solotrek]

Teen-Age Couch Son, age 17, is an avid fan of TDS. Even though he has to be up at 6:15 to get to high school, he never misses a new episode. He has been waiting to turn 18 so he can go see TDS live (they do not let you go until you turn 18). Let me tell you - his heart is broken.

I don't remember if they still check everyone's ID with the new admittance policy. I know they had to check my ID because the tickets were under my name, but I don't think they checked my husband or our friends. Can anyone else that's gone recently confirm?

[CaughtOnTape]

I would stop watching the show if Samantha Bee became the host.  She grates.

 

I'm totally on board with Louis C.K. though.  He's awesome.

[Lorimac]

        So much sad. It's not like he turned 17 recently, did he? 

He will turn 18 at the end of September.  So, if JS hangs in there......

He is such a fan.  My husband and I went to the Rally For Sanity in DC, and we did not take him. He did not speak to us for months.

[Victor the Crab]

If they bring in Dennis Miller or Norm MacDonald to replace Jon, I am THOUGH FOR GOOD!

[Shermie]

Oh, I have no issue with him quitting to spend more time with his family, I just doubt that he never sees them because he's putting in 100-hour work weeks, which was implied. He's rich enough to not have to work anymore and can pursue his passion, but I guess I hoped his passion was cleverly skewering the crazy in the news for our entertainment.

Although I do see how doing any job over and over for 17 years could be tiresome after a while. He's young enough to spend a year or two hanging around the house full time, until his wife says, "Please find something to do, I married you for better or for worse, but not for lunch!" (Old joke) Then he can return to TV.

Is FOX news going crazy with joy?