And though he wasn’t actively looking for another film project to tackle at the time, more moves in that arena wouldn’t be surprising.VIDEO: The Colbert Report Says Goodbye with massive celebrity sing-along The host also spoke positively of his experience directing the film Rosewater, which he filmed over an elected Daily Show break in 2013. “I’m sure even at this point I’ve overstayed my welcome to a good number of people.”
“Look, there’s only so many ways that I know how to evolve it,” he said. And there likely won’t be an immediate impact on affiliate deals, as those are in place for several years, but Stewart’s exit is a blow to all on board Comedy Central.Īs for the man himself, Stewart seemed open to getting out of Daily‘s daily grind when he spoke with The Hollywood Reporter last summer. Though recent successes in primetime, including Key & Peele and Inside AmySchumer, will soften the blow. That’s one reason why Stewart is currently the highest-paid host in late night. The Daily Show has played a large part in that, as it has in the network’s revenue: an overall $780.5 million in 2013, $480.5 million of it from advertising. 17 cable network in primetime last year, its ratings power is only eclipsed by MTV in the Viacom catalog. Or the show could bring in an established talent such as Sarah Silverman or Aziz Ansari.įor Comedy Central, the No. (The current Daily Show news team includes longtime correspondents Samantha Bee, Jason Jones, Aasif Mandvi, Jessica Williams and John Hodgman.) The show, after all, is famous for cultivating talent in its correspondent roster - see famous alumni Steve Carell, Michael Che, Rob Corddry, Ed Helms, OliviaMunn and Rob Riggle - and Comedy Central has been eager to capitalize on that bench since first giving Colbert a spinoff in 2005. The Daily Show could promote from within. An experimental effort like Wilmore’s seems too risky, anyway. It’s difficult to start this conversation again, given the musical chairs in late night since last year, especially considering the most likely heirs, Oliver and Wilmore, have already moved on. Read More Jon Stewart on Directorial Debut ‘Rosewater,’ His ‘Daily Show’ Future and Those Israel-Gaza Comments Comedy Central president Michele Ganeless seemed preemptively confidant in keeping The Daily Show franchise alive in her statement acknowledging Stewart’s exit, saying it will “endure for years to come.” That will no doubt depend on whether the network can successfully transition someone new into Stewart’s chair.
Keeping that late-night block as the keystone of Comedy Central’s original programing - the network expanded it to a full 90 minutes in 2013 with the addition of Chris Hardwick talker - depends on who moves into the 11 p.m. Larry Wilmore‘s recent launch on the late-night block has shown early promise, but his Nightly Show is still largely reliant on Daily‘s coattails and has held less of Stewart’s audience than Colbert did. But Comedy Central executives were unable to keep John Oliver, whose HBO show premiered last spring and is quickly earning its place in the zeitgeist. He’ll take over for CBS’ retiring David Letterman, a gig that was impossible for Colbert to turn down.
Read More Jon Stewart to Leave ‘The Daily Show’ This YearĪnd Stewart’s exit is the latest in a series of shoes to drop at the network.