A Moment of Silence For “The Daily Show”

Jon Stewart

photo: Victoria Will/Invision/AP

After 17 years the iconic host of "The Daily Show", Jon Stewart, is leaving the show.

The viewers of “The Daily Show” were rocked on Tuesday (Feb. 10) when host Jon Stewart announced he would be leaving the show after 17 years of uninterrupted broadcasting.

He joked that 17 years is enough for “the longest I have ever in my life held a job by 16 years and 5 months.”

“Jon will remain at the helm of ‘The Daily Show’ until later this year,” Michele Ganeless, president of Comedy Central, wrote.

“He is a comic genius, generous with his time and talent, and will always be a part of the Comedy Central family.”

Jon Stewart, The Daily Showphoto: Michael Nagle/The NY Times

Jon Stewart, who became host of “The Daily Show” in 1999, has had an immeasurable influence on American politics and satire. Under his leadership, “The Daily Show” has also spawned the creation of influential Comedy Central shows like “The Colbert Report” and “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore,” as well as HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.”

A generation of Americans came into adulthood watching “The Daily Show” with a mixture of satire and genuine news sourcing. Now, 17 years later, many Americans consider “The Daily Show” as their source for news, instead of the comedic entertainment it started out as.

In 2008, Americans voted Jon Stewart amongst the most trusted journalists in the nation according to The NY Times.

So now, after its captain departs, what is next for “The Daily Show”?

HBO’s John Oliver and “Daily Show” correspondents Jessica Williams and Samantha Bee are among the names being floated as possible Stewart successors.

Lisa Rogak, author of last year’s biography “Angry Optimist: The Life and Times of Jon Stewart,” noted that the comedian “has never come out and said who he’d like his replacement to be” — but she mentioned Oliver, who’s now over at HBO hosting his satirical show “Last Week Tonight.”

“One scenario that could be the best, to avoid a potential enormous drop in [‘Daily Show’] viewership, would be to bring on John Oliver, who thrived in the role during Stewart’s hiatus in the summer of 2013,” Rogak said.

“The Daily Show” will “absolutely continue” once Jon Stewart retires, sources say — and his successor will likely be very familiar to Comedy Central viewers.

“It’s a franchise. ‘The Tonight Show’ went from Steve Allen to Jack Paar to Johnny Carson to Jay Leno, etc. — this is their flagship series and will obviously continue with someone else,” a source close to Comedy Central told The Post.

No matter what happens, it is obvious that the man behind the desk will be greatly missed. It appears the feeling is mutual.

In closing, when announcing his departure, Stewart said “It’s been an absolute privilege. The honor of my professional life. I thank you for watching it, for hate-watching it, whatever reason you’re turning in for. You get in this business with the idea that maybe you have a point of view and something to express. And to receive feedback from that is the greatest feeling I can ask for, and I thank you.”

We thank you too Jon Stewart.

 

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