Comedy Central has confirmed reports that Jon Stewart will be leaving The Daily Show later this year.
According to people who were in attendance at today’s taping Jon Stewart announced that he will be retiring from The Daily Show.
Comedy Central has issued a statement confirming Stewart’s departure:
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Thank you Jon. pic.twitter.com/yPdxjnkuLw
— Comedy Central (@ComedyCentral) February 10, 2015
After Jon Stewart had taken a break from The Daily Show to direct his first feature film during the summer of 2013, there was a sense that Stewart might have an urge to move on to other projects. CBS talked to Stewart about replacing David Letterman, and NBC talked to him about hosting Meet The Press.
It would be surprising if Jon Stewart were “retired” for very long. He will be heavily in demand and can pick his next project. What will be interesting is what the future holds for The Daily Show? Comedy Central’s point was that the show existed before Jon Stewart was the host, and it will keep going forward without Stewart, but over the years Stewart has been the driving force behind the show.
The concept of The Daily Show will live on, but it won’t be the same. Television viewers will not longer get to watch the nation’s sharpest media critic on a nightly basis. Jon Stewart has had a great run on Comedy Central, and the fake newscast genre will never be the same.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
