Jon Stewart steps down

February 10, 2015 • 6:32 pm

First Colbert, now Jon Stewart: who is left to make wicked fun of Republicans and their follies? This just in from my CNN News feed:

Jon Stewart, whose wit defined “The Daily Show” for more than 15 years, will sign off the iconic Comedy Central program later this year, the cable channel said.

Stewart is expected to speak about his decision to step down on Tuesday night’s program.

Although I don’t get cable, I’ve watched him on the internet many, many times, usually with a chuckle and sometimes with a horselaugh. I hope he’s just tired of the show and wants to do other things rather than having any personal problems. Regardless, as a fellow alumnus of William and Mary, I wish him well.

Those of you who do watch the show, please post below the reasons he gives for retiring.

UPDATE: Comedy Central has issued this notice, suggesting obliquely that the show will continue sans Stewart. But who can replace him? He was the greatest double-taker since Jack Benny.

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57 thoughts on “Jon Stewart steps down”

  3. Terrible news, just terrible. He’s the best thing on TV. Just yesterday, I was mulling over how long the show has been running, and thinking how bereft I’d be without it. I’m heartbroken.

      1. I could be wrong about this but AIUI, Stewart came up with the show, has always been one of its main writers, and wrote Kilbourn’s material for the first three years. The reason he wasn’t the host in the first three years is simply hollywood obsession with looks: they thougth a blond handsome man in front of the camera would get better ratings. So I’m going to go with “no” on Kilbourn, because without Stewart’s material, he won’t be as funny as he was when he was on the show.

  5. Jon Stewart and Steve Colbert were not only funny, they made me feel the earth was solid under my feet. Now I’m not so sure.

  7. A hope is spreading across social media that Colbert and Stewart will run for office, that being the reason for retirement. Althought they’d have my vote, I’m afraid it’s unlikely.

    1. he has his own brilliant show named last week tonight with john oliver. I like it more than the daily show but well, it is easier to make a once weekly show funny than a four times weekly ones.

        1. That’s awesome! I get HBO myself, the unfortunate part of my comment was for fans who are missing out for not being on basic – but the idea of “cutting the cable” is becoming more and more attractive as the Internet is offering more and more cable-killing options.

    2. Yeah, he did a great job when Stewart went on vacation and was the obvious, natural replacement (for either Stewart or Colbert). Sadly CC was either too shortsighted or too cheap to keep him from going to HBO.

      1. I love John Oliver and glad he’s back on HBO, but Stewart was daily and Oliver is seasonal and weekly. Bummer! This sucks!!!

  15. I believe I get it at 10 pm. Will try to watch. My quess would be he is just tired of doing it and maybe he wants to direct movies.

    The more he makes fun of the republicans the worse they get. Maybe in a really diluted way we can blame him.

  17. But think of the children!
    Where will they go to get an honest news coverage now?
    Faux “Friends” and Nuisance?
    I am very saddened.
    Someone please tell me Jon Stewart will remain in the spotlight.

  18. “First Colbert, now Jon Stewart”

    I’d add Garry Trudeau to that, if we can consider all media. Where will they be when we need them the most?!

  20. Damn you Bob Odenkirk!

    I had a feeling last night when Odenkirk, one of Stewart’s oldest and closest friends, made Stewart consider that it was time to move on.

    No one can replace Stewart. It’s a huge loss. I wonder if he’ll now go full time into film directing.

  21. I could not say that Stewart gave a reason but did say that 17 years was a long time. He will not be leaving until the summer or fall time period so they have lots of time to find a replacement. I think he just wants to move on and do other things.

    Don’t we all….

  22. Oh, noooooooo! How very depressing! He was so refreshing after watching the normal news. I will miss his doing Mitch Mcconnell’s “ah-yup”, and so many other things:-(((

      1. Not worth checking out, you mean? I disagree. It may not be as funny as the Daily Show, but I admire its attempt to move away from mocking the news and into focused discussion of specific topics.

  24. Reasons given: he talked about family and about the desire to do other projects. I expect that means films, because he just put one out last year. Those are pretty typical platitudes, but they came off as very sincere last night. I think he really is just tired and wants a job with a different work schedule.

    As for replacements…of the current crop of Daily Show contributers, I think Aasif Mandvi could probably do the host job the best. He wouldn’t ‘replace’ Stewart but I think he’s good enough to at least be given a shot. I also really like Jessica Williams. She’s got a biting wit and can really put idiots on the spot. However, I’m not sure that sort of humor could be the focus of a 30-minute show. Its good in small doses but it doesn’t make you belly laugh.

      1. Right. NSB. Asif has my vote. He’s quick-witted and has great expressiveness, which, along with smarts, were the keys to Jon Stewart’s great success.

        Jessica needs a few years. Right now, she’s trying too hard. Klepper’s ho-hum so far.

          1. NSB = Not Samantha Bee. Irony is great, but one attitude won’t carry an entire show. Jon keeps the ball in constant motion.

    2. Williams was my first thought, but I tend to agree that her style may not translate well to the host role. Aasif would probably do well, and I think Jordan Klepper could do a solid job also – he’s done some great interviews lately, and his style doesn’t seem terribly dissimilar to Stewwart’s.

    1. Interesting idea. I gotta say, I’m not opposed.

      Though if Stewart was being sincere in his crack about never having dinner with his family (and how he wanted to), he’s not going to take an Anchor spot on the evening news.

  26. Though I of course don’t always agree with Jon’s take on The Daily Show my only regular complaint has been that the 20 minute length is too short! Sad to see him go.

  27. Damn first Colbert and now Stewart too? I’ve been watching both almost every time for the past 8 years or so. And I’m not even from the US 🙂

  28. Jon Stewart was not merely a comedian. What made him indispensable is his incisive skepticism of the media (and much to my delight his acid derision of Fox News). Take a retrospective look at how the Iraq war was covered by the media: Unless you followed Seymour Hersh in the New Yorker, the rest of the media was a completely worthless 24 hour cycle of hysterics. Watching Jon Stewart’s mockery of the media made you laugh but also gave you a more honest picture of what was really going on in the world. Thankfully, John Oliver at HBO is quite up to the task living it up… if anything his show is an even better edited and substantive show. For those who don’t have HBO, Oliver’s show Last Week Tonight is worth an HBO subscription. To get a taste watch a couple of You Tube clips of the show on Dr. Oz and Australian ignoramus Climate denier Tony Abbott.

    1. Yes. IMO Ferguson is also probably one of the few people who could convincingly pull off a Colbert-like satire of a conservative, if he wanted to. He doesn’t seem like the type who would want to, though.

  30. I didn’t catch his stuff much, but saw a few things from time to time. My sister also got me some of his show’s “fake textbooks”. All seemed to be of the genre of humour that a good Simpsons episode has – or the _Boomer Bible_ – requires you to get what is going on etc.

  31. I also hope to see John Oliver return as the host of The Daily Show. He was utterly brilliant while covering for John Stewart during his hiatus, and Oliver’s new HBO show is incredible.

    I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather see behind that desk, but maybe Comedy Central will surprise me.

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