Jon Stewart Is Returning To Host "The Daily Show" Once A Week And I Now Have Something To Look Forward To On Mondays

Jon Stewart is one of my heroes. I'm not going to act like I align with every single thing that he believes politically. Still, I respect the fact that, despite being a comedian, he became one of the more trustworthy voices in news media for a long time. He was a funny standup, a great talk show host, and, by all accounts, a good American. I was surprised he left "The Daily Show" when he did. I don't know what was happening behind the scenes, but he didn't come across like a checked-out guy. Selfishly, I would've loved to have seen what "The Daily Show" would've looked like with him as the host during the Trump years. He's not fully back, but he will return in some capacity, taking over to host the on Mondays in 2024. 

What was "The Daily Show" without John Stewart? Well, it wasn't much. I don't think Trevor Noah is a talented guy, but I don't think he's really that funny. And I do kind of blame John Stewart for that. I don't think it was a good choice for him to take over after Stewart retired. It was a difficult position to fill, no matter what. Still, I felt like Trevor Noah was too new to the game, and the show ultimately evolved into what "Saturday Night Live" is nowadays, which is a completely toothless, self-aggrandizing comedy show that forgot about the comedy part.

One thing I've always appreciated about Stewart is that for somebody who is probably considered part of the establishment, the guy isn't afraid to push back against it. His Apple TV show, "The Problem with John Stewart," got canceled in large part because the people at Apple weren't crazy about his coverage of artificial intelligence and China. He's one of the few guys left who is truly unwavering in his ability to fight for what he believes in, and he still somehow finds a way to make it funny while also being poignant. He's a master satirist.  

I don't know the long-term plan for "The Daily Show" going forward. I don't know if they will continue with this revolving door of hosts until they find a long-term option or if Comedy Central will just continue this until Stewart finally gives in and agrees to become a full-time host. I've written about it before, but late-night TV desperately needs someone to step to the plate here because most of it is unfunny, and at its worst, it's unwatchable. By simply filling in once a week, I'd argue Stewart immediately puts himself as the best late-night TV host. I pretty much stopped watching "The Daily Show" over the last several years outside of catching a segment or two on YouTube here and there, but I'll definitely keep up with what Jon Stewart is up to with this. He still has his fastball.