Jon Stewart prepares for Daily Show sign-off
Stars, return of past correspondents expected for longer finale episode
Tributes are pouring in from all sides as Jon Stewart winds down his time hosting The Daily Show.
The American satirist and filmmaker hosts his last episode of the hit talk and "fake news" show Thursday, with the guest list kept a secret and the length of the half-hour show doubled to mark the occasion.
A star-studded guest list over the past two weeks has helped keep interest high in Stewart's farewell run, including the return of regular visitors such as U.S. President Barack Obama (seven appearances) and actor Denis Leary (17 visits), and appearances by Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise, comedy It girl Amy Schumer and longtime Stewart friend Louis C.K.
"I've been banging it out 22 minutes a night, four days a week and I don't think anybody can keep up that kind of pace," Stewart quipped during Schumer's visit.
"I think the most reliable way to take a good thing and make it go bad is to hold on to it for too long, so you have to let it go," Louis C.K. advised Stewart. "And also, it's really time to go."
On Wednesday, the Newseum announced that the set of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is being donated to the Washington museum following the final episode on Thursday. The familiar desk, globe and other props will become part of the news and journalism museum's permanent collection for future display.
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Revamped show became must-see TV
Stewart has hosted The Daily Show since January 1999, replacing comedian Craig Kilborn about 2½ years after the Comedy Central program's launch.
As host, writer and an executive producer, he steered the program towards politics, current affairs and the national and international media, while still maintaining some of the program's original focus on pop culture matters.
The sharp and silly mix has proved a winning one: The Daily Show has earned a raft of honours in the past 16 years, including multiple Emmys and Peabody Awards, the Thurber Prize for American Humor, accolades from the Writers Guild, the Television Critics Association, the Grammys and organizations like GLAAD.
Under Stewart's reign, he also broadened and boosted the role of the show's correspondents.
While Stephen Colbert and Steve Carrell might be the most easily recognizable, The Daily Show extended family is now spread throughout the film, TV and live comedy worlds, including:
- John Oliver
- Samantha Bee
- Ed Helms
- Aasif Mandvi
- Jason Jones
- Rob Riggle
- John Hodgman
- Olivia Munn
- Josh Gad
- Larry Wilmore
- Demetri Martin
- Wyatt Cenanc
- Mo Rocca
Stewart's departure, the latest in a dramatic upheaval of the American late-night television landscape, will likely be felt most during the upcoming U.S. presidential election campaign. The show earned some of its highest praise for its biting coverage of previous campaigns.
He was also lauded for times when he got serious and offered solemn reflections after tragic events, including after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Sandy Hook school shooting and, most recently, the Charleston church shooting.
In 2013, Stewart took a 12-week summer hiatus from the show to make his feature film directorial debut. What emerged was the political tale Rosewater, a dramatized retelling of the harrowing five months Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari spent imprisoned in Tehran.
As his final day approached, even rivals have succumbed to Stewart, including Arby's, which he has repeatedly skewered on air. The fast-food chain bought two ad spaces for Wednesday night's program and created a pair of Daily Show-themed farewell ads.
Meanwhile, Comedy Central bid the host of its second longest-running show (after South Park) farewell with a simple, full-page ad in the New York Times. Quoting Stewart's show sign-off line, the ad reads: "Here it is, your moment of Zen. Thank you, Jon."
