This is a sad day, potentially a disastrous day. Hear it from the man himself:
It’s just going to seem so. . .strange to not have Jon Stewart at “The Daily Show.” Yes, I remember “The Daily Show” when Craig Kilborne did it. It was fine. And I even remember Jon Stewart’s short-lived talk show on MTV in the mid-90’s, which always had amazing musical guests.
He’s been an anchor of the zeitgeist of the last 15 years. From bringing laughs post 9/11 to the only voice in the mainstream media calling bullshit on the Bush Administration to the last 6 years of throwing shade on the incompetence of Obama and democrats, he is simply an institution.
And nothing more shows his influence than the other careers he’s launched: he is directly responsible for Stephen Colbert/’The Colbert Report’, John Oliver/’Last Week Tonight’, and Larry Wilmore/’The Nightly Show” and also indirectly responsible for helping launch Steve Carrell. There have also been dozens of others who have been Daily Show correspondents.
So who will replace Jon Stewart? The short answer is no one. No one can replace him. Nor should anyone try to. Colbert can’t replace Letterman. Leno could never replace Carson.
But “The Daily Show” is not just one person. A giant staff of writers, researchers, bookers, producers, and crew make that show special. Just look at the writers and producers who took home Emmys for their work:
But, the man behind the desk will have to change. And possibly, not be a man at all? So, without further ado, here’s a list of people who I’d like to see get a shot at taking over “The Daily Show” (in no particular order):
1. Tina Fey & Amy Poehler This is the most obvious choice simply because they could fit in so well with what Daily Show does best. Fey and Poehler’s “Weekend Update” segments on SNL were the strongest they’ve been in twenty years, and it’s no surprise that Fey’s original cohort, Jimmy Fallon, has found success on his own show. These two have an amazing rapport, they’re incredibly talented, and I’d love to see major late night talk show hosted by not one, but two, strong feminist women. Think it might be cumbersome to have two people handling the interviews? Most morning shows don’t seem to think so, including some of the news shows. And just think about the camaraderie of Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon, or Conan O’Brien and Andy Richter? I think this would work. But, would either of them be willing to step away from their current commitments to do a nightly tv show?
2. Aasif Mandvi Mandvi, in my mind, has been the most underrated Daily Show correspondent for the past several years. As much as it would say to give hosting duties to a woman, how much more would it say to give it to a person of color? Specifically, a Muslim? A lot is what it would say. And geeks, don’t forget that he was the first person on film to ever fire Peter Parker, in “Spider-Man 2.”
3. John Oliver Oliver was the natural successor to Stewart, especially including his months-long hosting gig when Stewart was overseas filming “Rosewater.” During that time, he broke the Anthony Weiner story and introduced us to the Carlos Danger dance. And then he had to go get his own show on HBO. “Last Week Tonight” is the “60 Minutes” of the fake cable news show genre, with long-form stories on topics most other outlets aren’t covering. I credit Oliver with turning the tide on the discussion of net neutrality in America when he not only compared FCC Chair Tom Wheeler to a dingo, but then Wheeler responded in the media by having to proclaim, “I’m not a dingo.” If they can lure him back, Oliver would do the job phenomenally. However, the suits are already being fairly clear that he’s not in the running, saying “He has a job.”
4. Chris Hardwick Guilty pleasure: @Midnight is now my new favorite late night snack. Hardwick has also proven himself a great host and interviewer on “The Talking Dead.” Giving the job to Hardwick would help cement Daily Show’s ratings with the social-media-obsessed Millennial geek crowd and probably pioneer (and then mainstream) nightly talk shows using social media as a basic tool of their trade. #idwatchthat But is he too nerdy for most audiences?
5. Joel McHale Is Hardwick too “Milllenial” for you and you like his hosting chops, handsome face and spiky golden hair, but want a more cynical, Gen-X friendly version? Joel McHale would be great, and his time on “The Soup” shows just how great he’d be in this role. Also, “Community'” only has a few more episodes on that Yahoo thing before #sixseasonsandamovie happens, right? Oh, and since we mentioned Aasif Mandvi was in that cinematic opus that is “Spider-Man 2,” how can we forget McHale as the bank manager who denies Peter Parker and Aunt May a loan? But, like Hardwick, giving it to McHale means another late night show hosted by another white guy.
6. Olivia Munn Another “Daily Show” alum, Munn would do even better having spent three seasons pretending to be a news anchor/financial analyst Sloan Sabbith on “The Newsroom.” Ok, actually, I just want Sloan Sabbith to host “The Daily Show.” Can we hire Aaron Sorkin as a writer and make that happen? But Munn would be great, and hopefully bring more geekery to the show– remember her start on G4’s “Attack of the Show.”
7. John Stewart Yes. Because a Green Lantern should host.
8. Trevor Noah As the newest Daily Show correspondent, Noah has simply been spectacular. He immediately found his voice and has done a great job stepping into it. As a South African, his outsider’s perspective is so refreshing and fun. But, that comes with a downside, despite his great talents. Along with Mandvi, in the eyes of the Viacom suits making the decisions here, he would be the biggest risk to hand over the reins of the show.
9. Jessica Williams Speaking of risky, Williams has done her best over the last year trying to delve into the most thorny and complex of issues of racism and sexism and expose its ugly face to middle America. And she’s done a hell of a job. In this case, the greater the risks, the greater the reward– she has touched on everything from street harassment to Ferguson, and delivered many of the most memorable segments of the show in 2014. She’s (rightfully) a fan favorite, and making the top of several lists on other sites. She even has a petition at Change.org set up to give her the show, and even “Hot Tub Time Machine 2” (opening Feb 20) predicts that, at least in 2025, the show is “The Daily Show with Jessica Williams.” But will the suits listen to core fans? Unclear. But I want to live in a world with a Daily Show hosted by Jessica Williams, and where I don’t have to worry that the sexism and racism of Hollywood would hold her back.
10. Patton Oswalt Just as Stewart got his start in stand-up, Patton would make an excellent host. For anyone who follows him on Twitter or listens to his comedy, he definitely has a lot to say and can be very political. Downside? He might be too abrasive for some and I have no idea how he’d handle an interview.
Honorable mentions: Sarah Silverman, Chris Rock, Chelsea Handler, Wyatt Cenac, Larry Willmore, Samantha Bee, Mo Rocca, Rob Corddry, Lizz Winstead, Rachel Harris, Ed Helms, Bill Hader, Aisha Tyler, Baratunde Thurston.
Well, what do the rest of you robots think? There are definitely more people who could host, but who? Let’s leave some fond memories of Stewart and thoughts about who could take over for him.