Trevor Noah is nearing his last laugh on “The Daily Show.”
The comedian, who emerged from near-anonymity to take over the program from Jon Stewart in 2015, is considering leaving the flagship Comedy Central series after a seven-year tenure that saw him transform it for a new generation of more up-to-date viewers. easy. on social media than on cable and broadcast networks.
Noah revealed his plans to an audience while taping the show Thursday night in New York, according to two people familiar with the matter. It was not immediately clear when its actual release would occur, or whether cable network Paramount Global had begun considering a successor. Jill Fritzo, a representative for Noah, could not be reached for immediate comment.
“We are grateful to Trevor for our incredible partnership over the past seven years. With no timetable for his departure, we are working together on next steps,” the network said in a statement. “As we look to the future, we’re excited for the next chapter in the 25+ year history of ‘The Daily Show’ as it continues to redefine culture through sharp and hilarious social commentary, helping audiences make sense of the world that lives within them. surrounded.”
Noah’s plans to leave surface as TV’s late-night slate has begun to dwindle. Yes, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel still pop up every weeknight around 11:30 p.m. to poke fun at daily headlines and do celebrity impressions and stunts, but they have fewer rivals. At Warner Bros. Discovery executives scuttled late-night shows led by Samantha Bee and Conan O’Brien, and made no effort to replace them either. Comedy Central once offered three different programs, led by Stewart, Colbert and Chris Hardwick. Now the wired network is down to one. Showtime’s “Desus & Mero” recently halted production. James Corden has previously indicated he plans to retire from CBS’ “The Late Late Show” next year, and NBC no longer airs comedy programming at 1:30 a.m. after parting ways with Lilly Singh in 2021.
Comedy Central has several potential replacements for Noah on its list. The host works with a wide circle of fake “pen pals” that includes mainstays like Desi Lydic, Roy Wood Jr., Ronny Chieng, Michael Kosta, and Dulcé Sloan. Jordan Klepper, who once hosted “The Opposition,” a show that followed “Daily,” is a regular contributor and has gained traction online for segments in which he visits conservatives at rallies and asks them questions. on the state of the nation. Comedy Central also worked with Charlamagne Tha God on a weekly showcase mixing comedy, commentary and news.
Noah has worked hard to make the program his own, holding court with various after-hours media influencers and devising new “Daily” formats. His banter with the public during commercial breaks became fodder for social media clips. During the coronavirus pandemic, Noah hosted the show from his apartment, veering into more serious topics and interviews in the belief that his audience – younger than those watching his competition on the broadcast networks – was interested. through a more serious discussion. The show was put on hiatus in the summer of 2021 in order to return to a more normal mode of production.
But the comedian took over the program under intense scrutiny. Stewart, who inherited Craig Kilborn’s “Daily Show” in 1999, made it an institution with his investigations into how the media presented stories. When Noah took the seat, he faced a difficult transition. “I will say the first two years were horrible — and it was horrible because I had taken over one of America’s most beloved institutions,” he said. Variety in 2020. “And even though Jon Stewart had passed the reins to me, it was basically a year of people telling me that I shouldn’t be doing the job and that I was unworthy to be in that seat. And I continued to believe it. You step into this new role and you do new work and most of the first year was just trying to stay afloat, just trying not to get canceled and trying to fit in. And the analogy I use is trying to learn to fly an airplane while the airplane is flying. That’s what I felt every day. »
Noah’s exit means the end of the night will be less diverse, especially after the releases of Bee and Singh and the end of the “Desus & Mero” program on Showtime. This dynamic could play a role in how Comedy Central executives choose to proceed.
BreAnna Bell contributed to this report.
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