The man who made The Daily Show a cultural phenomenon has returned. Jon Stewart, who left the political satire show in 2015, is now back hosting the Comedy Central show on Mondays until it nails down a permanent host. His return was welcomed with open arms, and now some of his peers are reflecting on what Jon Stewart’s Daily Show meant for their own projects. Among those peers is Seth Meyers who recently admitted to feeling indebted to the comedian due to the heavy amount of influence he had on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Meyers recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to talk about Late Night as the show approaches its 10th anniversary. The talk show host reflected on how the show has evolved since its debut in 2014, and how he feels about his future behind the desk. He also doled out praise to his fellow hosts, including Jon Stewart, who the SNL vet feels set a precedent for late-night hosts that infused political satire into their shows. Speaking to this point, Meyers said:SNL alum said:
Absolutely. I don’t think a show like ours exists had he not done what he did with The Daily Show. There was a previous version of what late-night talk shows are, and I would have been a lot worse at one of those that I am at one of these. So we definitely consider ourselves in his debt.
Many have praised Jon Stewart for what he did on The Daily Show during his tenure, and the show is responsible in many ways for the careers of comedians like Stephen Colbert and John Oliver. Both have taken after Stewart with their scathing, but also very funny, commentary on politics and problems affecting our world today. Meyers has done the same, with segments like "A Closer Look," which have given the host an opportunity to take a deep dive into a particular issue and insert his own commentary.
Meyers, as well as Oliver and Colbert, certainly have their own voices, but the Stewart influence can not be denied.
Having Stewart return to The Daily Show reminded me of the razor-sharp wit that helped Americans process the most complex political and social issues, and his return has been met with praise. Some have expressed a desire for the show to find a permanent host, but it doesn’t seem like Comedy Central feels the need to officially replace Trevor Noah anytime soon.
One can not deny that even in the short amount of time Stewart has been back on air, he has demonstrated why he is so beloved. Meyers is also happy to have him back, and he has seen the show since his return, saying:
I watched the first one. It was really good to have him back.
Since the cancellation of The Problem with Jon Stewart on AppleTV+, it seems like the host has no reason to give up the Monday slot, so fans can look forward to seeing the host every week for a while. As for Seth Meyers, his late-night show will likely continue long past its ten-year anniversary celebration. His show remains unique, taking satirical influence from Stewart, and injecting some of the formal techniques Meyers learned from his time at SNL to make the traditional format his own. He may have been influenced by Jon Stewart, but many voices in the future will likely take their influence from Seth Meyers and his impact on the culture.
You can check out Jon Stewart’s return to The Daily Show on Mondays at 11 p.m. ET on Comedy Central, with episodes being available the next day to stream for Paramount+ subscribers. Additionally, you can see Seth Meyers host Late Night on weekdays at 12:35 p.m. ET on NBC. If you miss an episode from the 2024 TV schedule, the talk show is also available to stream with a Peacock subscription.
