Jon Stewart explains why his new show 'can be more satisfying' than The Daily Show
Six years after signing off at The Daily Show, Jon Stewart is getting ready to sign back on.
Stewart is set to debut his new current affair series The Problem with Jon Stewart, an Apple TV+ show that focuses on one issue every episode, later this month. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of its Sept. 30 premiere, he broke down how The Problem is similar to and different from The Daily Show.
"Honestly, it's the same things that animated The Daily Show, we're just adjusting the dials slightly," he said. "If The Daily Show was the weather report, I thought maybe it'd be interesting to do something that was [about] the climate."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Stewart added that one key difference is that since The Daily Show aired weeknights, it was more "forgiving" in the sense that "when we s--- the bed, there was always that, 'Well, we'll get it tomorrow.'" That's not the case with the new show, which will debut episodes biweekly.
"But also, in some ways, it can be more satisfying," Stewart added. "I like that this is more of a conversation. It's probably a terrible pitch for the show — 'it's The Daily Show, but less entertaining' — but also maybe more complete."
According to the Reporter, the first episode of the show deals with the treatment of veterans in the United States, while the second episode focuses on essential workers. Since leaving The Daily Show, Stewart has lobbied for 9/11 first responders and veterans exposed to toxic burn pits, and he told the Reporter the series will explore how "the most seemingly obvious, simple things got derailed by the systems that are put in place to actually get them done." He added, "Like, why is it so f---ing hard? I guess the show could be called, "Why is it so f---ing hard?'"
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Decrepit train stations across the US are being revitalized
Under the Radar These buildings function as hotels, restaurants and even museums
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: January 30, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: January 30, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published