Jon Stewart has officially returned to television: his first night back on Comedy Central brought in 930,000 viewers, the most the Daily Show has seen in nearly six years. Simulcasts across all Paramount platforms and a second airing on Comedy Central brought the opening night total to 1.85 million viewers.
The 930,000 precedent was set by ex-host Trever Noah. Metrics revealed that Monday’s show had the highest number of 25-54-year-olds watching since August 2017. Monday also saw more than double the number of viewers the show had during Noah’s last week on air.
In one segment, Stewart mocked both Democrats and Republicans for defending the cognitive abilities of Joe Biden and Donald Trump respectively despite their ages, with Stewart dubbing the election “Indecision 2024 Antiques Roadshow.”
Jon Stewart kicks off The Daily Show's election coverage with a wellness check on America's two chronologically challenged candidates: Joe Biden and Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/RPmFodvVAy
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) February 13, 2024
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As Valuetainment previously reported, Stewart will be serving as host on Monday nights during the 2024 general election. He will also be serving as executive producer for all of the show’s episodes for 2024 and 2025. As things currently stand, Stewart will stop hosting after November. All episodes will appear on Comedy Central first and will then be available for stream on Paramount+ the following day.
This follows from Stewart’s departure from Apple TV+ due to disagreements over subject matter. Stewart and Apple executives sparred over the question of whether Stewart could freely discuss the politics surrounding China and AI, according to sources familiar with the matter. Apple, as is well known, produces millions of its products in China every year. Stewart walked away from the negotiating table just before they began taping season three, and the show was permanently cancelled.
Shane Devine is a writer covering politics, economics, and culture for Valuetainment. Follow Shane on X (Twitter).
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