Jon Stewart will be taking a 12-week hiatus from The Daily Show this summer to direct Rosewater, a feature film he adapted from the book Then They Came For Me: A Family’s Story Of Love, Captivity And Survival. Deadline has the details:
Published in 2011 by Random House, the book is Maziar Bahari’s harrowing ordeal of leaving London in June 2009 to cover Iran’s presidential elections. With a pregnant fiancee left behind, the BBC journalist expected to be away for a week. Instead, he spent the next 118 days in Iran’s most notorious prison being brutally interrogated by a man he knew only by one thing: he smelled of Rosewater. [...]
[Stewart] quietly optioned the book through his Busboy Productions banner, and had a personal stake in the story: After Bahari was accused of spying, one of the items used against him was an appearance he made on The Daily Show. [Deadline]
Stewart likes to make jokes at his own expense about his pre-Daily Show film career (Death to Smoochy, Big Daddy, Half Baked, etc.), so I imagine he’ll have a little fun with the concept of a guy with that résumé trying to tackle a movie about torture and tense Middle Eastern issues. On The Daily Show, I mean. I doubt he’ll pop into frame to do a little soft-shoe and recite his IMDB page during Rosewater. But, hey, what do I know? He’s the director.
While Stewart is out, longtime Daily Show correspondent John Oliver will fill in as host for eight weeks of new shows. This looks like good news on paper, but I swear, if he turns the show into pro-British propaganda and it convinces everyone in America that the Revolutionary War was a mistake and maybe being colonies wasn’t all that bad and we end up back under British rule, I’m gonna be so pissed.
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F*$# this.
I guess winning Emmys every year is not good enough for him anymore.
John Oliver is a very talented actor/comedian, the real question is how much of his correspondent persona will be bring to the hosting gig.
I was fortunate enough to see John Oliver doing standup last fall, and he has a completely different persona when the cameras aren’t rolling. I am extremely intrigued by this idea.
Nah man, get Dennis Miller to fill in.
That dude has fully migrated to the right.
not to mention being painfully unfunny.
As long as they don’t bring Kilborn back.
I think Space Ghost should host
I second, motion sustained.
I fully support this idea. John Oliver is one of my favorite correspondents on the show and I swear I’ve seen him host the show once or twice when Stewart had to miss it. He’ll be great.
One hour of Colbert.
The Nation has spoken.
^this
Oh yeah, that’d be a great idea if Colbert was funny.
Should have been you, Wyatt Cenac.
I really like John Oliver and think he’s hilarious, but I fully support this idea.
Too bad he left.
Should have been Jason Jones… Oliver will do, Oliver will do
Ugh, John Oliver is great as a coorespondent, but as host? for 8 weeks? That’s gonna get old fast.
I second the notion of 1 hour Colbert Report for 8 weeks.
have you seen his stand up? he’s hilarious and has the energy and charisma for the job
Anyone else remember that extended period when the correspondants took turns. The best at it: Stephen Colbert. No wonder her got his own show. The worst at it: Steve Carrel. He’s a great correspondant but his delivery from behind the desk was weak. So he moved on and became a hit in the movies. Everyone is where they belong!
Ian Duncan will be a great host
Oliver is a really funny dude. I think it’s going to be fantastic. I also expect cameos from correspondents of Daily Show’s past to drop in and bash Stewart, which will be amazing. Maybe we get an Oliver/Colbert war. The potential for amazing is endless.
Have Kristen Schaal host at least one. I just want to look into her eyes and feel the twinge of lust and humanity again.
That horse?
I really like John Oliver, so I’m curious how hell manage. I really liked Wyatt Cenac as well, so I think it’s to bad he left, I’d love to have seen them take turns on hosting it. I always felt like he had a lot of potential.
This is great news all around. I’m very intrigued by the film Stewart will be making while also looking forward to seeing John Oliver behind the desk.
“but I swear, if he turns the show into pro-British propaganda and it convinces everyone in America that the Revolutionary War was a mistake and maybe being colonies wasn’t all that bad and we end up back under British rule, I’m gonna be so pissed”
no, you won’t, you’ll love it. fucking love it. all you yanks are the same. you’re all begging for it. the way you dress, the way you talk. you WANT to be english on the INSIDE and you want me to put in you. right in you. to the hilt! you’re a dirty little colony aren’t you? you want to be ruled by the crown, don’t you? you filthy whore. open your mouth….
Oliver is great, but they should’ve brought Steve Carrell back for this.
yeah i’m sure he has the free time to host a cable show for a week.
scratch that, 8 weeks
Oliver will be fantastic. His Bugle podcast is evidence of this. I’m sure people said the same thing, those couple of times Colbert filled in for Jon. That seemed to go well enough.
Fuck you Chris! Looks like I’m gong to have to start watching this “Daily Show”. Just as John Stewart is your most important Jew, Oliver is the most prized export of British Empire.
So they’re fully intent on making The Daily Show stupid as hell for 12 weeks? John Oliver is one of the least funny people they have on staff. Why not let a much better comedian tackle it? There’s plenty of them, especially ones Stewart has had on the show before.