Since the departure of long-time host Mr. Jon Stewart, The Daily Show has returned with South African comedian Mr. Trevor Noah as host for the Emmy-award winning comedy news program, continuing the show’s satirical tradition within the comedy world.
For almost 20 years, the self-described “fake news” show has been a cultural touchstone and platform for political comedy, according to bostonglobe.com. It parodies breaking news segments, current events, politicians, and often the show itself.
The Daily Show welcomes many influential figures including President Barack Obama, former United States Secretary of State Mrs. Hillary Clinton, and Chairman of Microsoft Mr. Bill Gates. The show has also featured celebrities such as singer Bruce Springsteen, actress Meryl Streep, and former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
Convent of the Sacred Heart junior and Co-Executive Producer of Today From The Heart Ellen Pucel enjoys The Daily Show for its comedic coverage of national issues.
“The Daily Show has a great way of keeping the audience attentive while sharing the news in an enjoyable way,” Ellen said. “I want to incorporate this into our own news show, Today from the Heart. Trevor Noah will now bring a fresh perspective to a very established show.”
As a stand-up comedian, Mr. Noah was one of five nominees for “Personality of the Year” at the 2015 MTV Africa Music Awards. Rolling Stone, Newsweek, and The Wall Street Journal have also published profiles highlighting Mr. Noah’s career and work.
Comedy Central, the show’s network, chose The Daily Show’s recurring contributor to preserve the show’s voice and traditions. During his inaugural episode, Mr. Noah thanked former host, Mr. Stewart, and the viewers, for allowing him to continue the award-winning program after Mr. Stewart’s departure.
Mr. Noah’s debut appearance as host of The Daily Show premiered to 7.5 million viewers September 28 and ranked first on the Nielsen Social Guide, according to press.cc.com. His premiere episode matched the same number of viewers as Mr. Stewart’s final episode according to variety.com.
Mr. Noah’s satirical segments addressed media coverage of events such as Pope Francis’ visit to the United States and the recent resignation of Speaker of the House Mr. John Boehner, according to CNN. Like Mr. Stewart, Mr. Noah plans to end shows with the “Moment of Zen,” which compiles a selection of humorous news clips.
“[Mr. Noah] has all those qualities that we need — someone who’s going to innovate and evolve over time and bring a very unique perspective and help us understand the world through comedy like [Mr. Stewart] has done for many, many years,” Comedy Central president Ms. Michele Ganeless said, according to mashable.com.
– Arielle Kirven, Co-Arts and Entertainment Editor