Comedy Central Won’t Choose ‘Daily Show’ Host After Year-Long Search
Comedy Central won't name a new host of its signature 'Daily Show' despite a year-long search, and will rely on its team of correspondents
variety.com
After holding a year-long bake-off among various celebrities to find the next host of its signature "The Daily Show," Comedy Central is going to try a new recipe.
When the program returns from a hiatus, it is expected to rely heavily on a team of correspondents to lead each night, according to three people familiar with the matter, though it is not clear if the network has struck upon its final assemblage of talent. "Daily Show" could also rely on guest appearances by some of the celebrities who have hosted the program since Trevor Noah, the last permanent presence behind the desk, quit abruptly in late 2022.
Those looking for an immediate successor for Noah won't find one — at least, not yet.
Comedy Central is expected to unveil its plans for "Daily Show" next week. The network did not respond immediately to a query seeking comment about the role of the correspondents in future broadcasts.
To be sure, the decision is likely to save money — a concern that all the networks involved in late-night programming have expressed. In recent years, Warner Bros. Discovery has exited the wee-hours arena, cutting programs led by Conan O'Brien and Samantha Bee. And NBC has gotten out of the business of putting up a late-night show on at 1:30 a.m., an hour it filled for years with Carson Daly and Bob Costas. CBS recently replaced its "The Late Late Show" with "After Midnight," a program hosted by Taylor Tomlinson that is styled more as a game show, and is said to cost significantly less to produce.
There may still be a chance that Comedy Central hopes to land a big name at some point in the future. There has been some speculation that the network may have approached comedian John Mulaney about the host job at some point in the recent past. A representative for Mulaney could not be reached for immediate comment.
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