As the Internet continues to frantically speculate who will take over for Jon Stewart upon his departure from The Daily Show, another major contender for the role has voluntarily removed herself from the ring – longtime correspondent and producer Samantha Bee announced yesterday that she will be leaving the show to take her talents to TBS.
While it’s not exactly clear what show Bee will be hosting on her next adventure, it does sound like a spin on what she’s already familiar with on The Daily Show – a press release described the project as “a platform for Bee to apply her smart and satirical point of view to current and relevant issues.”
This news arrives on the heels of her husband and fellow correspondent Jason Jones’ announcement that he would depart for the same network just a few weeks ago, embarking on a new semi-autobiographical sitcom he plans to make for TBS that Bee will co-produce.
Brett Weitz, TBS’s executive vice president of original programming, is thrilled to have the married couple onboard for new content on the station.
“We actually have their kids coming in next week to pitch us animation,” Weitz joked.
In terms of future TDS hosts, this removes Jones, Bee and Jessica Williams from the running in the past number of weeks. Even after a lot of support was thrown Williams’ way for taking over, she has announced time and time again that it’s not something she’s interested in pursuing.
Who does this leave as an heir? John Oliver has renewed his contract with his inimitable HBO vehicle Last Week Tonight, former correspondents like Kristen Schaal, Wyatt Cenac and John Hodgman have moved on to successful careers in other corners of the comedy world, and newer correspondents like Jordan Klepper and Hasan Minhaj are too green to be considered. Colbert and Carell are too busy dominating the comedy world as we know it. Other middling correspondents like Al Madrigal or Aasif Mandvhi would be valid choices as well, but they’re both tied up in independent projects of their own that would need to be dropped.
So what gives? Will anyone be able to inherit the institution at all, or is it smarter for Comedy Central to call the show off altogether?
Personally, I’m Team Hodgman – he’s different enough from Stewart that he wouldn’t come off as a wannabe, and has a unique enough point of view to keep the show afloat based on strong opinions and complete and total weirdness.
No matter who inherits the Stewart throne, we’re thrilled that Bee is forging her own – can’t wait to see what you do with the place, Sam.
[h/t Vanity Fair]
