That’s just late-night talk standard. Celebrities are rarely interesting without a script, and I would tend to turn on TDS if it was just some random actor shilling for a movie. Politicians and authors were typically better.
But I will say that some of Stewart’s best interviews were with with fellow comedians, especially if they were old buddies (e.g., Leary). In situations like that, Stewart knew he could just let the guests do their own thing or actively riff against one another.
That’s just late-night talk standard.
True, which is why I’m not really watching Colbert any more, and don’t watch any other late night shows. Frankly I wish TDS didn’t have them at all and either did more bits or did something like the Nightly Show roundtables.
Anyone still watching? I’m enjoying the show and reckon Trevor is doing a decent job, though he still struggles with the interview part. The Judah Friedlander one for example seemed rather strained.
I’m still catching it, but not every night. He’s growing into it, and his monologues are sharp. I agree that the interview isn’t quite there, yet.
I felt that Oliver’s interviews were his weak spot when he took over too.
The interviews, to me, were always the weakest part of the show, whether Stewart or Noah was helming it, and they almost always get skipped unless it’s good right out of the gate or someone we really like. We’re really liking Trevor as the host, however, as he’s doing a great job of having both heart and cynicism. His facial expressions are also pretty perfect.
I did enjoy his interview with Brie Larson but mostly because she’s so cute and wouldn’t stop flirting with him.
Kinda wishing they would get rid of the interviews and go all “Last Week” format. Although I’m not sure they would be able to fill 22 minutes of content each night, 4 days a week.
I’m losing interest in this. The writing remains great, but I’m not sure the host really understands the jokes he is reading. The correspondents have dropped in quality, too. Jessica Williams is fantastic, but the others are more miss than hit for me.
On the bright side, Larry Wilmore’s show has gotten a lot better. The opening monologue and news stories are worth watching.
Agreed, and we were pleasantly surprised by this. We stopped watching for a while because it was just. So. Boring. But we returned a week or so ago and was shocked and how much better it was. Like, shittons better.
Any Jordan Klepper bit gets automatically skipped for me. I find him incredibly annoying.
At the moment, I just don’t find Trevor Noah very believable. It still feels like some guy reading John Stewart’s scripts to me. And he is struggling in a way that John Oliver didn’t so it does make me wonder if hes just not a good fit for this type of role. I actually think his best moments have come in his interviews, largely because there is more an of unscripted element.
Noah is fun, but I do miss Jon…
Just googled a bit and I guess I’m not the only one.
Just think of the campaign insanities that have happened in the last week alone: Fiorina stealing off with a group of toddlers for a photo op, Rubio’s heterosexual panic, the National Review’s last gasp to shred Trump. Not so long ago, we would have learned of these bizarre happenings and thought, “I can’t wait to see what The Daily Show has to say about this.” Now, it’s only likely to have the eighth-best joke on the subject. You still may laugh, but an inessential Daily Show is a real loss.
I think Noah is doing fine and getting better rapidly, though he’s clearly not quite as confident on the teleprompter yet as Stewart got to be. The main problem with the show now is the loss of some of the best correspondents (and arguably the writers too). Williams is great and Klepper’s schtick sometimes works well, but the others haven’t really found their feet. I find myself watching The Nightly Show more than The Daily Show these days.
The Nightly Show has improved quite a bit. They’ve absolutely found their voice.
As for The Daily Show, I think the writing remains strong, and the correspondents are reasonably good. I just can’t buy Trevor Noah as a satirist of American politics and culture. I continue to think he’s reading jokes he doesn’t fully understand. Perhaps in another year or two, they’ll decide Jessica Williams is ready.
I just can’t buy Trevor Noah as a satirist of American politics and culture.
This is true, but the writing has started to accommodate that better. A lot more of the jokes are playing on his outsider status now. Possibly a few too many of them involve him speaking for all of Africa, but it’s an improvement from when many seemed to be hastily repurposed Jon Stewart jokes.
My son saw Jessica Williams in a small setting (she gave a talk to a small group of college students) some time back. Without providing much detail, she said that there were low level talks, but that she expressed that she wanted no part of the gig primarily because she was still finding her own voice. Now it’s entirely possible that she had sought it, was turned down, and this was her way of dealing with rejection, but she never struck me as the revisionist-history type. In fact, that decision was part of the message she was trying to impart to the students - finding their own voice (as a parent, I briefly thought “Wait … you’re telling my kid to turn down huge contracts doing what he’d love just because of feels? NOOO!,” but I understood the deeper message). I enjoy Trevor Noah and think he does a good job, but I also think that Jessica Williams would be brilliant if and when she thinks she’s ready.
We watched Monday’s show last night and I thought TDS’ bit on Fiorina was hysterical. I do miss Stewart, but surprisingly I think Noah is consistently funnier than Colbert with the same subjects.
The correspondents are OK, verging on pretty good… Klepper, Minhaj and Williams are among the best team the show has managed at one time, harkening back to the halcyon days of Colbert and Carrel. Roy Wood and Desi Lydic have both been funny in the few spots they’ve given them. I’ve only seen Ronny Chieng in one bit so far (Monday’s) and it was a bit weak… but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Unlike Slate, I’m pretty bullish on TDS’ future.
The correspondents are OK, verging on pretty good… Klepper, Minhaj and Williams are among the best team the show has managed at one time, harkening back to the halcyon days of Colbert and Carrel.
I think you’re underestimating what a powerhouse team that was. At one time you had Colbert, Carrell, Rob Corddry, Ed Helms and Samantha Bee. And even after some of them left they were replaced by the likes of John Oliver and Jason Jones, and you had Hodgman start guesting. The 2004-2007 era was truly amazing for correspondents.
I think Roy Wood Jr is even better than Jordan Klepper, who is always on point himself. And while I can agree that the Jon Stewart we remember from the end of his run was more knowledgeable & articulate on American politics (he just got here!), I don’t have a moment’s hesitation saying that Trevor Noah is much, much funnier.
To be fair, that’s maybe only because I’m more Trevor Noah’s age, whereas most of QT3 is closer to Jon Stewart’s age. I don’t doubt that our comedic perspectives are shaped by that as much as every other kind of preference.
At the end of the day, I’m quite happy to have a strong comedic voice who is informed neither by white culture nor by American politics. There’s so much tunnel vision that comes with that, things even Jon Stewart couldn’t see past on his own.