When Trevor Noah was announced as the successor for Jon Stewart’s baby, “The Daily Show”, many were skeptical that the comedian would be able to continue the glorious reign of Stewart, given his relatively recent addition as a recurring contributor to “The Best F#@king News Team Ever”. Fans of the show weren’t sure if Noah could bring the same mix of hilarity and intelligence that Stewart brought forth for sixteen years.
However, Noah hit the ground running on September 28th, with guests like Kevin Hart, Whitney Wolfe and Chris Christie his first week. He opened his first show with a monologue celebrating what Stewart created, cracking jokes about how they offered him the job – “Why didn’t they get an American to host? And again, Comedy Central tried, and those people also [alongside the women they asked] declined. And so once more, a job Americans rejected is now being done by an immigrant.”
He continued the show with well-delivered jokes about the Pope’s visit to the US and John Boehner’s resignation. Noah made the audience laugh consistently, and as a fan of the show for so many years, it was refreshing to see him confidently take on the role of satiric news reporter in stride.
He has tackled the upcoming presidential elections, abortion, and race relations, a focal point of his comedy for many years. As a young South-African native, he brings a different perspective to the show, revamping the satire newscast to fit his own comedy flair, but also retaining the “war on bullshit” that Stewart so aptly pursued.
Alongside him, Noah brought Ronnie Chieng, Desi Lydic, and Roy Wood Jr. on board as new correspondents to the news team. Chieng is a Malaysian-born Aussie stand-up comic and wants to use this opportunity as a platform for awareness of the Asian-Pacific region. Lydic is an improv actress hailing from New Jersey and Wood Jr. is a stand-up comic from Birmingham, Alabama. These three newcomers, along with the regular members of the show, are sure to make Noah’s version of “The Daily Show” a diverse experience.
Noah’s “The Daily Show” has been on for only three weeks, but has already pulled in a dedicated audience – fans of the original show and new viewers tuning in for the first time. It is still early in his tenure to say how successful he will be in the aftermath of his predecessor, but it is clear that Noah is a force to be reckoned with.
Some critics have expressed their more critical reviews of Trevor Noah, commenting on his crude jokes that may be more controversial than laugh-inducing. Across the board, Noah is well-loved by a many, but “The Daily Show” attracts a very specific type of viewer. After Jon Stewart announced that he was leaving the show, an impossibly high bar was set for the successor of the Stewart’s TV empire. Noah had to cater to an audience staunchly loyal to Jon Stewart, and despite some critical reviews, has not disappointed so far.
His brand of comedy is not exactly the same as Stewart’s, but fans of the show weren’t expecting that. They were just glad that he would be continuing the masterful comedic tradition of “The Daily Show”. He knows his audience and he knows his material. There will be no replacement for Stewart, but Noah is well on his way to making “The Daily Show” his own.
Photo courtesy of Huffington Post
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