So how do you think John Oliver’s doing as regent of The Daily Show?
They’re pretty much interchangeable except that Oliver doesn’t have Stewart’s palpable “I’ve been doing this too long” aura. Taking a long break to do something else should be mandatory for every talk show host after X number of years. If Stewart comes back recharged, then great. If he comes back to the realization that he really doesn’t want to do this for another 10 years it’ll show pretty quickly. Then everybody can play musical chairs. Including the networks at 11:30. 
I originally thought that Larry Wilmore should have filled in for Stewart, but I now realize that John Oliver is amazing and doing a great job.
I like him better than Jon, but that’s because Jon was doing it for a long time. When he comes back I’ll like him better than John Oliver.
I like John Stewart, but I don’t recall him ever giving me a really good belly laugh. If he did it was on rare occasion. Jamie Oliver has pretty much made me laugh every damn time I’ve watched him as host. (I only catch the show 2 or 3 times a week due to scheduling.)
I haven’t been watching TDS much lately, but based on what I’ve seen, Oliver is doing a good job.
What I’ve been most impressed with (because I knew he was funny and could banter with actors and comics) is his interviews with authors; he’s as good as Stewart, and Stewart does the best author interviews of any major talk show host.
I think Oliver is better as an interviewer. Could be his guests, tho.
I think he’s too loud, though. He gets excited and yells. I like the mellowness of Stewart (except his Jerry Lewis bullshit. Wish he’d stop that.)
I like John Oliver and I’ll probably be a fan forever (I listened to The Bugle for a while a couple years ago) but I’ll be glad to have Jon back.
I used to not be a fan of Oliver and thought he could be a little schticky. I’m not sure if he’s improved or my perception has changed or both, but I’m now a big fan of his work.
He’s doing a great job hosting, and, while I don’t think I’ll be lamenting Jon Stewart’s return, I know I’ll be hoping Oliver gets more chances to fill in moving forward.
If you’re enjoying his work on The Daily Show (and enjoy British snark / humor), I highly recommend checking out The Bugle, a podcast he cohosts with Andy Zaltzman. It’s political / topical humor, but a very different format than The Daily Show and a lot more comic riffing. The last couple months haven’t been stellar because Oliver’s involvement has been diminished (guess why?), but it’s overall a darn funny show.
I’ve always had an intense attraction to John Oliver, so that probably is responsible for my liking him more than Stewart. Stewart was my type maybe 15-20 years ago, so perhaps one day I won’t care for Oliver either. I’m enjoying him while I can.
I wouldn’t mind them alternating.
John Oliver is more consistently funny, IMO. Stewart’s peaks are higher. But they’re both damn good.
Pros: The man has talent, can make me laugh, and although his style is different, it is an acceptable substitute for Jon Stewart. This means if Jon does ever leave permanently, the Daily Show is not sunk.
Cons: He tries to copy some of Jon’s routines and mannerisms. He needs to be more himself, and not a doppelganger Jon Stewart. John Oliver is best when he’s being John Oliver. He is good with the self-deprecation humor, but he’s got to quit underselling himself. Stop telling us you’re not as good as Jon, or we might believe you.
All comedians are insecure, but Stewart must be more secure than most to take this risk and not be threatened.
Johnny Carson used to have guest hosts, but do any other single talk show hosts? (By single, I mean unlike ‘Regis and ____’ or ‘The View’ style shows.)
Jay Leno famously refused to have a guest host when he succeeded Carson- NBC had already offered Rosie O’Donnell his ‘primary guest host’ gig but had to buy her out when he refused to use her.
I think I saw Paul Shafer host David Letterman once, but has he ever had a guest host?
I think Oliver is funny and sharp, no problem with him, but I like Stewart better. Stewart does dry and deadpan a lot better than Oliver does, or maybe with more of an American flavor. I’m looking forward to Stewart’s return, but with no animus toward Oliver. Very similar to my feelings about Joel and Mike on Mystery Science Theater 3000 – I like Mike better than Joel, but Joel is damn funny too.
I’m a fan of Oliver and I listened to the Bugle for a long time, but I have cut back, mostly because I hate Andy Zaltzman’s unfunny shtick. He’s awful.
My biggest concern is that Oliver will be recognized as good enough for his own show, and leave the Daily Show for greener pastures, somehow get canceled, and then we won’t get to see him.
I like Oliver. He is very capable. I especially like how he handles disaster. The show when the power went. He handled that so well. The show when Stewart had cut himself and was sort of going into shock. He was there to take up the slack and did it well.
However, he doesn’t handle being presented with nothing well. He tries too hard. Stewart will just travel through it with us and shrug and makes us appreciate “slow news” days.
I also don’t agree that Oliver is a better interviewer. Oliver is perhaps the funnier interviewer, but Stewart is knowledgeable and aware of the points being made and usually has read the books the author coming on the show has written and grasps very subtle points being made.
Perhaps Stewart’s biggest flaw (one that Oliver doesn’t share) is his feeling that it is his responsibility as the shows host to educate as well as entertain his audience. His shows featuring economics and economists are wonderfully educational, but ponderously slow. Still they make very necessary points that we need to know.
I’ve enjoyed them both. I’d like to see the show expand to year round and on weekends, possibly with Larry Wilmore anchoring on weekends. It does trounce all other American news shows in thoughtfulness. And yes, that is really disappointing.
Oliver is going a better job than I thought he would, and at his best he’s very good. And I think the writing has been on the average higher than before; perhaps the writers knew they had to step it up for him. But Stewart is a far better interviewer, and is much faster at picking up issues with his political guests and has more background with his show biz guests. But this is from years of practice, so you’d hardly expect Oliver to be there yet. In any case, it is still very watchable.
If Jamie Oliver starts hosting, that will be something. 