You make a good point. But I wouldn’t be surprised if guests, and/or their agents and representatives, have come to feel that an insult is being offered if they are NOT asked to have the interview “put up on the Web.”
If true, that might explain why we get “extended versions” of interviews with even the most taciturn of movie-actors plugging their latest release. It might be a status thing.
Oliver let Paul get away with murder. But the regular segments have been very good, and he has been getting better at interviewing, if not close to Stewart level yet.
I wonder what they will do after the break. Start with Oliver in the chair not willing to give it up?
I still burst into a fit of hysterical giggling whenever I think of John dancing to Mystikal’s “Danger” every time he said ‘Carlos Danger.’
I’m going to miss John Oliver. I’ve never been a big fan of the Daily Show, but my wife loves it and so I’ve watched it for the past few years. I’ve enjoyed the John Oliver episodes much more than the ones with Stewart.
I haven’t been this disappointed to see a regular lead come back since the end of the Grady episodes of Sanford and Son.
I’m also a Jon Stewart fan, but disagree that Oliver is almost as good – He’s significantly better.
I would have guessed that the writing team mostly outlines ideas, and, after a few practices, Stewart or Oliver delivers in their own words. Surely they’re not reading verbatim from a teleprompter? :dubious:
Sure they are. Every line has to be synced to the visuals and they obviously write the lines so that the visuals comment off of them and vice versa. It has to be arranged in advance. And all the jokes are in the script, so that the director, the floor manager, and the sound, lighting, and camerapeople can be prepared. You can always tell an ad lib. They break the flow because they have extra syllables or hesitations or false starts or a different rhythm. Go back and watch a show and wait for John (or Jon) to address the audience. That’s an ad lib and always is noticeably different.
TDS is distinct from the late night shows that start with monologs. Those have the just the bare bones of the joke written out, with key words emphasized, and allow the host comedian to flesh them out. TDS doesn’t parody them: it parodies newscasts and those are written to the last letter.
I agree. Stewart’s delivery is big on frustration, indignation, and a bit of superiority. Oliver’s bewilderment was a refreshing change.
I certainly wouldn’t mind if they said “we have so much funny this episode, let’s not do an interview.”
But they have to book the guests long before they’ll know that they have 22 minutes of material instead of 16 and if they were regularly bumping guests because they had too much funny they’d probably find it harder to get the top end guests (I’m sure most of the authors would be happy to be on standby).
“Welcome to the Daily Show, I’m Jon Stewart. John Oliver is not here tonight - he’s off…” Like how Oliver opened every show.
I’m going to miss the Carlos Danger dance the most.
I thought his interview with Regis Philbin was great 
Stewart returns tonight, I believe.
I was skeptical at first but John Oliver really grew on me. I was a bit sad to see his time end.
I thought the show was just ok for Jon’s first night back. Like he said, it would have been easier to come back to something a little lighter than Syria. But he did get to do the Carlos Danger dance. 
Man, after last night’s show, I miss John Oliver already. I’m really tired of Stewart’s mugging and pandering.
Mugging and pandering? I’m not sure I understand (I am not saying he didn’t do those things, only that I don’t understand your reference…)
What can you do? He comes back to a horrendous situation - I thought his STFU rant in response to the clips of Bremer, Rummy and Kristol pretty much summed it up, and his interview of the UN leader was thoughtful given the situation.
I look forward to seeing how he handles material that comes with less gravitas…
…and I do hope they find a way to keep John Oliver in the hosting mix. Why not his own half-hour after Colbert?
By mugging and pandering, I mean his whispering to the camera, “I missed you,” and then mugging for applause. There is just something so desperately needy about him that I’m tired of.
ETA: I noticed that when Oliver hosted, I never missed an episode, but I can miss Stewart. I also never miss Colbert, who I think is the far superior satirist.
He was in a no-win position. Unless he was transcendentally brilliant he’d come off as a parody of himself. He wasn’t transcendentally brilliant. It was a particularly weak show. It’s not a big deal. He either keeps it going four days a week for the long run or not.
i did laugh when mr stewart mentioned john oliver’s dimples, and thought “oh good, i’m not the only one”. i find them delightfully distracting.
I agree it was not a very good show. But the mugging was also sincere, for whatever it’s worth.
As they say, if you can fake sincerity, you’ve got it made.