# This is the Daily Show with.... Trevor Noah!? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 29, 2015, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930 "2015-09-29T07:15:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/81 "2015-10-05T16:19:50Z")
> [@Arabella\_Flynn](#): > > Anybody would be. But hey, once upon a time, someone had to take over for Ed Sullivan, too. Who? I thought his show just went off the air. It’s pretty amazing the range of likes and dislikes here. I thought the Trump/African presidents bit was the highlight of the week. Jon could have done that, but with only half the impact. Trevor has been playing to his strengths as a mixed-race immigrant all week. Not every bit has worked, but it’s hard for me to see how the week could have gone better. Ryan Adams didn’t do anything for me, but he has the number 7 album on the charts and has been all over the music news. That’s a great “get” in tv terms. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/82 "2015-10-05T17:25:57Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > It’s pretty amazing the range of likes and dislikes here. I thought the Trump/African presidents bit was the highlight of the week. . Judging by the responses, I obviously have no sense of taste. Seems like everyone except for me liked that bit. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/83 "2015-10-05T17:45:42Z")
I thought it was a brilliant piece of work by whomever mined the clips. Funny bit. Who knows, maybe some people will even see The Donald differently after viewing it (I know, not likely). ---
**Author:** ![Arabella\_Flynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8491ac/32.png) [@Arabella\_Flynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arabella_Flynn)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/84 "2015-10-06T06:11:57Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Who? I thought his show just went off the air. AFAIK, he pioneered the specific variety show format later carried on by people like Johnny Carson and David Letterman. Sullivan was an entertainment reporter before he was an entertainer, and he actually talked to people between acts. Occasionally even with some amount of gravitas, as when Joshua Logan came on to talk about his time in a mental hospital. So, pretty much everyone doing a moderately intelligent late night show now. You’re right, though, that “The Ed Sullivan Show” was an entity unto itself, and not a franchise like “The Tonight Show With (whoever)” has grown into. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/85 "2015-10-06T16:17:49Z")
> [@Arabella\_Flynn](#): > > AFAIK, he pioneered the specific variety show format later carried on by people like Johnny Carson and David Letterman. Sullivan was an entertainment reporter before he was an entertainer, and he actually talked to people between acts. Occasionally even with some amount of gravitas, as when Joshua Logan came on to talk about his time in a mental hospital. So, pretty much everyone doing a moderately intelligent late night show now. No question that Sullivan was a pioneer. Technically, Milton Berle’s _Texaco Star Theater_ beat him to the air by two weeks in June 1948, and so did local shows. NBC’s [Hour Glass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hour_Glass_%28TV_series%29) appears to have been first, in 1946-47, though probably more people will read this thread than ever saw it. In the early days, half the shows on television were cheap but time-filling variety shows. All of them had more or less the same format. The host talked to the stars because that ate up more time. The host was usually a performer and Sullivan’s role was unusual on television, but all variety shows grew out of vaudeville through radio and he didn’t do anything that hadn’t been done for decades. He most definitely did not start the “specific variety show format later carried on by people like Johnny Carson and David Letterman.” Probably every city had a local show with local hosts filling time, often for hours. Betty White’s is probably best known today. > [@](#): > > In 1949, she began appearing as co-host with Al Jarvis on his daily live television variety show Hollywood on Television, originally called Al Jarvis’ Make-Believe Ballroom on KFWB radio and on KLAC-TV in Los Angeles.[4][23] White began hosting the show by herself in 1952 after Jarvis’ departure,[4] spanning five and a half hours of live ad-lib television six days per week over a contiguous four-year span altogether The late night format was most influenced by a morning show, starring Ernie Kovacs. > [@](#): > > Premiering in November 1950, Three to Get Ready was groundbreaking, because it was the first regularly scheduled early morning (7–9am) show in a major television market, predating NBC’s Today by over a year. Prior to this, it had been assumed that no one would watch television at such an early hour.[32] While the show was billed as early morning news and weather, Kovacs provided this and more in an original manner. When rain was in the weather forecast, Kovacs would get on a ladder and pour water down on the staff member reading the report.[30] Goats were auditioned for a local theater performance and tiny women appeared to walk up his arm.[33][34][35] Kovacs also went outside of the studio for some of his sketches, running through a downtown Philadelphia restaurant in a gorilla suit in one, and looking into a construction pit saying it was deep enough to see to China, when a man in Chinese clothing popped up, said a few words in the language, and ran off.[30] Despite its popularity, the weekly prop budget for the show was just $15. Kovacs once asked his viewers to send unwanted items to Channel 3; they filled the station’s lobby.[30] You can see the direct line between this and the Steve Allen _Tonight Show_, which started in 1953. Sullivan is hugely important overall, but he created nothing new I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![Arabella\_Flynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8491ac/32.png) [@Arabella\_Flynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arabella_Flynn)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/86 "2015-10-07T05:48:22Z")
I have been thoroughly edu-ma-cated. I am a young’un and, not having poked into this much previously, apparently got what the oldsters told me all garbled. Thanks! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/87 "2015-10-07T09:58:21Z")
I’m getting annoyed by the over-enthusiastic audience. They cheer and scream at even the lamest jokes. It seems they’re trying to make him seem funnier than he really is. Who are these people? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/88 "2015-10-07T10:56:01Z")
You know studio audiences are prompted to do that right? It’s not spontaneous. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/89 "2015-10-07T11:11:12Z")
Seth Rogen is just boring as hell in interviews. I like the show so far. The only advice I would echo is to tone down laughing at his own jokes so much. I can’t even say why it bothers me, but it does just a titch. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/90 "2015-10-07T12:41:43Z")
I actually thought Rogen was the best interview yet - and pretty good. Great to see Jessica. That entire show was pretty strong, IMO. Persuaded my wife and me both to comment that Noah appeared to have the chops (and the writers) to make this work. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/91 "2015-10-07T12:50:01Z")
I thought the Jessica Williams part was pretty brilliant. And I like Seth, but I laughed more with the Chris Christie interview. I did like his opening line about not knowing who Trevor is. But then it felt like they were sharing a private joke that I didn’t get. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/92 "2015-10-07T13:12:18Z")
I was amazed at how well Chris Christie came off. I don’t know if it was Trevor being nice or what - I assume Jon would have grilled him on Bridgegate - but he managed to capture the Trump “not politics as usual” feel without any of the visceral disgust. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/93 "2015-10-07T13:27:27Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I was amazed at how well Chris Christie came off. I don’t know if it was Trevor being nice or what - I assume Jon would have grilled him on Bridgegate - but he managed to capture the Trump “not politics as usual” feel without any of the visceral disgust. I wouldn’t vote for him, but I don’t find Chris Christie to be the worst guy out there. There have been worse people who have been President in the last 75 years. Or I’m wrong, since we don’t know for sure what he’d be like. I haven’t seen last night yet, but I want to repeat how great I think Trevor Noah is doing. It’s so easy to be critical, I think some folks miss how well he is doing. Give him 1-2 years and he may be almost as good as John Oliver or Stewart. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/94 "2015-10-07T15:02:54Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Trevor Noah grins and laughs at his own jokes too much, IMO. > [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I like the show so far. The only advice I would echo is to tone down laughing at his own jokes so much. I can’t even say why it bothers me, but it does just a titch. Jon’s gone for like a day and a half and already everybody’s forgotten that he spent 16 years laughing at his own jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930/95 "2015-10-07T15:18:59Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Jon’s gone for like a day and a half and already everybody’s forgotten that he spent 16 years laughing at his own jokes. Believe me, I haven’t. Like I said, I found Stewart nearly intolerable by the end. The dry humor of his earlier stuff (if I recall correctly) and of Colbert was much more to my taste–and when Noah engages in dry humor, as in the skit with Williams on Monday, I’m much happier. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/732930.md?page=4)