Comedy Central may seek a successor to the daily show outside the ranks

Trevor Noah’s successor may be someone Daily Show viewers haven’t seen on the program in a while, if ever.

Comedy Central, which has previously indicated that it considers the current group of fake correspondents and contributors as potential candidates to succeed current host Trevor Noah, is also considering candidates outside its ranks, according to people familiar with the matter.

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The Paramount Global Network might be looking for a host well versed in political comedy, or just someone who has straddled the divide between Hollywood and Washington. people love Samantha Beethe former Daily Show correspondent who went on to host your own themed comedy showcase on Warner Bros. Discovery TBS (canceled last July), Where Kal Pennthe actor, who served a stint in the Obama administration and hosted a short late-night show on Disneys Freeform, might have the experience Comedy Central is looking for.

A representative for Bee declined to comment on her potential interest in returning to Daily, and Dan Spilo, a Penn official, did not respond to a request for comment.

Comedy Central executives have gone this route in the past. When the network considered replacing Jon Stewart, those involved in the process considered popular choices such as Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Chris Rock, while keeping an eye out for talent already associated with the program. Noah was early in his tenure as a correspondent for The Daily Show when he was given the show’s first job.

A single host is unlikely to be in place when Daily begins a new run without Noah at the helm. His final on-air appearance as a host is set to be on December 8. After that airing, the show will go on hiatus and resume in mid-January in what Comedy Central billed as a reimagining. As part of this process, the network is likely to experiment with groups of his current correspondents at the bar, potentially in arrangements of two or three. There has been speculation that Comedy Central may consider Roy Wood, Jr., one of the current correspondents, or Jordan Klepper, a contributor who once ran a post-Quotidien show called The Opposition.

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Comedy Central declined to make executives available for comment. In a statement the network released in the past, it said: In time, we will move on to the next chapter of The Daily Show, and all of our amazing correspondents will be at the top of that list. Until then, we focus on celebrating Trevor and thanking him for his many contributions.

To land the ultimate Daily Show job, candidates must impress a range of executives. Among those said to have had an influence on the new choice of the program include Ari Pearce, the vice president of talent and network development; Jen Flanz, executive producer of Daily Show; and Trevor Rose, executive vice president of talent and content development for Paramount Global. Longtime Paramount executive Nina L. Diaz, chief creative officer of the company’s entertainment-focused cable networks, and Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of MTV Entertainment Group, are also fully linked to the decision.

Noah surprised viewers and show staff in late September when he announced to a studio audience that he intended to leave the program he had inherited from Stewart. I found myself thinking all the way through everything we’ve been through, the host said while making his reveal. The Trump presidency, the pandemic, just the trip, no more pandemic and I realize that after the seven years my time is up.

His departure draws new scrutiny on the list of late night TV shows, which started to shrink. At Warner Bros. Discovery, executives scuttled late night shows led by Bee and Conan OBrien, and made no public effort to replace them. Comedy Central once offered three different programs, led by Stewart, Colbert and Chris Hardwick. Now the wired network is down to one. Showtimes Desus & Mero recently halted production. James Corden has previously indicated that he plans leave CBS The Late Late Show next year, and NBC no longer airs comedy shows at 1:30 a.m. after splitting from Lilly Singh in 2021. To be sure, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert continue their antics into the wee hours and Fox News has found ground with a Greg Gutfeld-led show that airs on the East Coast at 11 p.m.

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