Was Trevor Noah not Comedy Central’s first choice for the new host of The Daily Show? That seems likely, given Noah’s relatively unknown profile. You have to figure the network took at least a couple of big swings to see if they could land a big name to replace Jon Stewart.
According to Grantland’s Bill Simmons, that’s exactly what happened.
Heard Comedy Central pursued 3 big-ass names for Daily Show: Poehler, Louis CK, Schumer. Went 0 for 3. Young/cheap/upside was smart audible.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) March 30, 2015
Those are certainly three interesting names, either one of which would have drawn big headlines. (Actually, Stewart’s replacement was going to get attention regardless, just because of the late-night and cultural institution that The Daily Show has become.)
Poehler seems like a natural choice, if for no other reason than she played fake news anchor for years on Saturday Night Live‘s Weekend Update. Maybe she didn’t want to do it again. Or perhaps after finishing Parks and Recreation, Poehler didn’t want the grind of a daily program. Louis C.K. is an intriguing choice, though his comedy doesn’t quite seem right for The Daily Show. Not as an anchor riffing on news of the day and highlight clips from cable news. Wouldn’t he be great as a correspondent?
Schumer might be the most curious name here. She’s a Comedy Central darling with the success of Inside Amy Schumer. Her star is rising, and might be ready to explode once Trainwreck comes out. But again, is her comedy sensibility right for a show based on political commentary and satire? She certainly would have been a different host than Stewart.
PS: I don’t think Poehler or CK was realistic, but had CC caught Schumer a year earlier – very realistic. Now she knows she can make movies.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) March 30, 2015
Noah is getting beat up now because of old jokes he posted on Twitter. But Comedy Central still probably made the right joke in going with a younger comedian who can grow into the role and make The Daily Show his own. Simmons seemed to agree.
[Mediaite]
