January 11, 1999, 25 years ago to the day, was Jon Stewart’s first night hosting The Daily Show. The comedian took over from Craig Kilborn, who had hosted the Comedy Central show from July 21, 1996.
Stewart’s first guest was Michael J. Fox, promoting Spin City. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart went on to win the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series for ten consecutive years between 2003 and 2012, before losing to The Colbert Report, a show that he exec produced, for a couple of years, and then coming back to win in 2015 in his final season.
It’s a run that Last Week Tonight with John Oliver looked like it might replicate with seven wins in the category – then known as Outstanding Variety Talk Series – starting in 2016.
However, Oliver is now competing on Monday night at the primetime Emmys in a new category, Outstanding Scripted Variety Series, up against Saturday Night Live and A Black Lady Sketch Show, while Stewart is back in the Emmy race – for Outstanding Talk Series – with The Problem with Jon Stewart.
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