Jon Stewart to Produce Exclusive Digital Content for HBO
It’s been almost three months since Jon Stewart tearfully said goodbye to his anchor desk at The Daily Show in August, ending a remarkable 16-year stint in which he’d overseen the Comedy Central program’s evolution from a blip on the programming schedule to a major force in the political landscape. Today, he announced that he’s following in the footsteps of former Daily Show correspondent John Oliver and heading to HBO.
Stewart’s first project for the premium cable giant will consist of short-form digital fare meant for their various VOD services. According to a press release issued by the channel, the comedian is “developing new technology that will allow him to produce timely short-form digital content, which will be refreshed on HBO NOW multiple times throughout the day.” Stewart framed the idea in a characteristically self-deprecating fashion: “Appearing on television 22 minutes a night clearly broke me. I’m pretty sure I can produce a few minutes of content every now and again.”
These webisodes are likely the first of many things that Stewart will develop for the cable network, as his exclusive four-year partnership with them paves the way for any number of other ideas that he might bring to the table, including television shows and feature films. And if this doesn’t work out, there’ll always be a job for him at his animal sanctuary.