The Daily Show (The Book)

November 15, 2016
A lively oral history of The Daily Show focused on Jon Stewart's improbable transformation from basic-cable comic to progressive conscience.New York magazine contributing editor Smith deftly combines narrative with the recollections of people involved with the show at every level, ranging from boldface names like John McCain to correspondents like Stephen Colbert and Ed Helms. Stewart contributes the foreword, concurring with Smith that the show's popularity resulted from its gradual development of an ethical center: "We never forgot what a privilege it was to have a platform." Yet the show's cultural impact was unforeseen when the fledgling Comedy Central network determined to create a parody news show to follow the show's previous Craig Kilborn-hosted iteration, which "could be mean-spirited." When Stewart took over in 1998, he ruffled feathers by trading the snarky persona for a political bent that "punched up" at powerful targets. As correspondent Mo Rocca recalls, "[Jon] had resolved that the show needed to have a point of view and couldn't just be the kid at the back of the classroom throwing spitballs." Following this backstage drama, the show found its voice during the 1999-2000 presidential contest, during which correspondents like Steve Carell and key writers like Ben Karlin added memorable guerrilla theater-style ambushes to both the torpid campaign and the ensuing tense deadlock. The election of George W. Bush and the horror of 9/11 and the increasingly absurd terror wars that followed set the tone for the show's dark intensity and explosive popularity over the next decade. As John Oliver recalls about the show's creative rigor, "Jon's saying is, 'If you take your foot off the throat of the show for a second, it will just get up and walk away.' " Smith effectively combines these reminiscences with an overall arc covering the show's technical innovations, high-stakes internal negotiations (including spinoffs like The Colbert Report), and staffers' contentious relationships, friendships, and shenanigans. An intimate and entertaining look at a fake-news program whose caustic, witty alchemy remains missed by many.

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November 15, 2016
Writers, producers, cast, crew members, even guests associated with The Daily Show during Jon Stewart's watch, nearly 80 in all, share candid memories and tell revealing tales in this substantial, many-faceted oral history. Stewart himself, executive producer Madeleine Smithberg, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee, John Hodgman, Larry Wilmore, Aasif Mandvi, Jessica Williams, and the rest discuss everything from Stewart's initial battle with the old guard to achieve more depth, satiric edge, and social resonance to personality clashes to the production of the show's daring, cringe-inducing field pieces to its resounding emergence as a stealthily influential political force during the contested election of 2000 and throughout the turmoil of the first 15 years of the twenty-first century. This superbly well-edited choral work illuminates the enormous effort, creativity, collaboration, and hustle required for producing a hilarious, news-focused, four-times-a-week comedy show and the chutzpah necessary for taking on the powers-that-be. The Daily Show stepped up when the press failed to advocate for the public, and it continueswith Trevor Noah at the helmto protest injustice with humor and heart.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

May 15, 2016

In its 16-year history (1999-2015), The Daily Show won 18 Emmys and changed how we look at the news. Smith, a New York Magazine contributing editor who covers news and politics, offers a thoroughgoing history, with iconic host Jon Stewart providing a foreword and participating in promotion. With a 400,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2017

The Daily Show evolved from a fledgling late-night talk show hosted by Craig Kilborn on Comedy Central to a culturally significant political satire and news commentary program under the helm of Jon Stewart. New York magazine contributing editor Smith traces the history of the show from its inception in 1996 to its takeover by Trevor Noah when Stewart retired in 2015 after 16 years. He records a series of quotes in chronological order garnered from interviews with the hosts, correspondents, writers, crew, and guests. The author frames the narrative with comments about each of the major news stories that drove the content of the show. The 2000 election, 9/11, the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and the subsequent recession, as well as politicians and the media itself, were all deconstructed via the lens of comedy. Stewart and company brought to light many of the lies and inconsistencies in government and media, with some stories even helping to change policy. VERDICT This "oral history" of a show that won 23 Emmys and launched the careers of such notables as Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, and John Oliver is a must-read for the show's fans and those aspiring to a career in comedy or television. [See Prepub Alert, 4/25/16.]--Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.