Topline
Jon Stewart will make his long-awaited return to television next month, as The Problem with Jon Stewart is set to premiere globally on Apple+ on September 30, Apple announced Monday.
Stewart, 58, will also serve as executive producer of “The Problem.”
Key Facts
The Problem, which aims to tackle important topics that are part of the national conversation, will debut a new episode every two weeks.
A companion podcast that will take a deeper dive into the issues discussed on the show will be released weekly.
Stewart will interview individuals who are “impacted by the issue—as well as those who have a hand in creating the impact” in an effort to “discuss tangible steps that can lead to a solutionary path forward,” according to Apple’s press release.
Stewart, 58, will also serve as executive producer of The Problem.
Key Background:
In October of 2020, it was announced that Stewart had agreed to a multiyear deal with Apple to host a current affairs series. It’s the first time Stewart will return to television as a host since stepping away from The Daily Show in August 2015, a program he guided for 16 years after it debuted in early 1999. Stewart served as host, writer and producer of the Comedy Central series and won a whopping 20 Emmys during his time on the show. Trevor Noah has served as host of The Daily Show ever since Stewart’s departure.
Crucial Quote:
“The companion series podcast will extend the conversation from each episode, featuring staff members from across the show who will bring us interviews with activists in the space, the facts on the issue and yes—lots of jokes,” Apple’s press release stated.
Tangent:
Appearing as a guest on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show in mid-June, Stewart faced a backlash of criticism after he appeared to push the theory that Covid-19 originated from a lab in Wuhan, China. Stewart started the interview segment by stating that people owed a debt of gratitude to science for helping ease the suffering of the pandemic, “which was more than likely caused by science.” When asked by Colbert if he believed the Covid-19 “lab leak” theory, Stewart replied that “it was a little too weird” that the coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, where there is a “novel respiratory coronavirus lab.” Shortly after the interview aired, American neurophysiologist and radio host Dr. Kiki Sanford tweeted: “I saw the clip and am concerned to see Stewart promoting the conspiracy . . . even if it’s just for laughs.” According to an unclassified summary of a probe into the origins of Covid-19 released last week by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, most U.S. intelligence agencies came to a “low confidence” assessment that the virus was “probably not genetically engineered,” but two agencies concluded there is “not sufficient evidence to make an assessment either way.”
Further Reading:
Jon Stewart Faces Online Pushback After Going All In On Covid-19 Lab Leak Theory (Forbes)
Intel Agencies Say Covid-19 Not A Bioweapon – But Don’t Rule Out Lab Leak Theory – In Probe (Forbes)
