It's true -- Stewart is headed for Comedy Central

Web posted January 9, 1999

By James Endrst
The Hartford Courant

This time Jon Stewart is taking over. Really.

We know you've heard the 36-year-old comedian and talk-show host's name mentioned in the past in connection with other shows, rumors that turned out to be untrue.

But this job is a lock.

Mr. Stewart joins Comedy Central today as host of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. He'll step in for the departing Craig Kilborn, who, after 2 1/2 years, is going to CBS to replace Tom Snyder as host of The Late Late Show, beginning this spring.

So how did it all come to pass?

``It was the sorties that I flew over Comedy Central,'' says Mr. Stewart, calling from New York the morning after the United States had bombed Iraq.

That's what Mr. Stewart will do on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart -- keep the humor targeted and topical.

Expect The Daily Show to remain true to its roots, says Mr. Stewart, with comically twisted news of the world, pop culture, sports, entertainment, etc.

``The whole thing for me is just trying to fit into the groove,'' he says. ``I mean they've had a good thing going for a couple of years and they really know how to run it.

``So I'm trying not to be the fly in the ointment. It's going to take me a while to adjust to them, and, of course, for them to adjust to me.''

Many industry-watchers thought Mr. Stewart would be working for HBO right now. Wasn't he supposed to take over for Garry Shandling as host of HBO's The Larry Sanders Show?

It certainly looked that way. Both on and off the air.

``It was really a story line in the show more than anything else,'' says Mr. Stewart.

Mr. Shandling's perpetually threatened Sanders spent a lot of time worrying about Mr. Stewart, who played himself, in the critically acclaimed series within a series.

Further fueling speculation was Mr. Stewart's work behind the scenes as a creative consultant.

But Mr. Stewart downplays it now.

``It meant, basically, I would sit there and go, `Gary, you're a winter. Wear the blue sweater.' ''

Sure, there was some talk, he says, ``But luckily, unlike the people who created AfterMASH, we had the sense to go, `You know, maybe they wouldn't be that interested in what happened to Klinger and Radar when they got to Iowa.''