The New Daily Show Kicks Off With Several Local Ties

Photo from Trevor Noah Facebook

It’ll be no easy task, but Comedy Central’s The Daily Show returns this week for the first time since longtime host Jon Stewart bid a tearful adieu in early August.

All eyes will be on the new host, 31-year-old South African comedian and former Daily Show contributor Trevor Noah, who has generated some unfortunate buzz since it was announced he’d be taking over, namely for a string of distasteful jokes on Twitter about Jewish people and overweight women. He has since apologized for the jokes, saying that the quips don’t represent him as a person, and that he’s evolved as a comedian.

Bad Twitter etiquette aside, we’re willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Philly Mag contributor Adam Hersh has been following Noah throughout his career. In March, he wrote that the new host “is a polished standup with a quick wit and boatloads of charisma. In fact, his outsider perspective and absurd comedic sensibility are just what The Daily Show needs to stay edgy, relevant, and, most importantly, funny.”

Plus, it can’t go without mentioning that he’s kicking off the first week of the show with a handful of local tie-ins: Philly-born comedian Kevin Hart will sit in as guest when the new season debuts tonight, Monday, September 28th; on Wednesday, New Jersey governor and presidential hopeful Chris Christie will stop by; and on Thursday, Noah will chat with Ryan Adams, who will undoubtedly be there to promote his new album, 1989, which is an interpretation of Wyomissing native Taylor Swift’s latest album of the same name.