Day: April 26, 2024

Amid a ratings surge, “Daily Show” expands staff

Convinced that its ratings surge will last, “The Daily Show” has finally beefed up its team of correspondents.
The show has added Troy Iwata, Josh Johnson and Grace Kuhlenschmidt. Previously, the team had dwindled to four main people – Ronny Chieng, Desi Lydic, Jordan Klepper and Michael Kosta – plus occasional use of Dulce Sloan and Lewis Black.
Comedy Central is giving the show a one-week break now (stuffing the week with marathons of “Seinfeld,” “The Office” and “South Park”), but will return to its schedule on May 6: New “Daily Show” episodes are at 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, rerunning at 1:25 a.m. and then going to Paramount+.
The Monday hours are hosted by Jon Stewart (shown here) – the source of the recent surge. Comedy Central said the new hires are “on the heels of ‘The Daily Show’s’ huge ratings growth,” a claim that Nielsen seem to back up. Read more…

Best-bets for April 28: PBS dramas begin and end

1) “Guilt” season-opener, 10 p.m., PBS. Max is an upscale schemer; Jake is his down-market brother, a decent chap who’s along for the ride. In the first two seasons, Max went to prison and Jake found love. Now they’re in Chicago with Jake’s girlfriend, running a bar; in their native Scotland, others rage and run. By the end of the first hour, things merge in wild and entertaining way; they’re shown here, executing a mucky escape. Read more…