The numbers are close, though, and 3.5 million for Jon’s farewell is up from the 2.5 million for “The Colbert Report” finale a year ago.
Advertisement
Jon Stewart said goodbye to his fans Thursday, after 16 years on the Comedy Central network’s The Daily Show, which established him as America’s foremost satirist of politicians and the media.
Judging by Colbert’s words and the massive group hug that followed them, Stewart did just those things. “You can’t stop anyone, because they don’t work for you anymore”, Colbert told Stewart. And it only got better from there. Colbert, who begins hosting CBS’s The Late Show in a month, summed it up by thanking Stewart for boosting the careers of so many comedians and performers who’d worked at the show over the years. The late-night host brought back nearly almost all of the show’s correspondents for the final episode, before he hands it over to comedian Trevor Noah. Jon Stewart added that because he wasn’t going to be doing the show anymore, it was up to the public more than ever to carry the baton.
Not that this last show is what Stewart is going to be remembered for, or that the man doesn’t deserve a bow.
COLBERT: Jon, I’ve been asked and have the privilege to say something to you that is not in the prompter right now. It will be hard to say goodbye tonight. At the meeting Cenac discouraged Stewart from the host’s plans to do the impression again. The band tore through “Land of Hope and Dreams“, which Springsteen said was a request from Stewart and then a brief “Born to Run” as the host, his staff and others flooded the floor in celebration.
“Yeah, I’m good. I’d love to see you”, shrugged Stewart.
According to The Huffington Post, Matt Pohlson, co-founder of Omaze said: “It’s fitting that he leveraged his final show to raise over $2M for this incredible cause”.
Stewart’s final time behind the anchor desk was exactly what the show has been since he took over: Hilarious, poignant, intelligent, goofy and important all at the same time.
Advertisement
“I can’t thank Comedy Central and the people who work here enough”.
