‘Daily Show’ Ratings Still Embarrassingly Low with Guest Hosts
Handler, Hughley and Jones can't coax dwindling audience base's return
Media outlets avoided one undeniable fact after Trevor Noah announced he was leaving “The Daily Show.”
The comedian, who took over for Jon Stewart on the Comedy Central showcase in 2015, couldn’t draw a crowd.
“The Daily Show” routinely appeared near the bottom of the late night pack in the ratings race week in, week out. Only “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” put out of its misery last year by TBS, drew fewer eyeballs.
Noah officially left “The Daily Show” late last year, leaving Comedy Central to summon guest hosts until a permanent replacement could be found.
- Leslie Jones
- Wanda Sykes
- D.L. Hughley
- Chelsea Handler
- Sarah Silverman
Might one (or more) guest host end the show’s ratings woes? The far-Left showcase recently drew north of a million viewers each night. Could fresh blood reverse the ratings swoon?
Not even close.
Here’s what Jones drew during her week-long guest hosting stint.
Late Night TV Rankings Jan 16-22
1⃣@StephenAtHome
2⃣@GutfeldFox! @GregGutfeld
3⃣@JimmyKimmel
4⃣@JimmyFallon
5⃣@Nightline
6⃣@FoxNewsNight @TraceGallagher
7⃣@JKCorden
8⃣@BillMaher
9⃣@SethMeyers
🔟@SRuhle
#11 @TheDailyShow @Lesdoggg
#12 @CNNTonight
#13 @SchmittNYC
#14 @ChrisCuomo pic.twitter.com/W587OoUv2Q— RoadMN 📈 (@RoadMN) January 24, 2023
Here are Handler’s numbers for her week-long audition for the gig. (The woke comic has been telling reporters she’s itching to re-join the late night arena following her “Chelsea Lately” run at E!.)
Late Night TV Rankings Feb 6-12
1⃣@GutfeldFox! @GregGutfeld
2⃣@StephenAtHome
3⃣@JimmyFallon
4⃣@JimmyKimmel
5⃣@FoxNewsNight @TraceGallagher
6⃣@SRuhle
7⃣@BillMaher
8⃣@Nightline
9⃣@SethMeyers
🔟@JKCorden
#11 @TheLauraCoates
#12 @ChelseaHandler
#13 @SchmittNYC
#14 @ChrisCuomo pic.twitter.com/rYi0lkkmzF— RoadMN 📈 (@RoadMN) February 14, 2023
Hughely, who briefly hosted his own late-night show on TV One, also drew miserable numbers.
Late Night TV Rankings Jan 30-Feb 5
1⃣@StephenAtHome
2⃣@GutfeldFox! @GregGutfeld
3⃣@JimmyFallon
4⃣@JimmyKimmel
5⃣@FoxNewsNight @TraceGallagher
6⃣@JKCorden
7⃣@SethMeyers
8⃣@Nightline
9⃣@BillMaher
🔟@SRuhle
#11 @TheLauraCoates
#12 @RealDLHughley
#13 @SchmittNYC
#14 @ChrisCuomo pic.twitter.com/ZKk5IJRgqM— RoadMN 📈 (@RoadMN) February 7, 2023
ShowBuzzDaily doesn’t have the numbers for Sykes’ week. We’ll have to wait until next week to see Silverman’s numbers.
UPDATE: Silverman drew slightly more viewers than her peers, but she couldn’t drag the show over the 400,000 mark.
Late Night TV Rankings Feb 13-19
1⃣@StephenAtHome
2⃣@GutfeldFox @GregGutfeld
3⃣@JimmyKimmel
4⃣@JimmyFallon
5⃣@TraceGallagher
6⃣@SRuhle
7⃣@Nightline
8⃣@BillMaher
9⃣@JKCorden
🔟@SethMeyers
#11 @IamJohnOliver
#12 @TheLauraCoates
#13 @SarahKSilverman
#14 @SchmittNYC
#15 @ChrisCuomo pic.twitter.com/mDhfeDJExg— RoadMN 📈 (@RoadMN) February 22, 2023
Comedy Central has yet to announce a permanent replacement for Noah. More guest hosts, including Hasan Minaj, John Leguizamo and disgraced former Sen. Al Franken are waiting in the wings.
Will any deliver a ratings boost to the ailing show? It’s unlikely at this point.
RELATED: TRUMP WAS RIGHT: HE DESTROYED LATE NIGHT TV
The show’s far-Left perspective remains in place, for starters. Late night teems with liberal shows, from the far-Left propaganda heard on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to Stephen Colbert’s progressive rants on “The Late Show.”
The liberal talk show market place is beyond saturated at this point. And Comedy Central feels no need to install a right-leaning guest host to see if an ideological shakeup might improve matters.
Plus, the late night landscape is already contracting. James Corden is leaving “The Late Late Show” soon, and a game show will take its place. Bee and Noah left late last year, as did “Desus & Mero” over creative differences.
The landscape’s sole bright spot? Fox News’ “Gutfeld!”
Gutfeld Thanks ‘Dumbest Man in America’ Don Lemon for Commenting About Women in Their ‘Prime’https://t.co/JIpED4eKRf
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) February 16, 2023
The new kid on the block comes in either first or second place every week, beating established stars like Jimmy Fallon without a broadcast TV show budget or A-list stars.
Could “The Daily Show” go the way of “The Chevy Chase Show?” Hollywood is in a belt-tightening mode, and as much as Comedy Central wants to push progressive talking points out the bottom line may come first.
It’s disappointing to see ‘The Daily Show’ struggle with ratings, especially with guest hosts. The charm and unique perspective of its original format seem lost. I wonder if they need to rethink their approach to recapture the audience’s attention. It would be great to see a more consistent hosting lineup that can bring back the show’s identity!
It’s disheartening to see ‘The Daily Show’ struggling with ratings, especially with such a talented lineup of guest hosts. It makes me wonder if the show’s format needs a fresh approach or if the audience’s tastes have shifted. I miss the original voice that set it apart and hope they find a way to reignite that magic!
It’s disappointing to see such low ratings for The Daily Show, especially with the guest hosts trying to bring fresh perspectives. It feels like they’re struggling to find their footing post-Trevor Noah. I hope they can rebound and recapture the audience’s interest!
It’s disheartening to see ‘The Daily Show’ struggling with ratings, especially with the rotating guest hosts. It feels like the show has lost its identity and humor that attracted so many viewers in the first place. I really hope they find a host that can bring back the magic!
It’s frustrating to see “The Daily Show” struggle with ratings, especially with the guest hosts not bringing the magic we expect. I wonder if the show’s format needs a refresh or if viewers are just not connecting with the current humor. It’s a shame, as the potential is still there!
It’s hard to believe how low the ratings have dropped. Guest hosts can bring a fresh perspective, but they also need to connect with the audience. Maybe it’s time for ‘The Daily Show’ to rethink its format entirely if they want to regain those viewers!
It’s disheartening to see ‘The Daily Show’ struggling with ratings, especially with the talented guest hosts they’ve had. It makes you wonder about the show’s direction and audience engagement. Hopefully, they can find a permanent host who can resonate with viewers and bring back the spark!
It’s disheartening to see “The Daily Show” struggling with ratings. The guest hosts seem to be a hit or miss, and it feels like the show is still searching for its identity after Jon Stewart. I hope they can find a solid direction soon, as it used to be a staple for smart comedy and commentary.
Love Kal Penn!