(And thats to say nothing ofJon Stewarts move to HBO.)
Theres no reason for us to be passive about saying goodbye to talent, Alterman says.
And, of course, he spoke about Jessica Williams promising new future with the connection.
Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: After four years as a correspondent, Jessica Williams has proven herself as a standout talent.
How would you describe herDaily Showimpact and legacy?
KENT ALTERMAN:Its where she grew up.
She was on our radar before she even was onThe Daily Show.
So thats how she came to my attention.
She was super young and just an incredible presence.
Shell be the first correspondent to leave the series since Noah took over from Stewart.
Do you think the show will feel different without her?
We just seeThe Daily Showas a great conduit for talent.
So this is part of a more concerted effort to keepThe Daily Shows talent in the fold?
Is it a response to seeing alums like Samantha Bee and John Oliver launch successful shows at other networks?
Yeah, I think were just trying to be smarter and more thoughtful as we move into the world.
So we definitely want to find that balance where were supportingThe Daily Showand helping them.
I would say that we have several different conduits for talent development.
And the ones who really rise to a certain level get half-hours.
Or we develop shows with them, or give them appearances on a roast, for example.
How do you seeThe Daily Shows place in the late-night ecosystem today compared to a year ago?
And when Samantha Bee left, she was not so interested in doing a strict show.
Like, what shes doing is such a different animal than doingThe Daily Show.
When we brought in Trevor to replace Jon, we never looked at it as a caretaker position.
And thats analogous to how Jon evolved it in his day 16 years ago from what Craig Kilborn did.
It didnt happen overnight none of them happened overnight.
Craig KilbornsDaily Showdidnt arrive fully baked.
It took time for it to evolve to what it was.
And when Jon took the reins, it also took a while for it to evolve.
So our view is always the long view.
And we see that the show isalreadyevolving.
We see her as a great voice.
So we started out totally open on whether it could be a very presentational show or a scripted show.
The thing thats exciting is that she has such a strong view of what she wants.
So its going to be scripted.
No, no, with Jordan, hes going to continue onThe Daily Showfor a while.
Its hard to say.
Everything takes its own course.
And were just about to get started on that course.
