Trevor Noah got off on the right foot during his first night as host of “The Daily Show” but definitely has room to improve, according to reviews.
Many critics credited Noah with keeping the format of the long-running Comedy Central news program essentially unchanged, and agreed that the South African comedian needs time to grow into the role vacated by Jon Stewart.
“[Noah] proved in his debut Monday night that he was far from a risky proposition,” Daniel Holloway wrote in his review for TheWrap. “Noah was polished, funny and most of all cool. While his tone of amused outrage was similar to Stewart’s, the simple facts of his youth and his looks — Jon Stewart never in his life wore a suit that well — separated Noah from his predecessor.”
“Noah had an average first night, neither killing it nor completely embarrassing himself. It will take him months to really find his rhythm and must distinguish himself with how he tackles certain key events – something Stewart did with career- and zeitgeist-defining gusto. Those are big shoes to fill, and it’s almost like Noah is too close to Stewart’s style. Many of the same writers remain, and the structures of his jokes – the funny voices, snide asides, tickled bemusement – echo Stewart’s but are delivered differently, with a sneer that made Noah look a bit too amused with himself. Stewart was many things, but he was never smug.”
“Someday, ‘The Daily Show’ may truly belong to Trevor Noah. But not yet. To be fair, how could total ownership of that Comedy Central staple transfer in just one night, when Jon Stewart had 16 years to turn it into an institution? Any new host would need some time to catch up and take over, and newcomer Noah is no exception.”
“Noah’s inaugural ‘Daily Show’ — largely written and produced, as he noted Friday, by the same team that was still backing Jon Stewart up until last month — didn’t exactly break any molds… It may not exactly be a revolution, but hey, it took Stewart at least a year to differentiate his ‘Daily Show’ from Craig Kilborn‘s. Maybe once Noah is firmly out from under Stewart’s looming shadow, he’ll be able to do the same thing.”
“The network kept Noah under wraps after announcing that he would take over for Stewart. With his ever present smile, he projects a genial, almost mild camera presence but lacks anything resembling the kind of edge that made Jon Stewart a name to be reckoned with. He has a hard road ahead of him.”
“Trevor’s not the stepdad in this scenario; he’s the kid who’s been left with dad’s really cool, very valuable car. Any modifications to the vehicle are so far superficial; in his inaugural turn at the wheel of ‘The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,’ he didn’t take the car out on the highway and open ‘er up. He took a gentle ride around the block, picking up friends old and new along the way, eventually finding a parking spot where he could take out his phone and share this Kevin Hart clip he just found on YouTube.”
Party Report in Pictures: Jon Stewart, Trevor Noah, Kevin Hart, Lea Michele (Updating Photos)
New York Mets fan Jon Stewart gave fans a Derek Jeter-esque tip of the cap as he left "The Daily Show" for the last time in Manhattan on Thursday night.
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"Daily Show" successor Trevor Noah was on the scene with scarily big shoes to fill.
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"I like huntin', fishin', and lovin' every day," Luke Bryan said on his press whip through NYC this week, that included Jenny McCarthy (left), a chat with Erin Andrews, and a capping performance in Soho for the launch of the Samsung Galaxy 6 Edge + and Note 5.
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On Friday, Kevin Hart tried to get as many kids in to the frame, and in to shape, at the Children's National Medical Center in D.C.
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"I attribute my personal and professional successes to not only my self-reliance and determination, but to the inspiration, education and support I received from others,” Lea Michele said in the #ActuallySheCan campaign.
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Andy Richter gave Comedy Central's Andy Daly the "atta boy" for landing Season 2 of his show "Review" backstage at the UCB deep on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles.
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Kevin Farley's documentary about his late brother, Chris, arrives on Spike on Monday, August 10. At a Hollywood premiere, Tom Arnold and Michael Rosenbaum bookended the exec-producer/star.
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It does not count if one of the "2 Thumbs Up" is your own. Tom Green and "I am Chris Farley" director Brent Hodge after the STK Out catered screening at the Pickford Center.
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"Blunt Talk's" premiere is not until Monday night at the DGA, but creator Jonathan Ames gave a sneak of his "Hairy" call at the TCA's for an audience that was bigger than just Seth MacFarlane and Patrick Stewart (pictured).
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"Karate Kid" bad boys William Zabka and Martin "Sweep the Leg" Kove made a rare karate-related appearance at Street Food Cinema's outdoor screening of the classic.
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This newest Malibu beach house is in ... Dallas, where singer Redfoo turned up for a promo appearance in Texas that had a musical tie to Pandora.
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"Who wants to have fun tonight?" Miguel shouted as the Grammy winner grabbed the mic at Up&Down in NYC on Thursday night. Alexander Wang was in the crowd.
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Bryan Batt hustles Nic Cage down the carpet at New Orleans political thriller "The Runner" premiere at the TCL on Wednesday night.
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Later at Wood and Vine, Batt, Ciera Payton, director Austin Stark and producer Glenn Williamson enjoyed Alchemy's hospitality.
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The 301 (Maryland) to 310 (L.A.) connection was strong at Ben Feldman and Duff "Ace of Cakes" Goldman's Crab Fest at No Vacancy on August 2.
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"The Matrix" star Laurence Fishburne with host Feldman.
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Ben Feldman is the odd man out amongst chefs Duff Goldman, Michael Voltaggio, and Bryan Voltaggio. The Sunday afternoon feast gave every cent to Chrysalis, which creates a pathway from homeless to self-sufficiency.
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Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell dropped in to Maestro Dobel's V-VIP piano bar (a tent inside the VIP area) during the three day weekend.
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A$AP Rocky got in on the surprise trend, turning up unannounced adjacent to the main stage for a quick "Sunday Funday" party in the tented and elevated Samsung Galaxy Owner's Lounge in sight, but out of earshot of the main fields.
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Girls were camped out early for bubble gum rappers Jack & Jack's performance at the skyscraper Dell Lounge in Chicago. Bottom right, non-bubble-gum DJ A-Trak spun a Friday night after party after hanging with Dell's Lauren Mauro and Lisa Martin-Louro at the Windows 10 branded space.
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This is the demographic for Jack & Jack.
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Marina and the Diamonds closed down Soho House's weekend of parties in Chicago with her second performance of the day. Sophia Bush was in the crowd for the Bacardi hosted bash.
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Chicago-fornication: David Duchovny channeled Keanu Reeves by performing with his band at Bub City.
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Mulder led a team huddle backstage.
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Jack Antonoff of "Fun" fame is bringing his side project Bleachers to L.A. Let's call his Hard Rock Hotel set on August 1 a warm up.
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Josh Radnor called Emily Best's name to come on up and accept the IVY Innovator Film Award at SmogShoppe on Tuesday night. Cadillac's new man in Hollywood, Michael Patrick, cheers at center.
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Loyola Law School's "Hot Topics" Entertainment Law Symposium included ABC Studios' Howard Davine, Robert Klieger, Jennifer McGrath, and Michael Plonsker amongst others chewing on the changing landscape of the digital media business.
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The top shots from inside and backstage at the best industry bashes of the week from TheWrap’s Mikey Glazer
New York Mets fan Jon Stewart gave fans a Derek Jeter-esque tip of the cap as he left "The Daily Show" for the last time in Manhattan on Thursday night.