Jon Stewart‘s latest talk show is reportedly coming to an end following creative differences between the former “Daily Show” host and Apple’s streaming service — where his show “The Problem” has run for two seasons.
Sources told The New York Times that Stewart and Apple decided to part ways after the TV host became frustrated with being “hamstrung” over guests and possible topics that would be discussed on the show, specifically regarding China and artificial intelligence. Another source suggested that the upcoming 2024 presidential campaign could lead to more creative differences.
Stewart reportedly told members of his staff on Thursday that the show was over after production on the eight-episode third season had already gotten underway with filming soon to take place, sources told the outlet.
Apple Reportedly Cancels Jon Stewart’s Show Over His AI and China Talking Points https://t.co/GufzY8nW7F pic.twitter.com/b3WzpgFSNM
— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) October 20, 2023
“The Problem with Jon Stewart” debuted on Apple in 2021 after the political commentator walked away from the popular Comedy Central series “The Daily Show” in 2015.
Sources spoke to the Hollywood Reporter and said concerns over certain topics had led executives to speak to Stewart about needing to be “aligned” on the show. Sources close to Stewart told THR that he wanted to have full creative control of the series and after the tech giant “threatened to cancel the series” over the disputes, he said he’d rather walk away from the show than do it with his hands tied.
In 2020, the comedian signed on with Apple for a multi-year pact that included his talk show “The Problem” along with other development projects via his Busboy Productions banner, THR noted.
The first season of “The Problem” struggled to gain traction, with the show’s viewership lagging well behind competitors and losing viewers with each episode, according to an April 2022 report.
Some changes were made for the second season, and new episodes were released on a weekly basis, with some show clips going viral. During the series’ time on the air, “The Problem” earned five Emmy nominations, including for talk series and writing, THR noted.