Since joining The Daily Show in 2014, Jordan Klepper has been one of show’s most compelling contributors. With witty sarcasm and a faux-clueless schtick, he’s been a bright spot of both the Jon Stewart- and Trevor Noah-hosted iterations of the show.
And now, he’ll be moving on.
Comedy Central announced Tuesday that Klepper will get his own show at 11:30 p.m. ET, in the spot formerly occupied by the now-deposed Larry Wilmore. The show is billed as a “companion” to The Daily Show, and Klepper will bring the same clueless persona to his new series.
“The choice to entrust me with the 11:30 p.m. timeslot is both incredibly humbling and deeply disturbing,” said Klepper. “Without a doubt, it has utterly destroyed my confidence in Comedy Central’s decision making acumen. Dear God, now I have to work with these fools.”
Klepper has been responsible for some of The Daily Show’s most dynamic segments over the past few years, including this feature on atheists accusing a breakfast place of discrimination…
And this segment on how easy it is to buy a gun…
Comedy Central surely views this as a chance to keep one of its top talents in house, after letting a number of talented Daily Show correspondents get away in recent years. Since 2015, the show has watched Samantha Bee, Jason Jones, Aasif Mandvi, Al Madrigal and Jessica Jones all leave for greener pastures, leaving Klepper as the longest tenured correspondent.
And while Bee and John Oliver helm highly successful shows on other networks, Comedy Central is stuck with a flagging Trevor Noah on The Daily Show. Making matters worse, the remaining group of correspondents, especially with Klepper on the way out, seems to lack in star power.
It’s hard to know what the future holds for The Daily Show, but it’s a safe bet that Klepper’s new show will be worth a watch.
