'Meet the Press With Jon Stewart' Almost Happened

With Stephen Colbert heading off in a few months to take over for David Letterman on Late Show, Comedy Central should probably be thanking its lucky stars that another of their biggest stars didn't bail on them for network television.

According to New York magazine, Daily Show host Jon Stewart was approached by NBC News president Deborah Turness to replace David Gregory as the new host of NBC's long-running political news magazine, Meet the Press. Reportedly, Turness offered Stewart virtually "anything" to get him to come, since Stewart would presumably be used to draw in a younger demographic. In recent years, the show has had a tough ratings battle against similar shows such as ABC's This Week and CBS's Face the Nation.

Unfortunately for NBC, Stewart wouldn't budge, presumably because his contract with Comedy Central doesn't expire until next year. So, on August 14th, the network named Chuck Todd as the replacement for Gregory, who hosted the program since 2008. All that's left now is to wonder what might have been, and how long NBC is going to wait before trying to lure him away again. I can't exactly blame them for wanting him, after all, nor can I necessarily blame Stewart for turning the gig down. He's a comedian first, and a pundit second.

Via: Entertainment Weekly

Credit: Comedy Central