Comedy Central pulls old episodes of ‘The Daily Show,’ ‘The Colbert Report’ from website

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As a dedicated fan of Jon Stewart and “The Daily Show” since its early days, I can’t help but feel disappointed and frustrated by Comedy Central‘s recent decision to remove hundreds of episodes from their website. These shows are an integral part of my personal history and cultural consciousness.

Jon Stewart’s return to “The Daily Show” weekly is beneficial since it’s becoming increasingly challenging to come by the early episodes where he initially hosted.

As a movie critic, I’d put it this way: This week, I was disappointed to discover that Comedy Central had removed hundreds of episodes of their late-night show, as well as classic programs like “The Colbert Report,” from their website. These shows date back decades and have brought laughter to countless viewers for generations. It’s unfortunate that they are no longer accessible in one place.

Up until last Wednesday, ComedyCentral.com featured a vast collection of its satirical late night programs. This archive encompassed episodes of “The Daily Show” starting from 1999, which was when Stewart assumed hosting duties from Craig Kilborn. However, his tenure’s episodes were not included in the archive. In contrast, the entirety of “The Colbert Report” was available.

I recently visited the Comedy Central website only to discover a new message greeting me: “Unfortunately, episodes of most Comedy Central series are no longer accessible on this site. However, you can still enjoy Comedy Central content through your TV provider. Additionally, signing up for Paramount+ grants you access to numerous seasons of Comedy Central shows.” According to a report by latenighter.com, this change occurred without prior notice.

If Paramount Global aims to attract comedy enthusiasts to its streaming platform, Paramount+, they might feel let down as only the most recent two seasons of “The Daily Show” are accessible there. Sadly, this means no episodes featuring Trevor Noah (from 2015 to present) or Jon Stewart (from 1999 to 2015). “The Colbert Report,” which ended in 2014, and “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore” (2015-2018) are not offered at all. Some clips from these series can be found on Comedy Central’s YouTube channels instead.

Comedy Central did not respond to a request for comment about the availability of shows.

Paramount is making this decision during a period of cost-reduction company-wide. Revenue has significantly dropped, and a proposed sale to Skydance Media fell through. Consequently, several Paramount websites have undergone significant changes in recent days. For instance, MTV News, which had provided music and pop culture coverage for two decades, unexpectedly disappeared from the internet this week. Instead of accessing the comprehensive journalism and criticism on MTV News, visitors are now directed to the MTV website.

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2024-07-18 19:51