'Daily Show' scandal: That new set

ryan Wed, Jul 27, 2005 at 09:15 AM EST

http://www.dontbringbackthecouch.com

if you could care less about the couch that is

Daily Show Fan Fri, Jul 22, 2005 at 08:54 PM EST

http://www.bringbackthecouch.com

Daily Show Fan Fri, Jul 22, 2005 at 08:51 PM EST

The website really making news is the Bring Back the Couch Campaign (www.bringbackthecouch.com) which was mentioned on the Daily Show on the 20th.

Evil Dr Chickenliverstone Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 11:50 PM EST

I love the new set. John's new desk looks like a stainless steel medical examination table, where he nightly performs the autopsy on what you earthlings call 'Civilzation'.

Your technology is far below that of Chickenkind, and as soon as we work out that whole time-space continuum thing, you are all in deep monkey doo!

Earth Monkeys Beware! The invasion is coming.

Sincerely,

The Evil Dr Chickenliverstone
evil@explodingchickens.com
http://www.explodingchickens.com

Bill Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 11:45 PM EST

Who cares what the set looks like, as long as Stewart keeps it up.

The interview he did with Bernard Goldberg (from the new set, FWIW), may have been his best interview in months, if not years. Stewart was probing, in control, asking direct questions and not hesitating to call Goldberg out on the b-s he tried to peddle...

Now if only he could step up the quality of his guests and do that to all of them!

John Bissell Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 08:51 PM EST

I get the impression that the show has gotten more serious ever since the new set has been released. It seems more serious, but the humor is still there just tweaked, I guess it depends on the guest he has...

Mike Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 05:14 PM EST

I'm a little late getting to the Jon Stewart party - only started watching about six months ago. The old set was campy, low - tech and, at least to me, barely adequate to contain the energy and cutting edge satire. The new set seems a bit much; it's the Extreme Makeover treatment, when all that was needed was to swap out the old college dorm Ikea stuff for something to impress the new girlfriend's parents.

wayne Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 04:19 PM EST

I think the new setup gives John the opportunity to speak with a guest in a series manner if he wants to.

watcherguy Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 02:44 PM EST

Um.

I watch the show every night and I didn't even notice the set until he made a joke about it. ?

Hal Gangnath Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 02:35 PM EST

You all seem to be forgetting that the whole point of the show is to poke fun at the news media. This new set is much more in keeping with the sets of other talking head shows. Did "Face the Nation" or "Meet the Press" ever have a couch? I think not!

Glenn Chase Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 02:32 PM EST

Why do you people care about the set. This is one of the best shows on television, and the only place to get the news.

Andy Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 01:28 PM EST

The couch seemed like a comfy place to sit and relax. Maybe a little too comfy. Maybe they brought in the stiff chairs to cut back on guest flatulence, and just built the rest of the set around it. Was that it Jon? No comment? The world is waiting for your answer...

Sabrina Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 12:21 PM EST

What you really need is Bill Maher's set. Now that's a set you could work with. The couch you had always bugged me because I was always expecting other people to drop by which they never did. Also, the color of your new desk does nothing for your complexion. The whole thing needs work Jon.

Adam Keleman Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 12:21 PM EST

Who care about the set? As long as Jon keeps up the pointed jokes, they can do whatever they want. Though the old set was humbling, this one provides a more interesting side to the show; he has made more jokes about the large screen than anything else. Seeing as Jon never loses his cool, I see don't why a set should leave everyone so cold.

joie Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 12:07 PM EST

You guys have way too much time on your hands to worry about things llike the set. Don't any of you have day jobs?

Clint Creek Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 12:00 PM EST

Woodward and Berstein were rolling around with their backs to the camera on those office chairs. The new set makes me nervous. It's like watching a marble roll off a table. And it reminds me of my office which is unfortunate. Dread!

Rob Walker Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 11:38 AM EST

Already getting use to the new set. I can deal with it as long as they don't keep stuff continually moving in the background--that really a unpleasant distraction--makes it hard to watch.

Kim Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 11:01 AM EST

The Daily Show is one of only two shows I watch regularly on TV (the other is Six Feet Under) and I would never stop watching it over a couch! But, I do admit that I don't like the new set. It's stuffy and cold and just looks uncomfortable. I'll just have to keep my focus on the hilarious facial expressions of Jon and the other correspondents.

Andrew Bleiman Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 10:50 AM EST

I can't believe that after a full week of Jon Stewart making fun of you people who would take issue with the new set before the move, you proceed to go out, as predicted, and whine about the new set. Well done.

Mike Cook Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 10:40 AM EST

Oh come on. Like everything else, change takes time to get used to. I bet a year from now, Jon's faithful following will wonder what it is that they saw in the old set. Nostalgia is fueling the anger here, not the current presentation, and the jokes are still spot-on funny.

Tiffany Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 10:25 AM EST

I don't watch the show to view the set, either. However, last night was the first time I saw the new set and for a split second, I really thought about not watching the show any longer. I can't explain it, but my eyes hate it. Bring back the other Daily Show.

Same thing happened with CNN. They changed how the ticker looked at the bottom of the screen and I can't even watch it anymore. Not even Robin and Co. :(

st Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 10:00 AM EST

I also hate the new set - but I never watched the show to check out the background. Get over it....

Andrea Allen Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 09:24 AM EST

Respectfully disagreeing. I could freaking care less. The Daily Show seems to be the only bit of intelligence I can find on TV these days, so how it's formatted is truly not my concern.

Might be a good idea to keep the couch offstage and bring it on for certain guests - Woodward and Berstein probably were more comfy in the corporate setting, but some of his other guests might find the couch a tad more liberating.