July was a very busy month in the realm of politics. Not only did we see a Republican National Convention, a Democratic National Convention and a significant post-convention bounce for both candidates, but we also saw Jon Stewart return to television for the first time in ages on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show.
READ MORE: ‘Jason Bourne’ review roundup: Critics can’t stop hating on the latest Bourne flick
It was a welcome surprise, but it also left many viewers wondering when Stewart might be back on the air full-time. At the Television Critics Association press tour on Saturday, HBO finally shared some long-awaited details.
According to HBO programming president Casey Bloys, Stewart’s project for the channel will be “an animated parody of a cable news network with an Onion-like portal.” Although a television series will be the main draw, Stewart will also produce short-form content, both video and text, for HBO’s digital platforms.
Bloys says that Stewart is “establishing an animation studio,” which will allow him “to comment in real time with what’s happening during the day’s news events.” Stewart could begin to release content as early as September or October, but no specific dates could be given. Still, it’s clear that Stewart and HBO would like to hit the ground running before the election in November.
Many viewers have questioned why John Oliver’s show only airs once a week. Although the best answer we’ve gotten was from Oliver himself on the most recent episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, it appears that Jon Stewart’s project will allow the network to respond to the biggest political stories on a daily basis.
