Fresh off the news of Comedy Central’s strange, Daily Show-hacking new talk show The President Show, the cable channel announced its popular news program would be getting a new spin-off. Jordan Klepper, the popular The Daily Show correspondent who often fills time with ludicrous appearances at pro-Trump rallies, is set to star in his very own, though still-untitled series during the 11:30pm ET slot next fall. And judging by the manner in which the press release describes it, Klepper’s new digs sound awfully familiar.
“The choice to entrust me with the 11:30 p.m. timeslot is both incredibly humbling and deeply disturbing,” the comedian and actor said in a statement. “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.”
Whether or not Klepper was speaking as himself or in character remains to be seen, though judging by his remarks and his correspondent’s knack for remaining blissfully ignorant to all opinions aside from his own, we’re thinking the latter. As the New York Times‘ Dave Itzkoff describes him, Klepper’s Daily Show figure persists as a “self-entitled, overconfident doofus character in studio segments.” And while he never waxes philosophically on religious subjects, it’s a set of elements longtime Daily Show and Colbert Report viewers may recognize.
Consider the release’s description of the new series:
[The show] will look to embrace and define the chaos of our country by channeling Klepper’s steadfast attitude that institutions are to be trusted less than the lies of the mainstream media. He’ll surround himself with a hand-picked team of contributors contractually obligated to reinforce his singularly correct world view.
Stephen Colbert’s Colbert Report alter ego preferred himself to using correspondents, so at least Klepper’s characterization is willing to hire others to do his occasional dirty work. Judging by his past performance as a temporary Daily Show host when Trevor Noah had emergency surgery, however, it’s a good bet Klepper won’t be too kind to his underlings. (Unless they “reinforce his singularly correct world view,” of course.)
