So, you’re staring at your TV screen at 11:00 PM and seeing a rerun. Or maybe just a blank guide where the "Best F#@king News Team" usually sits. It’s annoying. I get it. We’re living in a time where the news moves so fast it feels like a week happens every six hours, and you just want Jon Stewart or Jordan Klepper to make sense of the madness.
The good news? The Daily Show returned for its 2026 season on Monday, January 5, 2026.
If you’ve been out of the loop, the show took its standard three-week winter hiatus starting back in mid-December 2025. They didn't go anywhere for good; they just needed to breathe. After a chaotic 2025 that saw major shakeups in the late-night landscape—including the shocking cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and some weird drama over at Jimmy Kimmel Live!—people were genuinely worried about Comedy Central’s flagship. But the lights are back on, the cameras are rolling, and the schedule for the early months of 2026 is already in full swing.
The 2026 Return Schedule: Who is Hosting and When?
Honestly, the "when will The Daily Show return" question is usually followed by "and who is actually sitting in the chair?" because the rotating host thing can be a bit of a maze.
Jon Stewart is the anchor of the ship, but he’s still sticking to his "Mondays only" deal. He signed a contract extension that keeps him behind the desk every Monday night through December 2026. This has become the "appointment viewing" night for most fans. For the rest of the week—Tuesday through Thursday—the show utilizes its deep bench of correspondents.
Here is how the return looked and what the current rhythm is:
- The Big Season Opener: Jon Stewart kicked off the 2026 season on January 5 with guest Senator Mark Kelly.
- The Rotation: Following the premiere, the correspondents took over. Ronny Chieng handled the first Tuesday-Thursday block of the year, followed by Jordan Klepper the following week.
- Regular Air Times: New episodes air Monday through Thursday at 11:00 PM ET/PT on Comedy Central.
If you miss the live broadcast, you've probably noticed that the episodes pop up on Paramount+ the following morning. Usually, they’re live by around 3:00 AM ET, just in time for your morning coffee or a very late-night doomscroll.
Why People Were Nervous About the Return
There was a lot of genuine anxiety this time around. Late-night TV is in a weird spot. Last year, the industry felt like it was shrinking. When CBS pulled the plug on Colbert, it sent shockwaves through the comedy world. People started whispering that The Daily Show might be next on the chopping block, especially with the Paramount-Skydance merger shaking up the corporate side of things.
But Jon Stewart actually addressed this. He’s been pretty vocal about wanting to stay as long as they’ll have him. During an appearance at the New Yorker Festival, he told David Remnick that he was "working on staying." The fact that the show returned on schedule in January 2026 is a massive sign of stability. It’s basically the last man standing in terms of that specific brand of biting, nightly political satire.
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What to Expect from the New 2026 Episodes
The show isn't just coasting. Since the return, they’ve been leaning hard into the "conquistador" era of American politics. Stewart’s first few monologues of 2026 have tackled everything from the administration's stance on Venezuela to the bizarre headlines coming out of the new press pool.
The correspondent lineup for 2026 is stacked. You've got:
- Jordan Klepper: Still the king of the "on-the-ground" segments.
- Desi Lydic: Handling the heavy lifting on gender politics and media criticism.
- Ronny Chieng: Bringing that sharp, angry-but-logical energy we love.
- Michael Kosta & Josh Johnson: Handling a lot of the pop-culture-meets-politics crossover.
One thing that has changed is the frequency of "live" shows. During big political events—like the State of the Union or major primary dates—the show has been known to ditch the 11:00 PM tape-delay and go live at 11:35 PM or midnight. If you're wondering when the show returns for a specific live event, keep an eye on their social media (specifically X/Twitter) about 48 hours before the event.
How to Watch (and Where to Find Reruns)
If you're still seeing old episodes, check your DVR settings. Sometimes, when a show transitions into a new season (Season 31 started this January), automated recorders get confused.
- Comedy Central: Still the primary home. 11:00 PM sharp.
- Paramount+: The "next day" home. Note that you need the "Essential" or "With Showtime" plan to see the latest ones quickly.
- YouTube: They still post the "Main Monologue" and the guest interviews as standalone clips. It’s usually the best way to catch up if you only have ten minutes.
The "Daily Show" brand has outlived dozens of other late-night experiments because it adapts. In 2026, it feels less like a comedy show and more like a survival guide.
Actionable Steps for Fans
To make sure you never miss a return date or a host swap, you should:
- Sync your calendar: If it's a Monday, it's Jon. If it's Tuesday-Thursday, it's the News Team.
- Check the Guest List: Sites like LateNighter or the official Daily Show Instagram post the week's lineup every Monday afternoon. If you only care about specific guests (like the recent Lucy Liu or Senator Mark Kelly spots), that's your best resource.
- Update your streaming app: Paramount+ sometimes lags on the "New Episodes" rail; searching for the show manually often brings up the latest Season 31 episodes faster than the home screen.