'The Daily Show': Pop Culture's New Comic Go-To?

Oct. 24, 2008 — -- It's played second fiddle to "Saturday Night Live" in recent weeks, what with Tina Fey's uncanny channeling of Sarah Palin, but think back, for a moment, to before John McCain announced his pick for the vice presidential candidate.

Think back months, years, all the way to 1999, when Jon Stewart sidled up to "The Daily Show" anchor chair.

Since then, what television program has risen from the depths of basic cable to gain national recognition and churn out more fresh comedic talent than any other? It's debatable, but arguably, the answer is "The Daily Show."

For a long time, no one could hold a candle to "SNL," with its more-than-three-decade-long history and A+ class of alumni, including Bill Murray, Jon Belushi, Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, and of course, Fey.

But over the past few years, many of TV's funniest have come not from the lap of Lorne Michaels, but from the arms of Stewart, the veritable godfather of today's comic mafia. Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Samantha Bee, Rob Corddry, Ed Helms, Rachael Harris: They're just a few of the proud who have "The Daily Show" to thank -- and they do so profusely.

"What it's given me has been so great. I still get recognized for being on 'The Daily Show.' It's shocking, I wasn't there forever, but the little time that I was had a huge impact on my career," said Harris, who served as a field correspondent on "The Daily Show" from 2002 to 2003. She's now involved in a variety of projects, including a movie with fellow alum and "Office" co-star Helms and a pilot for HBO.

"['The Daily Show'] gives you a calling card," she added. "It's kind of like if Jon and the EP, and if all those people wanted to hire you, it gives you a legitimacy. It's kind of like, 'Oh, well, if they think you're funny, then you really must be funny.'"

Alums largely credit Stewart and the writers for honing their comedic talents, as if "The Daily Show's" a charm school for anyone who wants their jokes to kill, and Stewart's the headmaster-at-large. (Stewart and the show declined to comment for this story, citing the need to focus on making "The Daily Show" extra sharp as Nov. 4 nears.)