By every metric that matters – standing ovations, media orgasms and, above all, Nielsen ratings – Jon Stewart’s return to “The Daily Show” is a smashing success. His first Monday back drew nearly 930,000 viewers in live same-day ratings, the show’s biggest audience since March 2018 and the highest-rated in the 25-54 age demographic since 2017.
Critics weren’t merely overjoyed but relieved to see Stewart slide right back behind the desk as if he never went anywhere.
