Noteworthy because of the guest anchor: Brian Unger. Yes, the same Brian Unger who used to be a correspondent on The Daily Show.
Yes, TDS correspondents are now moving into more traditional news broadcasts. (Hey, Mike Wallace used to be a game show host, so why not?)
Thursday was actually Brian Unger’s second time subbing for Keith Olbermann on Countdown. Though no one can replace Keith, he certainly fits the style of the show and makes the least jarring substitution.
Mind you, it makes perfect sense: Unger dates back to the original vision Lizz Winstead had when she created TDS of a comedy show that looked and sounded as if it were a real news show — a news show that was just slightly off-center, that might be mistaken for the real thing until you heard what they were actually saying. As one of those early cast members, Unger was chosen for his ability to mimic a “proper” television newsman, and now he’s moved just a tiny bit further in that direction.
On TDS these days, I reckon Demetri Martin and John Hodgman are the new correspondents who embody that same principle. They seem like they could really be the characters they play. The others in the cast are more obviously comic types. And Jon Stewart is very probably this generation’s Johnny Carson in a way that Letterman, Leno, or Conan couldn’t manage…
It’s not just the anchor-thing, it’s the correspondents too. He had on someone yesterday (talking about that congresscritter who switched from a hydrogen car to an SUV when he thought nobody was looking) who started with a line that could have easily come from the mouth of Corddry or Helms or just about any of the Daily Show correspondents. And it was just as funny.
Glenn,
I want to set up a travel blog! How do I do that? Help me Obi-Glenn-Kenobi, you’re my only hope!
–Gwen