‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ to air final episode tonight

Chris Reilly, who traveled from Connecticut to see the final taping, admitted it will be hard to get through the day knowing Stewart will not be on her television telling it how it is after tonight. Colbert, ended “The Colbert Report” in December, and Letterman signed off in May.

Stewart then gave way to the E Street Band who performed “Land of Hope and Dreams” and “Born to Run” as Stewart and the rest of The Daily Show staffed danced along. Have I caused this?

Stewart, 52, announced last winter that he was getting restless and wanted to move on.

“I’ve been banging it out 22 minutes a night, four days a week and I don’t think anybody can keep up that kind of pace”, said Stewart during his talk with Schumer.

Two weeks ago, in his last interview with Barack Obama, Mr Stewart responded to the President’s assessment of the Islamic Republic as “anti-American” and “antisemitic” by quipping: “Sounds like a good partner for peace”.

Stewart had an interesting way of preparing, or not, for each one. The catch? All his favorite Daily Show corespondents got in on the action: Ed Helms, John Hodgman, John Oliver, Kristen Schaal, Samantha Bee, Steve Carell, Rob Corddry, Olivia Munn, and Darth Vader (not to be confused with Dick Cheney). Unbeknownst to him, Colbert arranged for a surprise, off-prompter moment to truly thank Stewart for everything he had done for the people that worked for him and for the country.

In recent days some commentators have even compared him to Walter Cronkite. “But the main one is, because it takes away the idea of finality”.

Other fans on line reflected on Stewart’s retirement and legacy. “I started when I was 14 and I’m 31 now”.

“Jon, I have been asked and have the privilege to say something to you that is not on the prompter right now”.

But Comedy Central does.

Backstreets Magazine, which has served as the unofficial Springsteen bible long before the Boss bulked up and sold out stadiums, tweeted a tease yesterday that read “You REALLY won’t want to miss the final Daily Show with Jon Stewart tomorrow night”.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the parade was nice and amusing, but the entire audience was waiting with bated breath for one man: Stephen Colbert.