![]() SCĪ reliable presence during the Kilborn era, Littleford specialized in sending up showbiz infotainment vapidity: interviewing celebrities in the sort of vaseline-lensed, fake-homey settings that would make Barbara Walters salivate, or doing an Entertainment Tonight-style news round-up. With the Bush years so ripe for satire, the comic nailed a number of signature bits on climate change, gay rights, and the Iraq war - but the hidden camera parody of news magazine shows like What Would You Do? is Bakkedahl at his best. Part of the crew that came in post-Colbert, Second City alum Dan Bakkedahl had that rumpled beat reporter look and the appropriate trenchcoat to be the show's Senior White House Correspondent. And as the show's new man behind the desk, he'll likely approach the gig more like combo of Oliver, Wilmore, and Mandvi than a Stewart stand-in - the host as super-correspondent. In just a few brief spots, Noah demonstrated a broad world view and a very personal take on race and culture that set him apart from his peers. But go back to his inaugural segment - a bit called "Spot The Africa" that poked holes in our stereotypical assumptions about where the third world really is - and it's obvious he had the goods from the get-go. Yes, South Africa's Trevor Noah is no Jon Stewart, and he barely managed to log in a a handful of appearances before being handed the keys to the franchise. But always made the most of his comic persona and his physique: The red hot pants he donned during the New York City gay pride parade and the shorts and tank top he sported in the piece on government recommendations for healthy eating is something you really must see/can never un-see. Known better as the original lead in Broadway's uber-smash The Book of Mormon (or the voice of Olaf the snowman from Frozen, if you have kids), Gad only had a handful of appearances. Pop-culture bloggers and shows like Best Week Ever that are fueled by catty criticism owe DeCaro a debt. Frank DeCaro's huggable bear-ish persona made him palatable to the show's early bro-dude demographic by the time Stewart took over, the comedian had established himself as a fixture, and his Out at the Movies review segments (" Lord of the Rings is the perfect movie for the holidays - a three-hour epic about returning bad jewelry!") and Oscar coverage were some of the more memorable pre-politicized TDS bits. Gay icons are everywhere now on cable and network TV, but circa the mid-to-late Nineties, flamboyant, out-and-proud TV personalities were rare, and even fewer were funny. As the handsome, smug, but ultimately substance-less correspondent, he helped establish the show's bread and butter of interviewing ridiculous people who were completely unaware that they were being lampooned, like the shouting Texas evangelist turned Canadian soft-spoken hairstylist Jonathan Bell. Of the original team from Craig Kilborn's tenure, no one captured that fake news gravitas better than Brian Unger. All apologies, Olivia Munn, Hasan Minhaj, Nancy Walls, and Bob Wiltfong you were taken from us too soon, Michael Che.) (While we'd love to rank every single one from best to worst, we're capping it at the top 25 contenders. ![]() These are the cream of The Daily Show's correspondents and contributors crop, the ones whose field reports, convention coverage and recurring editorial segments still crack us up long after the issues themselves have come and gone. They've helped make the show what it is, so we feel it's high time we celebrated their contributions. ![]() The BFNTE's ranks have changed over the years, with some folks only making a few brief appearances, and others staying on for over a decade a surprising number honed their chops and then went on to successful movie and TV careers. They were here before Stewart took over the late-night program in 1999 and transformed into a powerhouse institution of political satire/commentary, and they'll be here after the host says goodbye on August 6th. They are the Daily Show's correspondents, a fearless group of men and women who brave ridicule (and in one case, a near-beating) to bring you, the viewer, the fake news. They're collectively known as "The Best News Team Ever," a crack team of comedians capable of deflating delusional nincompoops, screaming truth to power, bantering with Jon Stewart over the issues of the day, and - the significance of this last part can't be overstated - making complete jackasses of themselves in order to score ideological points and get laughs. ![]()
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