Samantha Bee, the longest-serving correspondent ever on “The Daily Show,” has taken herself out of the running to become Jon Stewart’s replacement.
Instead, the comedienne will headline her own politically themed talk show on TBS later this year, thus becoming one of 2015’s only two female late-night hosts. The untitled series, currently in early development, will be created and executive produced by Bee alongside her husband Jason Jones.
The couple will also pen the pilot of and serve as EPs for another TBS series, a darker sitcom based on their experiences vacationing as a family. Jones will star alongside “Justified” actress Natalie Zea. The show has received a 10-episode order from the cable network.
“Like her fans around the country, we absolutely adore everything about Sam, from her straight-faced sarcasm and ruthless wit to her uncanny ability to mine comedy gold from just about any awkward situation,” commented Brett Weitz, Executive VP of Original Programming at TBS. “After watching Sam’s work for years, we knew that her distinctive humor and talent belong at the front of her own show.”
YouTube star Grace Helbig will headline her own late-night talk show on E! starting this April. Helbig and Bee will soon be joined in the late-night game by Chelsea Handler, whose Netflix talk show debuts early 2016.