Jon Stewart

Host of the 'Daily Show' keeps Busboy busy

By ZACHARY PINCUS-ROTH

Stewart

JUDD AND HIS MERRY MEN

• Judd Apatow
• Seth Rogen
• Michael Cera
• Jonah Hill

FEATURE THESPS

• Tim Allen
• Rowan Atkinson
• Kevin James
• Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
• Adam Sandler
• John Travolta
• John C. Reilly

HELMERS & SCRIBES

• Jason Reitman & Diablo Cody
• The Hot Fuzz Guys
• Walt Becker
• Tyler Perry

TOON TALENT

• Brad Bird
• The Simpsons troika
• Jerry Seinfeld

LIVE LAUGHS LEADERS

• Jim Gaffigan
• Demetri Martin
• Katt Williams
• Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan

WEB HEADS

• The Lonely Island Guys
• Perez Hilton
• Funnyordie.com

TUBE TITANS

• Bill Engvall
• Jenna Fischer
• Tina Fey
• Bryan Fuller
• Flight of the Conchords
• Tracy Morgan
• Steven Koonin
• Chuck Lorre
• Neil Patrick Harris
• Ricky Gervais
• Jaime Pressly
• Conan O'Brien
• Jon Stewart
• Amy Poehler
• Sarah Silverman

Having recently won its fifth consecutive variety/musical/comedy series Emmy, Stewart's "Daily Show" continues to come up with innovative ways of skewering the news -- this year, for example, correspondent Rob Riggle reported from the actual, nongreenscreen Iraq and somehow found comedy in the middle of a war-torn country.

Stewart -- who has been tapped for an encore Oscar-hosting gig -- continues to be active on the development side through his Busboy Prods. shingle, which has spawned not only the runaway hit "The Colbert Report" but also the recently announced "Important Things With Demetri Martin." The latter project will create a showcase for the "Daily Show" contributor, who is also one of the most popular alternative comedy headliners around.

Point of view

"Working with Jon is kind of like having this comedy professor," says "Daily Show" contributor Demetri Martin. "I feel like I learn something just being in ('The Daily Show') offices."