The last time comedian Jon Stewart filmed a stand-up special, Bill Clinton was president and the Twitter bird had yet to hatch.
There’s a lot to catch up on.
HBO announced Wednesday that Stewart will return to the cable channel for his first stand-up special since 1996, although a date and location have yet to be revealed.
“I’m really thrilled to be able to return to stand-up on HBO,” Stewart said in a statement. “They’ve always set the standard for great stand-up specials. Plus, I can finally use up the last of the Saddam Hussein jokes left over from my first special.”
Stewart rose to fame as host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central from 1999 to 2015. His satirical take on the news and politics of the day won him a legion of fans.
The show won 23 Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards.
He is also slated to host the “Night of Too Many Stars” from The Theater at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Nov. 18. The show, which will include short films, stand-up routines and sketches from fellow comedians, benefits NEXT for Autism, a nonprofit that funds programs for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The benefit was created by comedy writer Robert Smigel.
“We’re excited to bring Jon to the network with this pair of specials,” said Casey Bloys, president of HBO Programming. “We’ve all missed his uniquely thoughtful brand of humor.”
