5 Guests Who Should Return to 'The Daily Show With Jon Stewart'

After a two-week hiatus, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart returns this week for Jon Stewart’s final run of episodes leading up to his Aug. 6 departure. That’s a mere three weeks and 12 half-hour installments before the politically-conscious comedian departs the airwaves, which also means that there are only 12 guest spots left. Actually, there’s only eight, since this week’s guest roster is set: Paul Rudd will be appearing on July 20, followed by President Obama (making his seventh and final appearance opposite Stewart), Jake Gyllenhaal, and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates.

The lineup for the host’s final two weeks has yet to be revealed, but it’s likely that Stewart and his booking team already have each spot filled with a timely and/or favored guest. Still, if he’s open to taking suggestions, we have a list of five people — whose previous appearances you can see in the above video — we’d like to see stop by The Daily Show one more time before Stewart gifts us with his last Moment of Zen.

Hugh Grant
Total Visits: 1
Last Appearance: Dec. 16, 2009
During the British actor’s first (and last) appearance on The Daily Show, the chemistry between Grant and Stewart is so chilly, you can practically see them exhaling frost. It couldn’t have helped that they were required to plug a movie — the 2009 bomb Did You Hear About the Morgans? — both suspected was pretty terrible. During a conversation with Stephen Colbert three years later, Stewart named Grant as his single-worst guest, calling him a “big pain in the ass,” and Grant actually agreed and apologized via Twitter. Even though he’s been effectively banned from The Daily Show ever since, there’s no time like the present to make up for past wrongs. Let Grant deliver his mea culpa in person — and promote his new, hopefully better, movie The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (due out Aug. 14) as well. Maybe he’ll remember to be funny this time.

Denis Leary
Total Visits: 18
Last Appearance: Apr. 8, 2014

Stewart is infamous for not caring what his celebrity guests are promoting on The Daily Show, something that Mark Ruffalo complained about via supercut. Fortunately for Jon, whenever good pal Denis Leary stops by the show, he doesn’t give a hoot about promoting his wares either. That means that instead of an awkward discussion about a film/TV show/book that Stewart hasn’t seen or read, viewers are instead treated to a delightful dorm room conversation between a pair of longtime friends who take great pleasure in busting each others’ chops. Who else would have the cojones to reference Operation Dumbo Drop in Leary’s presence and live to tell the tale? Nobody, that’s who.

Brian Williams
Total Visits: 14
Last Appearance: June 4, 2013

Whenever another guest fell through, the former face of NBC Nightly News could always be counted on to scoot across town from 30 Rock to The Daily Show HQ to discuss current events (and trade jibes) with Comedy Central’s premiere anchorman. Williams and Stewart shared a terrific rapport, perhaps because they each had an abiding respect for the other’s skills. Since Williams’s very public fall from grace, however, he’s understandably (and, perhaps, wisely) avoided appearing in The Daily Show’s guest chair. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t seem right for Stewart to sign off without reuniting with his brother-from-another-network, giving Williams another opportunity to repair his tattered reputation.

John Oliver
Last Appearance: Nov. 13, 2014

If they could rewind the clock back to the summer of 2013, you can bet that Comedy Central would take immediate steps to lock Oliver up as the new host of The Daily Show following the former correspondent’s run as Stewart’s substitute while Jon was off directing his first movie, Rosewater. Instead, the British comic took his talents to HBO, where he’s already established himself as one of the best journalists/satirists around with Last Week Tonight. But Oliver hasn’t forgotten his roots or his affection for his former boss; just before Rosewater’s release last year, he made a one-night-only return to the host’s chair to help Stewart promote the film. Even if he’s not a solo guest, it’s inconceivable that he won’t drop by one more time to say thank you to the man who helped him launch his stateside career.

Hillary Clinton
Total Visits: 3
Last Appearance July 15, 2014

By leaving The Daily Show now, Stewart avoids the sure-to-be-crazy 2016 election cycle, which is good news for him and bad news for the candidates. Clinton in particular should seize the opportunity to have an exit interview with Stewart, who reaches the very demographic she’s hoping to shore up in the looming primary battle. Maybe she can repay him with a cabinet post come January 2017…

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart airs Mondays through Thursdays at 11 p.m. on Comedy Central.