Producer of ‘Daily Show’ and ‘Colbert’ Cites Other Projects as He Steps Aside

[applegrove]

Producer of ‘Daily Show’ and ‘Colbert’ Cites Other Projects as He Steps Aside
The Executive Producer of ‘The Daily Show’ and ‘The Colbert Report’ Is Leaving (December 2, 2006)
Readers’ Opinions
Forum: Television
By JACQUES STEINBERG
Published: December 4, 2006

"Ben Karlin, the departing executive producer of both “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report,” said yesterday that he had decided to leave those positions at year’s end because the television shows were so all-consuming as to prevent him from fully committing to other projects, including a forthcoming book.

In a joint telephone interview, Mr. Karlin and Jon Stewart, the host of “The Daily Show” and a producer of that series and of “Colbert,” said that they had been talking for several years about how Mr. Karlin might scale back his commitments. Nearly eight years after Mr. Stewart first hired him as head writer of “The Daily Show” — and with his contract with the show up at the end of the year — Mr. Karlin said he had decided in recent weeks that the time was finally right.

“It’s the continuation of a conversation that has been going on for three years,” Mr. Karlin, 35, said. “At some point I knew I was going to have to leave before the show is over, even though it is something I do with sadness.”

A signal moment in making his decision came earlier in the fall, Mr. Karlin said, when — with a work ethic his staff would recognize — he sustained a stress fracture in his left tibia while training too hard for a marathon. “Maybe I’m not the best boss,” Mr. Stewart said. “When I heard that, I said, ‘Today, you hop on that left leg.’ ”

.............SNIP"

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/04/arts/television/04dail.html?th&emc=th

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

1. With All The People Bailing On TDS....

You would think it was a sinking ship, with declining ratings.

Things have never been better for TDS & Colbert, yet there seems to be a high turnover with correspondents and now the Executive Producer/Former Head Writer.

I hope this doesn't impact the performance of these shows in '07. It must take a lot to keep them at the quality level we've seen.

[applegrove]

2. I agree it must take so much work to come up with the jokes 4 days

a week. I hope they don't change much. Though so much of it is driven by the host. I hope it stays the same.

[Kagemusha]

3. It's like Super Bowl teams in the age of free agency.

People get recruited because they're valuable parts of winning teams. Some do well in their second homes. Some go on racist rants while attempting to be funny. Or something.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

4. I've Never Understood People Willingly Leaving A Great Position

Seems like Shelly Long leaving Cheers, because she wanted to start on that movie career.

Or someone like Matt LeBlanc thinking that his spinoff is going to be even remotely as successful as "Friends."

I just read that Keith Olbermann's contract is up in March. I hope he doesn't leave to pursue that "acting" career he's always wanted.

[applegrove]

5. Asking for money when you are only cast is a risky thing. Especially

when others have gone before you on the same show.

[lapfog_1]

6. When you are so successful and get rewarded for it

naturally there are people around you telling you how great YOU are (as opposed to the entire team). And it's hard to remain grounded and ignore the accolades and butt kissing. It's the danger of being a star in a company of stars, and thinking that you will burn just as bright without your team.