Jon Stewart's return to television, The Problem with Jon Stewart, debuted on Apple+ this week, which marks Stewart’s first satirical current affairs show since he stepped down from his position on The Daily Show in 2015. The debut episode, "The Problem with War" tackled an issue Stewart has long advocated for: the lack of healthcare treatment provided to veterans and 9/11 first responders. In fact, Stewart revealed in the episode that The Problem With was inspired by an episode of The Daily Show in which 9/11 responders confessed their disappointment with Congress and the healthcare system that failed to cover their lingering medical needs. Now, Apple TV+ has revealed three new clips from the show's debut episode.
Giving Stewart free rein to select the direction each episode will take, the series aims to explore the complex problems of our modern times, inviting experts and other knowledgeable individuals to help break down and scrutinize these issues. In 45 minutes, each episode deals with some complex subject matter which although accompanied by plenty of jokes, are analyzed in an earnest way in order to inform its viewers.
One clip from The Problem with War focuses on exposing the issue of “burn pits." As Stewart explains in the episode: “It turns out, when you invade a country, they don’t tell you when trash day is. So, everything that the military wants to get rid of, from food, to old uniforms, hazardous materials, medical waste, batteries, ammunition, armaments, entire trucks, nuclear waste, amputated body parts, and the maraschino cherry, metric tons of human feces." What Stewart aims to divulge with this issue is how these “burn pits” affected soldiers who, in having to stay in the bases adjacent to these pits, had to breathe in the poisonous smoke, and that resulted in a troubling array of incapacitating health issues. The whole episode’s root problem could be all summed up by one of the guests, Army Sergeant Isiah James, who said: “One you’re out [of the military], they do not care.”.
With Chelsea Devantez as head writer, the show highlights both Stewart’s satirical side as well as his compassion-driven attitude in regards to the issues explored. Stewart is also an executive producer on the show, in addition to James Dixon, Stewart’s manager, and Richard Plepler. New episodes of The Problem with Jon Stewart will debut every other Thursday on Apple TV+. In addition, the series’ official companion podcast is also made available every Thursday on Apple Podcasts. Check out the clips How Can That Not Be A Show, What Is A Burn Pit?, and They Do Not Care.