Missing Jon Stewart? He might arrive on HBO Now in time for November election

By Stephanie Topacio Long May 5, 2016

jon stewart hbo november comedy central — Comedy Central

As eventful as this election cycle has been so far, there’s been something vital missing: regular political commentary from Jon Stewart. Fortunately, that may not continue to be the case. Richard Plepler, CEO of HBO, revealed today that he’s “hopeful” the premium network will be able to launch a new project from the former host of The Daily Show before the general election. His comments came during a Paley Media Council interview with CNN’s Brian Stelter, reports Variety.

Stelter’s question referred to a four-year production deal that HBO reached with Stewart in November, just months after he left The Daily Show. At the time, HBO revealed that Stewart’s first project would consist of short-form videos using technology from the cloud graphics company Otoy Inc. Plepler today gave a bit more information, explaining that Stewart has a lot of creative control.

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“My hunch is it will evolve over time. It will iterate over time,” said Plepler. “He has free rein to do whatever he wants.”

That doesn’t give us much information about what he will do, but we have some idea about what he won’t do. It seems safe to say that Stewart will create videos much shorter than Daily Show episodes.

“Appearing on television 22 minutes a night clearly broke me,” he said in a statement in November. “I’m pretty sure I can produce a few minutes of content every now and again.”

Fans will happily take however many minutes of content he’s willing to provide. At this point, though, it sounds like the former TV show host won’t be returning to television sets — or at least not those without HBO Now streaming capabilities. Ever since the project was announced, HBO has said that it would be made available on the premium network’s standalone streaming service. Stewart die-hards, you may have to subscribe.

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HBO remains one of the titans of the entertainment industry, and with shows such as The Wire, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Watchmen, and more, under its belt, it’s easy to see why that’s the case. If you’re itching to watching HBO but don’t have the money, it can be frustrating. But what if we told you that you could get HBO for free? Whether you want to binge-watch a single series or catch up on a blockbuster film, we’ll show you how to get HBO for free using a bit of ingenuity.
Take advantage of HBO trials

Trials are designed to get you hooked, but if you’re looking to binge-watch a show or gain access to a few films, you may only need the 30-day trial period to satiate your craving. You can find trials for HBO at the source, HBO.com, or via other streaming services. Trial availability tends to change over time, but we found that both Hulu and Amazon Prime seemed to offer ongoing trials to the service’s content. Just remember that many trials will bill your credit card once they end, so put a reminder on your calendar to cancel before that date if you don’t wish to continue your subscription.
Give your cable provider a call
Your cable provider might be able to hook you up with a free trial of HBO or HBO Max, and you don’t need to play any tricks. Many cable and satellite TV providers have HBO trials on-hand, as the service is so popular that customers regularly look to sample it. The key to calling your cable provider is to be honest and ask if any HBO trials are available because you want to try the service; this is a great time to remember that old saying your mother told you -- you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.