Variety reports that HBO and Jon Stewart have jointly scrapped plans for Stewart to produce and perform in a series of topical animated pieces for the premium cable network, plans that were initially announced just a few months after Stewart’s departure from his Daily Show pulpit. The idea behind the project was that Stewart would write new, quick-fire content for the company’s network and streaming broadcasts, bursts of on-topic material that would allow Americans to get a quick dose of Stewart’s still-welcome call for empathy and humor, and then get back to their latest binge through Game Of Thrones.
The sticking point on the project appears to be the whole “animated” thing. Outside Stewart’s old network-mates at South Park, very few animators can manage a turnaround time that’s fast enough to keep topical comedy fresh. (And if they try, it usually ends up being a terrible strain on…aw, you know.)
This doesn’t spell the end for Stewart and HBO’s partnership, though; the two currently have a four-year production deal, and more projects will apparently be making their way to light fairly soon.