MAIN Television Daily Show with Jon Stewart

With traditional news shows increasingly in bed with White House officials and commercial advertisers, The Daily Show has become "the most trusted name in fake news."

Since its 1996 premiere, this very popular takeoff on the nightly news has won the devotion of millions of fans. Just don't try to convince them it's fake.

Its first host was Craig Kilborn but The Daily Show has been raised to the level of certifiable hit since Jon Stewart took over the anchor role in 1999.

Today, the Emmy Award-winning satire on Comedy Central owes much of its tremendous success to double-edged satire. That is, of holding a light up to real news stories, and the complicity of the news shows such as CNN, ABC, FOX and MSNBC that report them.

Pure democracy often rules in the land of The Daily Show, where Democrats and Republicans, Buddhists, Jews and Mormons are all subject to equal opportunity send-ups.

Laugh all you want, but never assume Jon Stewart is a lightweight. He's received the prestigious Peabody Award twice for the most refreshingly funny coverage of U.S. presidential elections in both 2000 and 2004.

And watch as he appears as a guest on the CNN show Crossfire, when in 2004 he angrily accuses hosts Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala of "partisan hackery." Among fans, the clip has now become the stuff of legend.

Worldwide, The Daily Show has steadily caught on with a global edition shown outside the U.S. on CNN International, and it recently premiered on UK television digital channel More4.

In Canada, the show airs on both The Comedy Network and on CTV where it regularly beats out "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Show with David Letterman" in the ratings.

Comedy Central - Daily Show with Jon Stewart - The official site, featuring the complete TV schedule, cast bios, Web exclusives, an archive of video clips, pictures, screen savers, wallpapers, icons.

The Daily Show - Wikipedia - A good accounting of the show since 1996, including cast pictures and screen caps, background info on its format and production, a discussion of its running jokes and gags, a list of guest interviews, Daily Show alumni, TV awards received, related links.

Anita's Daily Show Archive - Check out a good cache of show transcripts, funny quotes, blog commentary, pictures and screen captures dating back to 1996.

Jon Stewart Video Clips - More best bits from his appearances on The Daily Show, the Crossfire smackdown, on TV interviews, Oscar award-hosting clips and more uploaded by YouTube visitors.

Jon Stewart Intelligence Agency - The big, big unofficial fan club featuring a Jon Stewart biography, quotes, career timeline, TVography, message board, related links.

The Most Trusted Name in News - Rolling Stone cover story featuring an interview with Jon Stewart and the influence the show has had on an entire generation.

onegoodmove: I think these might be clues - One person's blog, and a big fan of both The Daily Show and its spinoff, The Colbert Report, featuring favorite clips.

also see -> The Colbert Report