According to The New York Times, The Problem With Jon Stewart will not be returning for a third season on Apple TV+. Filming for another eight episodes was set to begin in the next few weeks, but Apple and Stewart have reportedly decided to part ways before it can begin. Although neither party has yet issued a statement, the releases say the parties disagreed on key issues. The host apparently told production staff that Apple executives had expressed concerns about certain topics he might cover on the show, particularly China and artificial intelligence.
Based on ‘s confirmation of the news, Apple spoke to Stewart about the need to “connect” with the show’s themes and even threatened to cancel the series. Stewart wanted full creative control of the issue and instead chose to walk away.
“The Problem” debuted on Apple TV+ in 2021, with episodes released every two weeks, six years after Stewart left The Daily Show. The second season began airing in 2022 and had four more episodes – for a total of 12 – than the first. It also streamed every week with a break of a few months after the sixth episode. The newer season also explored controversial topics, including gender identity and the impeachment of former President Donald Trump. Although these episodes were released for streaming, sources told that there had already been tension between the parties before production began on season three due to the previous topics Stewart had covered on the show. As The Times said, Apple may have been concerned about becoming embroiled in political controversy that the series might bring and had agreed to end the partnership.