I just want to make two points...

Point one, The Daily Show should be compulsory viewing for all high school students: and...

Point B, isn't it ironic that the same nation that has FOX News has something like the Daily Show. But we have nothing that compares to it?

mars08, fully concur with you that we have nothing to compare with as to Murdoch. Perhaps we need more Foxtel; just get rid of public broadcasting?

Well.. we also don't have anything that compares to the Bubonic Plague either. No complaints there!

But we DID give the world Murdoch. So we're not exactly without fault.

it would be nice to have the equivalent to The Daily Show in Australia. We need something to take on, and lampoon, the rubbish in Murdoch's media.

Maybe that will develop with internet TV?

You're offering me the bubonic plague, Mars08?
Life suddenly seems less gloomy.
(actually lucky am here, computer seems to be playing up).

John Clarke and Bryan Dawe who close the ABC's 7.30 Report on Thursday night seem tame by comparison to Jon Stewart.

Yeah John Clarke and Bryan Dawe were the only ones I could think of too.

But they don't even come close to TDS for content or weekly time on air. Dawe and Clarke only get a few minutes of air time and their always use the same format. But... beggars can't etc.

The ABC sometimes have sassy female political comedians on Q+A who are very sharp--- eg., Magda Szubanski on tonights show. Some of the videos at the end of Q+ A have bite.

There is need for a political comedy show

The death of satire on public broacasting over the last deade is one of the standout features of that decade. Glasshouse, Berner, CNNNN etc, all were cleared off by reactionary management who also apparently avoided purchasing British satire.
Nan, it was a fearful thing indeed to watch what happend to Barnaby, isolated as he was between Szubanski and that brunette at the end of the table, with only Virgina Trioli there as a hope for rescue.
Albrechtsen, stranded up the other end of a six person panel, was as inpotent.
Shorten, more central and easily able to deal with Trioli, sensed the opportunity and got control of much of the debate.
Just recalling Max Gillies in the 'eighties.
Back then Clarke was in for quite intricate disguises, as with the "liar-bird" sometimes presented to explain government or opposition inconsistencies or backflips.
I used to be helplessly captured in uncontrollable paroxyisms of laughter, even to pain, at the liar bird's intellectual contortions in explaining away the blatant inconsistencies of politicians.