Jon Stewart signs with Apple to launch a new current affairs series

The series, which was already planned for multiple seasons, will tackle a single issue per episode in "exploring topics that are now part of the national conversation and his advocacy work", according to an official description. A showrunner for the forthcoming series, for which Apple is expected to offer a companion podcast, has yet to be named.

Stewart hosted The Daily Show for 16 years before passing the torch to Trevor Noah in 2015.

During his 20 year tenure at Comedy Central, Stewart won more than 20 Emmys and served as a major voice in American political satire. Also attached to the show is former HBO head Richard Plepler, who has an existing deal with Apple through Eden Productions.

The multi-season series on Apple TV+ will bring the comedian back to TV on a regular basis for the first time since he ended his Emmy-winning run as host of "The Daily Show" in 2015. His comedically skewering of politics became so successful it spawned a spinoff "The Colbert Report" which Stewart co-created and produced with Stephen Colbert.

Stewart is said to deliver "hourlong, single-subject episodes" with Stewart as the host and executive producer.

The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report the news.

In addition to "The Daily Show", Stewart is known for writing and directing the movies "Rosewater" and "Irresistible", and has been active in supporting the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Bill, as well as working on issues involving wounded veterans.