Noted author and comedian Baratunde Thurston has been tapped by Comedy Central to oversee original content on the forthcoming “Daily Show with Trevor Noah.”
Thurston, who is a former digital director for The Onion and best-selling author of the book How To Be Black, will be in charge of developing an “ongoing flow” of new content for digital and social platforms.
“Baratunde brings a very unique set of skills to ‘The Daily Show.’ We’ve been admirers of his comedic work on all platforms for a long time,” said Comedy Central exec. Michele Ganeless. “We’re thrilled he is joining the team and can’t wait to see what he and the team create for the show under Trevor Noah.”
Thurston has a long history in comedy that includes over 10 years as a standup comedian, co-hosting the podcast About Race, and co-founding the comedy collective Cultivated Wit. Additionally, he has put in time at the MIT Media Lab and become a sought after speaker having given talks at SXSW, TED, and other events.
In statement released via Comedy Central, Thurston says he is ecstatic to join the team: “This must be what it’s like to have Nick Fury call and welcome you to the Avengers. I’m honored and floored and so many other verbs.”
“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” premieres Monday, Sept. 28, on Comedy Central.
