Watch the first ‘Daily Show’ with Jon Stewart in 1999

Given all the acclaim Jon Stewart has received during his 16 years at “The Daily Show,â€� it’s easy to forget that when he took over for original host Craig Kilborn that he was considered late night’s perennial bridesmaid –a comedian who had “made a career out of almost hosting other people's talk shows,â€� as the Times put it in 1998. 

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Maybe because he’d already tried out for so many other jobs, Stewart displayed confidence right out of the gate, even making light of his runner-up status in a way that suggested he wasn’t too bothered by it. The episode itself is an enjoyable late-'90s time capsule, featuring an interview with “Spin City� star Michael J. Fox (“I’ve been on ‘The Daily Show’ more than you have,� he joked to Stewart), a report from correspondent Stephen Colbert about President Clinton’s impeachment trial and jokes about Strom Thurmond and the NBA lockout.

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 It’s also a glimpse at a show in transition from the Kilborn era. Case in point:  A slightly cringe-inducing segment in which correspondent Beth Littleford interviewed actors who’d played munchkins in “The Wizard of Oz.â€� 

Here's a trip back to January 1999, a  younger, more innocent time when Gwen and Gavin were still together, cellphones were a novelty and Jon Stewart was known as the guy who got stabbed in the eye in "The Faculty." 

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