John Stewart Starts Hiatus from Daily Show

Off to direct a movie

And so, exit stage left, or right, or whatever: Jon Stewart is now officially gone for the summer.

Cable — and really, TV's — most honored late night guy bowed out on last night's "The Daily Show" to head to the Middle East to direct a film based on the ordeal of Maziar Bahari, the journalist and human rights advocate who was jailed in Iran after being "interviewed" by the show's Jason Jones. Last night, Stewart spoke a little more about this strange chapter in late night TV.

He's gone until late summer, and will return, well, by the end of the summer. Sept. 4, to be exact.