Apple TV+’s topical news show ‘The Problem With Jon Stewart’ is set to come to an abrupt halt after the former Daily Show host was reportedly pressured not to cover artificial intelligence (AI) and China by the iPhone maker.

The show, which originally launched in 2020 on Apple's subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming platform, was set to start filming for its third season in the coming weeks with production already underway.

However, according to sources cited by the New York Times, Stewart and Apple executives had editorial disagreements over some of the topics and guests, with the specific topics of China and AI causing concern, particularly in light of the proximity to the 2024 US General Election.

The report, published Thursday, said that staff found out that production had been halted yesterday.

It is currently unclear what was the planned areas of critique around the contentious topics, but just the mere fact that the provocative Stewart – who earlier this year saw a confrontational interview with Oklahoma State Senator Nathan Dahm go viral for the politician’s appeared preference for protecting gun ownership rights over protecting children – would approach them was enough for executives to step in.

A separate report from The Hollywood Reporter said that Apple approached Stewart directly and told him that both sides needed to be “aligned” regarding topics on the show. Stewart reportedly viewed this as being "hamstrung" by Apple, and has instead decided to walk away from the five-time Emmy nominated series.

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