The Daily Show is expanding into microdrama territory for the first time, with Comedy Central developing a spoof series titled The Daily Show Presents: Two Billionaires Fight to Dominate the Country… And My Heart! The move sees the satirical news programme parody the "vertical" microdrama format, which typically relies on soap opera-style plots and melodramatic twists to hook mobile viewers, applying that style to a send-up of American politics and tech-billionaire culture.

The series follows two wealthy tech figures, Egon Husk and Jiff Davos, competing to build an AI president after the sitting president's daughter reveals her ageing father wants to spend more time sleeping, with romantic complications ensuing. Release date, platform and cast have not yet been announced. It marks the show's first microdrama, though it has previously produced digital sketches and a podcast, and comes as the nearly 30-year-old programme has picked up seven Emmy nominations, including for best variety series.