According to the Nielson ratings agency, Trevor Noah's US ratings have dropped exponentially, but the comedian has, however, been able to draw in younger audiences

It seems like just yesterday that South African comedian Trevor Noah hosted his first The Daily Show episode, and now, over a month later, it’s not looking particularly good for the young host as far as the ratings are concerned.

Since Noah’s debut on The Daily Show on 28 September, the show has lost 37% of its US viewers. But on a more positive note, he has managed to boost the reach to younger audiences (between 18 and 24) by 20%, and on-demand streams of the show have risen by 44%, Nielson ratings have revealed.

READ MORE: Trevor Noah sets new local Comedy Central ratings record for his The Daily Show debut

According to Alternet, Noah has revealed a notable ability to attract millennial viewers as well as a more diverse audience, and has the digital market wrapped around his baby finger. Alternet reports that Noah has doubled Stewart’s Twitter mentions and has propelled the show to third place in the Twitter space, right behind The Tonight Show and @midnight.

While it’s normal to want to compare Noah’s ratings to Stewart’s, there are other factors to consider when measuring his success. For one, he’s clearly proved that he can reach different demographics. But a number of critics are looking at more than just the ratings.

Noah vs Stewart

While Stewart was often praised for his smart, thought-provoking sarcasm, wit and satire, Noah has been criticised for not offering the same incisive satirical observations because of his style of humour.

Alternet’s Sophia McClennan writes that Noah has taken over from “one of the most socially significant satirists” in the history of the US, and expresses doubt over whether he will make the grade. She slams Noah for seeming to only focus on finding examples of stupidity and mocking them, which she points out offers no social impact whatsoever.

It is time to ask whether Noah can be the sort of politically incisive comedian we need hosting The Daily Show

“His [Noah’s] impersonation of a Middle American accent is flat, but most important, the comedy itself just lacks the irony needed to be good satire. Instead, the piece simply makes everyone look stupid,” she writes. “And it has nothing in common with Stewart’s brand of satire. For Stewart the goal was to use irony to get the audience thinking. Calling bulls–t was only the beginning. For Noah the game seems to be to call bulls–t, then run away laughing.”

Since his first episode, Noah has been described as a flat and fumbling host by various critics. Who can forget his very first interview with comedian Kevin Hart? Noah was heart-wrenchingly nervous and Hart was gracious enough to try and hide the awkwardness that often threatened to overwhelm his host. The South African has continued to fumble at times over the past month, but the fumbling itself is not the biggest cause for concern, says McClennan.

READ MORE: Trevor Noah in joke theft scandal

She reckons that ratings and demographics are not the most crucial or only criteria to judge whether Noah is a better host than Stewart.

“If we are going to consider whether Noah is ‘beating’ Stewart, it does seem reasonable to ask: in what way? Certainly ratings and demographics and on-demand views seem like flimsy metrics. It is time to ask whether Noah can be the sort of politically incisive comedian we need hosting The Daily Show,” she writes.

Sources: Alternet, Nielson