The Daily Show

The Daily Show played a very important part in shaping the Steve Carell we know, first off, he was called Steven before it and chose to shorten it to Steve after!

He was shining in the Second City sketches and later in The Dana Carvey Show, but in the Daily Show he started to use the more subtle technique of comedy, where you use your poker face while saying the most absurd things you can figure, before that he used anger and increasing his voice pitch more, like in the Germans who say nice things!

He started to master another form of comedy which is the self-tortured-whining in public kind, where he expresses all his vulnerability in front of a live audience!

Also he tried a lot of different awkward situations each night, which resulted in a Michael Scott-ish situations! Here Michael Scott was born!!!

As of acting, he acted hate, anger, love, but most of all self-ignorance or blindness to how he affects others thinking he is a genius while actually he is a buffoon!!

He had some great scenes with Nancy but she always looked at the camera while he interacted with her, so it was best when one time he just took her away from that camera staring and kissed her!! 

Awkwardly hot! I hate to say this; but Nancy was not that good on the Daily Show, she focused on the camera too much and was too self aware! She shouted too much, but she was adorable and that compensated somehow for the show, besides most her sketches were with Steve who made sure she looked good!

The show was full of friendships and team work effort, we can see that from the episodes and the books that talk about the show, but the most adorable friendship story is the two Stevephens!!

Stephen Colbert and Steven Carell started at Second City in the mid-eighties and continued to have the greatest underrated Bro-Ship.

They helped each other find jobs, they respected one another and they watched each other's back!

Stephen Colbert is the one who threw Steve's name in the ring when they asked for correspondents, in short he is the one who got him the job, and Steve Carell never forgot that! He is indebted to Colbert and always mentions him! Such a lovely friendship!

I know, don't forget Jon!

Jon Stewart was their boss somehow, can you imagine! He is the balance of the show, you see him you know you are hearing the truth, the bitter truth and no comedy there except the comedy of life, and they were the abject crazy side that showed you how the world could get absurd!! So he was the barometer for sanity and they were the insanity in short!

This contrast made the show hilarious yet intelligent!

Steve had multiple segments in the show, about cooking with Produce Pete, about weight loss with Slimming with Steve, about political debates with Colbert in Even Stevphen, about financial world in Cents with Mo and Nancy, about fashion with Nancy in Showbizz, about advertisement in Ad Nauseum etc.!!!
But, yes and there is a but, he was awful at interviews, and it was where Colbert excelled! He was tense and a little scream, with tons of sweat when he interviewed anybody, while Colbert seemed to be always enjoying himself!!
So All but this one had one thing in common, he was trying something new in each one! like stretching his acting muscles!! 

and it shows, he was nominated for Oscars, won a Golden Globe, and carries a long list of nominations including an Emmy and Golden Globe for each year he was on the office!!