John Oliver, sitting at his news desk, hosts a comedic yet informative news show once a week on Sundays at 11 p.m. Photo credit: Livenation.com
Beginning in April 2014, premium television network HBO introduced a late-night talk show called Last Week Tonight with John into their regularly scheduled lineup. The show will be screened on televisions across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. The show is hosted by John Oliver who is widely known for his work on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
On Last Week Tonight Oliver offers a comedic perspective on controversial news stories, such as net neutrality, global warming, the lottery, Obamacare, and student debt. In addition to serious stories, Oliver lightens the tone by bringing comedic or fun news stories to light, such as geckos in space or salmon cannons.
But clearly, there is more to Oliver’s show than just humor. Oliver delivers news in a relatable and comfortable fashion that invites viewers to stay and watch. After many laughs, viewers come away with a serious message about certain conflicts or issues in our society. The jokes are meant to grab the viewer, but the news content keeps viewers glued to their seats. This is a breath of fresh air compared to traditional news programs whose seriousness nature seems stale and out-of-touch with Gen Y.
Given the show’s success on television, in April 2014 HBO began uploading certain segments of it on the internet; its viewership on YouTube has soared to include 165 million views combined.
The second season of Last Week Tonight premieres February 8, 2015. But in this digital age where waiting is passe, viewers can access sneak previews on Youtube.