Cover Story Oliver slays

‘Last Week Tonight’ is a perfect blend of news and humor

By Kenneth Andeel TV Media

When John Oliver accepted correspondent duties at “The Daily Show” as a fresh-faced British youngster in 2006, he could not have dreamed that he would eventually adapt and perfect that show’s formula to create a series that would ultimately eclipse its progenitor.

That’s exactly what he’s done with “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” — he has inherited the cable comedy news throne that was comedy show. HBO turned out to be the best fit, and a mere three months after his stint as temporary host, it was announced that Oliver would be creating a brand new show for the premium cable network.

In April 2014, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” premiered, and in the time since its debut, the show has become a cultural touchstone and a critical darling. It has also won multiple Emmy and Peabody awards for its humorous-yet-informative treatment of serious issues — most recently, dives into serious issues. If “The Daily Show” was a satirical version of the archetypical nightly news broadcast, then “Last Week Tonight” is more like an off-kilter newsmagazine. It’s not uncommon for a segment on Oliver’s show to run between 15 and 20 minutes, which is a vast chunk of time for a half-hour show to dedicate to a single topic. Segments on a serious newsmagazine heavyweight such as “60 Minutes” tend to run between 11 and 13 minutes, and the fact that Oliver and his writers can outdo that is impressive.

Late Laughs

Conan

We are back with a 30-minute show. I don’t want you to worry about that — it may be only 30 minutes, but I assure you, it’s going to FEEL like two hours.

the news landscape for underreported stories and identify niche subject matter that had been overlooked by traditional outlets. It also meant that when they did cover big news, they were able to offer a more comprehensive and considered take after several days of development, differing significantly from the reactionary coverage necessitated by the 24/7 latebreaking stories format peddled by other newsmongers.

Oliver’s influence has become so pervasive that people have coined the phrase “the John Oliver efpolicy decisions that are influenced

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon

Well you guys, it was just five degrees in New York City today. It was so cold, hot dog vendors were complaining about shrinkage.

Temperatures are below freezing all over the country. Up in Boston, two Patriots fans high-fived and their hands just shattered.

The Late Late Show With James Corden

Personally, I’m very excited about “The Favourite” getting all this recognition, because it means the United States might finally admit that the word “favorite” is supposed to have a “u” in it.

More than 68,000 pounds of gluten-free chicken nuggets were recalled after customers found pieces of wood in them. Good news for anyone who’s looking to get a little more fiber in their diet.

railed against the unfair and unjust

Jimmy Kimmel Live

Ticket prices for seats at the Super Bowl are reportedly down they say, in part, because Rams fans don’t want to go all the way to Atlanta to see the game. That makes sense. In L.A., it’s hard to get anyone to drive 20 minutes to meet you for dinner.

Today was a very big day here in Hollywood. It was Oscar nomination day. If you got a screaming call from your publicist before 6 a.m. this morning, you were either nominated for an Oscar, or you’re Kevin Spacey.

Late Night With Seth Meyers

A recall was issued last week for a brand of ready-to-eat chicken nuggets, following complaints that the packages had pieces of wood in them. And if there’s one thing chicken nugget consumers don’t want, it’s a natural ingredient.

Weekend Update With Colin Jost and Michael Che

The White House said that the charges against Roger Stone have nothing to do with President Trump. I mean, of course the White House said that, because the White House is the president. If I get accused of something, I can’t be like, “Man, I’m innocent. Just ask my apartment.”