When John Oliver first shared his desire to be on a soap opera on Last Week Tonight, I never dreamed it would end with him going viral for his stint as "Z" on General Hospital. While the late-night HBO host is on hiatus from his usual show, he's kept busy with a daytime television appearance and another coming up on the 2026 TV schedule.

General Hospital welcomed Oliver's Z across three episodes, as he played the head of the World Security Bureau. From gunfights to a slap that went viral all over X, people just couldn't get enough of Oliver and his latest stint in the world of soaps:

• Just give him the Emmy already! - @scott_barthel
• This is amazing. He's so good! 😂 - @charmnsass
• He said he wanted someone to slap him. Hilarity! 😉 - @LarkinWarren
• Now we know why Daniel Day Lewis retired. He saw John Oliver on the come up and wanted no part of that smoke - @RustyCohle11
• John saying "That ain't gonna happen" and his reaction to getting slapped need to become memes - @Xtitan92

The slap is definitely already a meme, but in a positive way, unlike when Will Smith let loose on Chris Rock. I think his stint on Last Week Tonight might've led people to forget that John Oliver is a competent actor who has done lots of great movies and TV shows.

While some will be streaming new episodes on Last Week Tonight with an HBO Max subscription when the show returns in late July, others can look ahead to the next soap opera appearance. Oliver revealed before his break that he'll appear on Days of Our Lives on August 11th, 12th, and 14th.

The gauntlet is officially thrown down, and the beloved soap opera will have its work cut out for it to top General Hospital. The show managed to stave off cancellation nearly a decade ago, so I'm sure the writing team isn't feeling the pressure.

After all, they're about to work with the guy who was almost Ted Lasso, who made waves with his guest spot on a soap opera in a way that few other celebrities and stars have. I have to say, I do love the fact that this whole endeavor worked out for John Oliver in the best possible way. The only downside is the next stunt he tries to pull for Last Week Tonight is going to have to be bigger, and I'm not sure he's going to be able to top this one.

Last Week Tonight returns with new episodes on Sunday, July 26th. In the meantime, there's plenty of other stuff to enjoy on HBO, and always Daytime soaps to throw on.

The late-night TV landscape has been a major topic of discussion, especially since the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show was announced. A number of people have been weighing in on the long-term viability of the medium, which some argue is in decline. Meanwhile, there are those who’ve weighed in what they perceive to be issues with some chat shows as it stands. On that note, veteran pundit Bill Maher just shared his thoughts on how Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and others utilize political humor.

Bill Maher has been in the media industry for decades now and, as he explained during an episode of his Club Random podcast (as seen on YouTube), he’s seen some major changes. While talking to his guest, actress Drea de Matteo, Maher opined that people in the arts don’t analyze politics the way people used to. The longtime host went on to explain what he says as a “reverse” in how people perceive creative works:

Ultimately, the host of HBO’s Real Time (which is available to stream with an HBO Max subscription), applied the rationale above to late-night programs. He specifically named contemporary talk show hosts like John Oliver, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart contrasting their approaches to political humor from those of the hosts of yesteryear. While Bill Maher said he wasn’t trying to “knock” his peers, he did explain his particular observations of how they present the news of the day when they’re on air:

Jay Leno actually spoke about political humor and its place with late-night TV earlier this summer. While weighing in, Leno said that he does “love” comedy that hits upon politics, but he also said that “people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other.” John Oliver responded to the sentiments, arguing that “comedy can’t be for everyone” and that it’s “inherently subjective.” Still, Bill Maher argues that not leaning towards one side is the way to go, and he shared his take on what happened when hosts leaned towards one side:

While this discussion about the merits of political humor continues, The Late Show’s cancellation is also still being talked about. Paramount, the parent company of CBS, said the show was canceled due to financial reasons, with reports suggesting the program was losing the company millions of dollars per year. However, some believe the cancellation was politically motivated, as it came after Paramount settled a $16 million suit with U.S. President Donald Trump – a move that Colbert openly criticized on air. At the same time, that lawsuit was a piece of business that had to be resolved before the aforementioned company could merge with Skydance.

Stephen Colbert continues to discuss politics on its show, which is set to end in May 2026. It is indeed true that politics have been present within late-night TV, though whether that’s appropriate or not is up to people’s personal preferences. We’ll see if other industry veterans speak out and share thoughts that align with Bill Maher’s and Jay Leno’s.

The world of entertainment can often be as cyclical as anything else in life, but I don’t just mean in the sense of endless reboots and revivals. The movie and TV fanatics of past generations are often the ones who innovate those artforms the most when they come of age, whether it involves gory indie horror, late night talk show comedy, and everything in between. In that way, Last Week Tonight host John Oliver is perhaps most mournful about CBS cancelling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Speaking with THR, the multi-Emmy winner addressed his belief that Last Week Tonight’s past awards success — it earned six noms for the upcoming 2025 Emmy Awards — has played a big part in convincing HBO and parent company WBD to keep the satirical series going for this long, despite its subject matter being as topical and potentially controversial as anything covered in broadcast’s talk shows. (The lack of advertising also helps.) When asked about his personal worries regarding network TV’s late night future, Oliver said:

That’s a response that, ideally, should speak to both those who agree with and disagree with CBS’ decision to axe The Late Show as a show of faith for Skydance’s merger with Paramount, even if the company blamed financial failings as the core reason. Whether one likes or agrees with the material or not, the idea of younger viewers being creatively inspired by something should be a positive to anyone.

It’s impossible to ignore the effect that stalwart TV comedians like Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien and more have had on younger generations of comedians and writers. Oliver voiced his hope for that cycle of influence to continue on, even if it won’t be the same.

At the moment, only The Late Show is going away, and not until the middle of 2026. But it' still comes across as something of a doomsday omen for the format, especially after CBS already got rid of The Late Late Show when James Corden left, and axed After Midnight once Taylor Tomlinson bowed out.

As of this moment, NBC's Tonight Show and Late Night are safe, but both shows made financially motivated cutbacks in 2024 that possibly won't be the last such changes before both hosts' contracts expire. Jimmy Kimmel will also likely be around for a few more years, but one can only imagine that the President's impact on recent events will fuel his urge to retire even more.

As such, it's hard to predict what the late night hours will look like for broadcast network in the next 5-10 years. I wouldn't be too surprised if at least one network attempts to create an A.I. host that just runs endless viral internet clips.

John Oliver also voiced his disagreement with for Jay Leno’s take on political comedy in late night, after the former Tonight Show host disparaged shows and hosts for skewing partisan rather than trying to appease as many audience members as possible.

Last Week Tonight airs Sunday. nights on HBO at 11:00 p.m. ET.

The cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has added fuel to a discussion that’s persisted for some time now. Media personalities and journalists alike have been debating the future of the late night TV landscape. Someone who’s weighed in amid the conversations is veteran host Jay Leno, who specifically spoke to the presence of political humor within these kinds of shows. While Leno isn’t for hosts laying it on thick with politics, John Oliver has entered the chat, and he’s not holding back about why he disagrees.

When sharing his take on political humor, Jay Leno explained that while he does “love” it, he believes that hosts ultimately start “cozying too much” to a particular side. Leno doesn’t understand “why you would alienate one particular group” and doesn’t “think anybody wants to hear a lecture.” The veteran Tonight Show host was name-dropped during John Oliver’s interview with THR, and the Last Week Tonight headliner kicked off his thoughts with a direct statement:

Although Leno would touch upon political subject matter during his time as a host, John Oliver and many of his own contemporaries dive deeper. What’s worth mentioning is that Last Week Tonight is a satirical news program, whereas The Tonight Show is positioned more as a straightforward variety talk show. Nevertheless, hosts like Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers do provide political commentary, particularly during their opening monologues. When addressing Leno’s comments on alienation, Oliver had this to say:

On Last Week Tonight, John Oliver not only discusses politics, but he also doesn’t mind poking fun at corporate entities, including his own employers. He famously blasted his “business daddy,” Warner Bros. Discovery for canceling shows and making other criticized business decisions. Oliver even ripped into Disney and Hotstar due to a censorship situation in 2020. While Oliver approaches topics with biting humor and satire, for him, discussing political and societal subject matter isn’t about skewering a particular political party:

Stephen Colbert continues to discuss politics on his own show in the aftermath of CBS’ cancellation announcement, which came amid the completion of parent company Paramount’s Skydance merger. While the network said the decision to axe the show was purely “financial,” there are people who believe there are other reasons for it. More specifically, some think the move was tied to Paramount’s $16 million legal settlement with U.S. President Donald Trump, and that move had been openly criticized by Colbert.

Many continue to mourn the demise of The Late Show, which is set to end in May 2026. John Oliver joined the likes of Jimmy Kimmel and Bowen Yang in speaking out against the cancellation. And, as the late night landscape continues to evolve, time will tell if hosts continue to infuse politics into their content or gradually steer clear as Jay Leno suggests.

Perhaps ABC needs to change the title of Doctor Odyssey to Doctor Hot Boat. It seems like the move to make, as we wait to see if the 2025 TV schedule series starring Joshua Jackson will officially be renewed or cancelled. But that’s not the reason I suggest that title change for the freshman new medical dramedy.

You can thank HBO’s John Oliver for that, as he suggested that alternate title while agreeing that Doctor Odyssey’s Season 2 limbo is rather ridiculous. As someone who’s never seen an episode, his plea to see the show renewed on premise alone has me right there with him.

Joshua Jackson Couldn’t Be Happier With John Oliver’s Doctor Odyssey Wishes

During THR’s red carpet interview at the premiere of Karate Kid: Legends, the legendary heartthrob of Dawson’s Creek was extremely gracious for the vote of confidence given to his current television gig. Thanks to a segment on the May 18 episode of Last Week Tonight, viewers were given bookending segments that touted the virtues of ABC’s Ryan Murphy series.

Here’s what Jackson had to say, in reaction to that moment:

What more could one want? How an official renewal announcement, which would ease my colleague's Doctor Odyssey concerns? As many who follow TV will tell you, the lack of renewal action for a first-year show can cause anxiety about one’s favorite characters. Joshua Jackson's latest show certainly has left people talking after providing one of ABC’s upsetting season finales.

But that’s all the more appropriate at this point, as even John Oliver has me invested in this matter. And that’s whether the Hulu subscription mainstay changes its name to Doctor Hot Boat, or not.

After John Oliver’s Impassioned Plea For Doctor Odyssey, I Think I Need To Start Watching

As a regular viewer of Last Week Tonight, I’m always happy to see troubling politics of the day mixed in with pop culture-based comedy. So while the title on the video I’m about to show you points towards a serious topic, fear not. As you’ll see in the bookending segments, Mr. Oliver and his writers are passionate about Doctor Odyssey. The first shout out starts at the 0:56-minute mark, while the second starts at the 28-minute mark. Take a look:

Whoo boy! And here I thought those random 9-1-1 clips I run into on social media were wild. Then again, as 9-1-1 crossed over with Doctor Odyssey, I guess I should have known Joshua Jackson’s adventures were going to have some pretty extreme cases.

The point still remains: if I’d known Doctor Odyssey went this nutty and featured Joshua Jackson looking dreamy in uniform, I’d have probably made more room on my viewing schedule as it aired in real time. The past is in the past, though, as it’s time for us all to move into a future that'll hopefully offer John Oliver a Season 2 guest spot.

So if you support Joshua Jackson, Mr. Oliver, and shows that work on the basic premise of “what if sick, but boat?”, the time to act is now. All 18 episodes of Doctor Odyssey Season 1 are now available to stream on Hulu, which means you have between now and Last Week Tonight’s June 8 return to boost those ratings. The fate of John Oliver’s sanity may depend on you, at least partially.

Saturday Night Live is getting a new spinoff in the UK, and while that's exciting to some, one notable UK celebrity isn't as thrilled. John Oliver is always good at giving stark commentary with some biting wit, whether it be talking about pro wrestler names or Fall Out Boy covering a classic song. So, it totally makes sense that Seth Meyers would want to know his thoughts on SNL coming to the UK, though I'm not sure he expected such a thumbs-down response.

Before being the host of Late Night With Seth Meyers, the titular host was one of the longest-serving cast members on Saturday Night Live. John Oliver wasn't on SNL, but as one of the more famous English comedians in the United States. Therefore, they seemed like two people qualified to discuss the upcoming spinoff. So, Meyers asked Oliver his thoughts on SNL UK during an episode of Late Night, and unfortunately, the Last Week Tonight host wasn't too jazzed about it, saying:

Last Week Tonight often revolves around John Oliver delivering depressing news about the state of the world, so I doubt he was phased at all about telling Seth Meyers he wasn't into the idea of Saturday Night Live launching in the UK. I'd say maybe he'd have some fear of how Lorne Michaels (who is an EP for the spinoff) or others at NBCUniversal would respond to him saying that on their network. However, given that he's in the habit of not attending celebrity parties, I doubt he'll ever have to rub shoulders with them.

At the same time, Seth Meyers wasn't going to let John Oliver drop that remark without some sort of explanation. As usual, Oliver had a valid point to make and was able to inject a bit of humor into it to take the sting off shooting down the potential of a UK version of Saturday Night Live:

He has a point. While Saturday Night Live is an American institution with a long history and frequently generates interest with its celebrity hosts and musical guests, it's hardly the first show of its kind. There's nothing stopping any outfit from starting its own live sketch comedy series should it choose to do so, and John Oliver noted that it doesn't necessarily have to be under the SNL umbrella to be successful.

Of course, I don't think anyone can deny there's an appeal of having name recognition these days in Hollywood, and having the Saturday Night Live branding may help the UK series get off the ground as opposed to if it were a similar premise with an entirely different name. It might fail, but it also could be a hit, and wouldn't that be exciting?

Think of all the former SNL stars who returned to the series years later as celebrities who blew up thanks to the show? Having a UK-based show that offers the same kind of platform for young actors and comedians on the other side of the pond could be beneficial. And if the UK SNL ends up having international appeal, we may get a new wave of big-name stars from the region, similar to how we get them here.

Saturday Night Live UK is expected to begin in 2026, and if we're lucky, it will also get a critically-acclaimed movie about its first episode decades from now. Let's hope for some positive momentum on the way to its premiere and more reasons to get excited about this sketch series!

In the meantime, you can keep up with the flagship SNL by watching new episodes on the 2025 TV schedule every Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. You can also stream it (as well as Late Night with Seth Meyers and other NBC programs) with a Peacock subscription.

Typically, when John Oliver and his team at Last Week Tonight take aim at someone or something, they do so using humor and harsh truths. Up-and-coming WWE wrestler Shiloh Hill learned that recently, after the British talk show host "flamed" him for not wrestling under his actual name, which, admittedly, sounds way cooler. Hill's eventually issued a response, and there are a ton of positive comments from wrestling fans, who are glad Hill is receiving some mainstream attention.

If Hill's name isn't ringing any bells for readers eager for he highly anticipated WrestleMania 41 and other upcoming WWE events, they may not be watching the A&E series WWE LFG. Hill is one of the younger competitors on the roster, as he's still paying his dues by appearing at NXT live events and training with other WWE superstars and legends. Despite his relatively obscure status compared to other wrestlers in the company, Last Week Tonight took aim at Shiloh Hill for having a given name that's much cooler than his in-ring moniker. Fortunately, he got a kick out of it, as he reacted and shared the clip on X:

I would love to hear the story behind Thunder Justice Keck's name and express some disappointment that John Oliver is not actually named "Zippy Bookworm." All that aside, I have to wonder if Oliver or someone on staff is as big a fan of WWE as the host himself is of the Real Housewives' Salt Lake City spinoff, because this feels like such a deep cut to reference.

WWE fans clocked that but were mainly excited to see Shiloh Hill get some love on HBO. In fact, more than a few pointed out he was off the mark about appearing on British television and was actually seen on a program that can be streamed around the world if you have a Max subscription:

• Bro you made [Last Week Tonight]! HBO show — The host, John Oliver was born , but recently became citizen of . More importantly, he’s a real one when it comes to being a wrestling fan. Keep kickin ass Shiloh! -@hackerhiker
• Mainstream and aint even hit the main roster - @getolde
• You made it on MAX. You famous bro -@elclass_king
• WAIT YOUR REAL NAME IS THUNDER JUSTICE?!?? - @Tony_B999

Shiloh Hill's career could be positively impacted due to him going viral on X for being mentioned on Last Week Tonight, especially with WrestleMania 41 is only a week away. Perhaps this attention could be enough to land him some role in the festivities and maybe step in for an injured superstar like Kevin Owens, who will watch from the sidelines.

I think anything is possible, especially amidst concerns from wrestling fans that the build-up to WrestleMania 41 has been underwhelming. I'd imagine that's not something that anyone higher up in the WWE wants to hear, especially when it's hosting its biggest event of the year in Las Vegas. I'm sure Triple H and company will be looking to do whatever they can to get everyone hyped for it. On that note, if Shiloh Hill, John Oliver, possibly Jake Paul or anyone else can help out, they'll find a way to work them in.

Last Week Tonight airs on HBO on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET, and WrestleMania 41 will stream on Peacock on Saturday, April 19th, and Sunday, April 20th. In short, it'll be a busy weekend for those who love both wrestling and biting political commentary, so strap in and rest up for this weekend!

The series that make up Bravo’s The Real Housewives franchise rank among the best reality shows airing right now. Its Salt Lake City-set spinoff, in particular is high on the list, and it's developed quite a following. The latest cast just closed out Season 5 amid the 2025 TV schedule and, as I expected, they didn't disappoint. What I didn't expect, though was for John Oliver, to take the time and share just how much he loves the show.

John Oliver was a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to talk about his own talk show, Last Week Tonight (which is streamable with a Max subscription). While conversing about his long-running series and notable discourse he’s been subject to, the comedian revealed some programs he loves to watch. During the interview, which is on YouTube, he name-dropped Real Housewives of Salt Lake City along with his favorite football (or soccer) team:

The Big Mouth alum seems to be a man of varied TV tastes, based on his comments. While he deals with politically and socially relevant comedy material at work, it’s cool to know that he unwinds with a bit of reality TV drama now and then. Of course, if you’re unfamiliar with the women of SLC, you should know that some of their wildest scenes could be considered comedic gold. In short, I'd say the British Emmy winner is an unexpected but wonderful addition to this fandom.

Funny enough, near the end of the interview, John Oliver promised Stephen Colbert that he’d fill him in on the franchise the next time they sat down for a chat. Oliver weighed in on why the show is so endearing to him --- as well as his belief that much of the may end up like ex-co-star Jen Shah (who was sentenced to six years in prison):

John Oliver's humorous love and dedication to the RHOSLC seems very real. I really appreciate that he’s such a fan that he’s willing to gush over the girls to close out his interview. I'd honestly love to think that Oliver and Steven Colbert will indeed follow up on this discussion the next time they cross paths.

RHOSLC has been a small-screen juggernaut since its debut in 2020. From the jump, the show hasn't been short of drama, with Jen Shah's money-making methods, being a particularly big topic of discussion. There was also Heather Gay's viral monologue from Season 4, which she shared when confronting Monica Garcia. Reality TV shows can certainly be acquired tastes, but I'd love to think that this Housewives spinoff could attract plenty of fans.

John Oliver’s enthusiastic promotion on Stephen Colbert’s talk show is a testament to the show's reach. I'm hopeful that his spiel will help The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City recruit even more fans while current viewers await Season 6. If you want to relive all the scandal and fun or get up to date with RHOSLC, you can stream all five Seasons and the reunion shows using a Peacock subscription.

In hindsight, it’s hard to imagine anyone else being considered for the NBC advertisement that led to the inception of the character Ted Lasso. The coach has become a staple in Jason Sudeikis’ career, it led to one of the best shows on Apple TV+, and it helped define the last five years of comedy. However, originally the ad that led to all this was offered to celebrities like Chris Pratt and John Oliver first. So, in a way, we have the Parks and Rec actor and Last Week Tonight host to thank for Ted Lasso.

During Jeremy Egner's interviews for Believe: The Untold Story Behind Ted Lasso, The Show That Kicked Its Way Into Our Hearts, he spoke with the NBC employees tasked with creating an ad for the Premiere League. They were looking for a way to introduce soccer to an American audience, and let’s just say that Jason Sudeikis wasn’t the first person on their mind, as John Miller, the then chief marking officer at NBC Sports, said:

You know, I could totally see this. NBC needed a way to sell soccer to Americans. John Oliver is a beloved British personality who is known for explaining the news in a funny and informative way (watch Last Week Tonight with a Max subscription, and that will be made abundantly clear). To mix my sports metaphors, it felt like a slam dunk. However, schedules got in the way.

So, since the Parks and Rec cast was killing it on NBC around that time and Chris Pratt’s star was rising, they decided to reach out to him. Having an Andy Dwyer-like bit about him learning the rules of football, but getting it confused with American football, again, feels like a slam dunk.

However, Pratt’s film career was blasting off, and he “wasn’t interested,” as Miller said:

He then explained that they considered folks like Ricky Gervais and Seth Meyers too. However they didn’t think Gervais would work out, and at the time, Meyers “was not quite as big as [they] wanted then.”

Finally, they were introduced to the man who would end up taking the job, Jason Sudeikis. Explaining how that ended up happening, Bill Bergofin, who is cited in the book as “the then newish head of marketing for NBC Sports,” said:

Now, that was the real slam dunk!

Eventually, the ad came out in the summer of 2013, on the heels of his final season on Saturday Night Live. He was recognizable, but not the star he is today, and the guys were interested because he’d played a coach character on SNL.

Well, that proved to be a great decision for a lot of reasons.

First of all, at the time of this writing, the YouTube video for this commercial has over 22 million views.

Secondly, and most importantly, it was how the Apple TV+ show was created. Thanks to this NBC ad, we eventually got the show that became a phenomenon, won a whole bunch of Emmys, introduced us all to the wildly talented Ted Lasso cast – which included actors like Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and Phil Dunster – and warmed our hearts.

That wouldn’t have happened if John Oliver or Chris Pratt said yes.

So, everybody say thank you to them for saying no and these NBC employees for being down for the idea to hire Jason Sudeikis when you watch or re-watch Ted Lasso with your Apple TV+ subscription. Without all this happening, we probably never would have been able to say “We’re Richmond ‘til we die,” because AFC Richmond probably wouldn’t have existed.

The winners at the 2024 Emmy Awards proved to be a varied bunch, at least when it came to categories that didn't include the go-to winner The Bear. (Shout out to Hacks' Jean Smart for blocking that sweep.) But I think we can all agree that the night's true victors were those who watched John Oliver's A+ speech after Last Week Tonight's win for Outstanding Scripted Variety Series, which hit sitcom-levels of awkwardness, and included a bleeped-out F-bomb.

Things started off normally enough, beginning with the HBO series being named as the winner in the category, the same way things have gone for the last nine years. The show has won 30 Emmys to date, and it's easy to believe that streak will continue during the 2025 TV season and beyond, up until the show wraps its run.

Speaking of endings, for an appropriately awkward segue, John Oliver's Emmy speech included a shout-out (or a bark-out, as it were) to the late pet that he shared with wife Kate Norley and their children. Here's how this particlar part of the speech went, which included the band's initial attempt to play him off just as the mournful portion of his speech began.

At this point, the crowd began cheering and laughing along with John Oliver, who certainly recognized the ridiculousness of the situation, sparking him to drop this beauty while referencing the ASPCA's endlessly maudlin commercial campaign. As he put it:

What began as a speech about a weekly HBO series' accolade quickly swerved into a heartfelt anecdote that was nearly railroaded until John Oliver hilariously turned the Emmy win into an honor to be shared by not just his own beloved pup (R.I.P.) but all of canine-dom. A speech worthy of having the most comfortable slippers fetched.

Those watching here in the U.S. did not get to hear John Oliver's censored comments, but thankfully social media delivered an uncensored take on that moment, as seen below.

The goal now should be to have John Oliver host next year's Emmys, and possibly every other upcoming awards show coming to the 2024 TV schedule and thereafter. Until any of that happens, though, feel free to relive this year's highlights such as Colin Farrell's Batman nod and the Abbott Elementary cast's excellent red carpet looks.

TV viewers can still catch David Letterman on sporadic episodes of his Netflix talk show, Jay Leno on the stand up circuit, and Conan O’Brien on his critically acclaimed Max series Conan O’Brien Must Go, but it’s clear we’re quite far-flung from the late night talk show wars of yesteryear. (In as much as Leno’s feuds with Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel may never fully subside.) Master of satire Stephen Colbert acknowledged the burgeoning camaraderie among nightly talk show hosts, but couldn’t help taking an amusing shot at his former Daily Show colleague John Oliver.

Colbert took the stage at the 2024 PaleyFest for its annual TV festival, where he had an insightful conversation with Sonic the Hedgehog and The Afterparty star Ben Schwartz (via THR). There, he talked about possibly returning to the world of acting, which paid his bills for the majority of his career before he shifted into Late Show mode in 2015. He also addressed his personal thoughts about late night talk show competition, saying that while he doesn’t take issue with the way hosts butted heads in the past, he doesn’t see it as a necessary evil these days. According to Colbert:

While there are no doubt TV viewers out there who thrive on cross-network ratings battles in late night the same way they do for primetime series, modern audiences just don't consume television or talk shows in the same way anymore, with more people likely to watch an episode clip on social media or YouTube instead of viewing an entire episode. So the audience pieces that hosts like Jimmy Kimmy and Seth Meyers are fighting for are quite smaller than they used to be, so why fight over them at all?

Stephen Colbert freely admitted he'd rather hang out and drink in a non-descript watering hole with his biggest competitor, The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, rather than constantly enter into the grind of trying to achieve ratings supremacy. Definitely not a sentiment that can be applied to every kind of industry, but certainly fitting here.

And also fitting is the amusing shot fired at Last Week Tonight's John Oliver, whom Colbert jokingly says he doesn't have a friendly relationship with. It's malarkey, of course, with John Oliver joining The Daily Show in the year after the former's shift to The Colbert Report. Of course, Oliver went on to join the HBO family with Last Week Tonight, which has won out at the Emmys each year since 2016, which has been a source of jokey contention among other late night hosts. As well, the two joined up with Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers for the strike-focused podcast Strike Force Five in 2023, so there's no bad blood.

The way Stephen Colbert sees it, being a late night talk show host is a rare privilege in the entertainment industry, and he sees no reason to waste anytime being antagonistic about it instead of just celebrating his time in the limelight. And he does indeed mean celebrating, even if they don't get to break out the good stuff that often. In his words:

Unfortunately for fans hoping to see new episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the week following PaleyFest is filled with repeats, though with guests worthy of rewatching, as noted below:

• 4/23: Matt Damon, Hannah Waddingham (Originally aired 4/1/24)
• 4/24: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Tyla (Originally aired 4/8/24)
• 4/25: Carol Burnett, Waxahatchee featuring MJ Lenderman (Originally aired 3/26/24)
• 4/26: Steve Buscemi, Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Originally aired 4/4/24)

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m., and episodes can be streamed the next day with a Paramount+ subscription. Head to our 2024 TV schedule to see what else is heading to the small screen soon.

For the past couple of months, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has been off the air, due to the now-resolved 2023 WGA writer’s strike. Because that weekly dose of comedic newscasting was absent from the 2023 TV schedule for some time, Oliver and his writers had a lot of catching up to do; and oh wow, did they come back swinging. One of the points of order was the Daily Show alum roasting Fall Out Boy’s “We Didn’t Start The Fire” cover, and it only reminded me how glad I am for him and his crew to be back at it again. 

In a segment aptly titled “The Last Five Months,” the HBO comedy news program ran through quite a few major events that occurred since it last aired. As the previous episode hit the air on April 30th, there was naturally a lot of room to cover tidbits like the phenomenon known as “Barbenheimer” to a bunch of varied political and pop culture topics. Which led to the following joke invoking the ‘80s pop hit in question, and its cover: 

“That thing” happened to be 9/11, which only gave John Oliver more fuel for the fire that even Billy Joel himself mocks to this day. The segment even included a clip of the Piano Man himself skewering his own hi. So all in all, the case for this revisitation of what feels like a pop standard in some people’s eyes is a truly Last Week Tonight rant. Which has only reminded me why I missed this show so much in the last five months. 

HBO's decision to air the host’s satirical, but also heartfelt and deeply insightful, looks at modern life on a Sunday night has always been perfect. Seeing the program kick off a new week of news and life by blasting the previous week’s events is cathartic, which only leads into a deeper catharsis when featured segments come into play. Last night’s rundown of Prison Healthcare was flanked by “The Last Five Months” and the show’s annual Pumpkin Spice meltdown, which only showed how this formula has been perfected over time.

LWT can do anything, from calling out “Business Daddy” Warner Bros. Discovery to explaining why HOAs could indeed be the devil. But even in that previous rant, there was room for the host to shred The Voice’s most glaring problem in the midst of breaking down some serious issues. So experiencing a tirade akin to that time Fall Out Boy got massacred for their Ghostbusters theme was just par for the course for viewers. And ultimately, it welcomed myself and the rest of the world back to this beautiful laboratory of news and insults in a perfect way.

If you’re as excited as I am, you should know that Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is back to airing on Sunday Nights, at 11 PM ET, only on HBO. So if you have a Max subscription, you can watch along with the broadcast crowd, or catch up after the fact. Either way, the barbs are still as sharp, and Oliver’s just as annoyed with the world as he was when they went off the air.

For all that the entirety of the television industry was impacted in some way by the WGA writers strike, the dearth of new scripted content won't really be felt until the Fall TV season kicks off in earnest with a focus on unscripted series and projects recycled from other platforms and countries. But it's been quite a struggle for fans of late night talk shows, with The Tonight Show, The Late Show and others all forced into airing repeats since the strike began. Thankfully, however, a super-squad of hosts, including Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon, are bringing a new project to fans that has quite a good cause behind it.

Colbert and Fallon teamed up with fellow broadcast late night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers, as well as HBO's Emmy magnet John Oliver, for an offbeat podcast-esque project set to launch through Spotify. Titled Strike Force Five, the limited series actually stems from a series of conversations that the five beloved comedians had in the immediate aftermath of the WGA strike's start. Their initial intentions were basically just to "discuss the complexities behind the ongoing Hollywood strikes," as that was also during the lead-up time to the start of the SAG-AFTRA actors strike. 

Those convos were apparently so informative, insightful, and downright hilarious that they were inspired to turn the concept into a full-on slice of entertainment itself. With a premiere set for August 30, Strike Force Five will run for at least 12 separate episodes, with a different late night host taking on moderator duties in each. I dunno why, but I feel like Seth Meyers may have the hardest time corralling everyone else. Anytime you get two Daily Show vets in the same room as two SNL vets, chaos is imminent.

And just in case you thought, "There can't possibly be this many comedians getting together for something that doesn't involve Ryan Reynolds in some way," you're kind of right. Spotify's Megaphone imprint is the official host of the new show, with Spotify as the exclusive sales partner, with support from Mint Mobile (which Reynolds own a stake in) and Diageo, the company that previously bought the actor's ownership stake in Aviation Gin a few years ago. Diageo also owns Casamigos, but it might be over the top to call this podcast a Ryan Reynolds and George Clooney joint.

Why Strike Force Five Is For A Good Cause

As part of the official announcement, it was revealed that all of the hosts' proceeds stemming from Strike Force Five will be going directly to all of the out-of-work staff members from each of their late night shows: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Kimmel, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Night with Seth Meyers and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. 

For all that fans may think of late night TV with only the high-profile hosts in mind, it shouldn't ever be forgotten that there are plenty of other staff members putting in hard work even when the hosts aren't on TV. Even beyond the striking writers, there are tons of staffers who have been put out of work through no fault of their own, so this is a great way to show support while also entertaining fans who miss their work. Considering podcasts are largely a free-to-listen kind of media, here's hoping the hosts were offered enough bank for this good cause to amount to something meaningful.

So remember to check out Strike Force Five on the podcast app of your choice when it debuts on August 30. 

Updated with video.

NBC is currently in the midst of its 23rd season of The Voice, which will be most noteworthy for serving as Blake Shelton’s final season, at least assuming he doesn’t dip out for a single cycle only to miss the show so much that he can’t go a single second away from it any longer. Someone who probably won’t miss Shelton a whole-whole lot is Last Week Tonight host John Oliver, who granted the country singer a brand new monster-related nickname while taking a swipe mid-episode at The Voice’s most glaring issue as a longer-lasting reality competition. 

John Oliver is certainly no stranger to non sequiturs and tangential bits on his weekly rewind show on HBO, but I’m not sure how many viewers would have expected for his extended segment on the growing power of influence going to Homeowners Associations across the country to get suddenly interrupted by Oliver mini-segueing into an all-around slam on The Voice’s continued inability to spin its winners into superstars on any level. Here’s what he had to say about the ratio of Voice seasons to memorable winners, while first speaking about a woman who was fined over the color of her shutters, only to get fined again when she took them down to repaint:

The Voice would probably be skating up to 90+ seasons if it actually did last for a whole 50 years, presumably with Carson Daly still hosting and looking only about 5 years older than he does now. Speaking to Oliver’s point, though, the NBC competition has developed a reputation for being a dead zone for artists looking to capitalize through record deals and the like. Similar to shows like The Bachelor, The Voice is essentially a way for talented up-and-comers to build up a social media base, and that specific batch of fans tends to be the main source of reach for anyone who comes out of the show on top. 

John Oliver doubled down on his Voice-related convictions, and then shared his new nickname for Blake Shelton. 

Now, are we assuming that he’s Honky Tonk Dr. Frankenstein, or a Honky Tonk Monster? I’d be inclined to go with the latter, since his drawl already sort of sounds like a resurrected creature’s angry and frightened groans. Maybe that’s just how I hear him. 

Watch the extended clip from the episode below, with features plenty of other jokes and commentary that aren’t tied to The Voice and its longest-tenured coach. 

Fans can watch new episodes of The Voice on NBC every Monday night at 8:00 p.m., and they’re available to stream the next day with a Peacock subscription. Head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows will be popping up soon. Maybe next week we’ll find out what Oliver thinks about Shelton and Daly’s boozy game show Barmageddon, which is set to return for Season 2.

John Oliver rarely shies away from making jokes about anyone on his popular weekly talk show, Last Week Tonight. The Daily Show alum is known for breaking down serious subject matter from around the world and hilariously making the news accessible for the average viewer. The acclaimed host has chastised quite a few people in his time, but his latest callout may be one of his most surprising. On the show's season finale this past Sunday, Oliver talked about the Qatar World Cup, during which he hilariously blasted HBO's "business daddy," Warner Bros. Discovery.

During a Last Week Tonight segment, John Oliver noted that it's unlikely for an individual to speak out against a company that they are affiliated with, as it can result in a loss of sponsorships. He applied that thinking to soccer player Lionel Messi and his relationship with Qatar Airways. But in a surprise move, Oliver decided to prove he was willing to criticize his own parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, proving the late night host isn’t afraid to go after anyone. He joked:

This is a reference to HBO Max having cancelled a slew of projects and removed a large chunk of original content. This all happened ahead of a promised merger between the aforementioned service and Discovery+. Shows like 12 Dates of Christmas and Genera+ion, and many other notable Max titles were removed, including movies like Moonshot and An American Pickle. And of course, there's even the scrapped Batgirl movie, which had been filmed before the company pulled the plug on it. Clearly, the talk show host has been taking notice of all of this.

As previously mentioned, John Oliver has made jokes about major corporations. He went after WWE and their internal practices on his show, prompting a negative response from the company’s head Vince McMahon. Oliver also went after mining tycoon Robert E. Murray during an episode, resulting in a defamation lawsuit against the HBO host. The media personality later took that educated the public on SLAPP suits after the lawsuit was dismissed. While Oliver may make jokes about his parent company, the Community alum appears to be mostly grateful for the coporation, which he previously said backed him during the high-profile lawsuit. 

Despite the fact that the star makes jokes about his “business daddies” AT&T and Warner Bros. Discovery, one would think that the companies are also happy to have the satirical comic in their employ. After all, his show has won the Emmy in its category every year since 2015 and remains one of the most popular shows on its premium cable network home. He's clearly an asset for the companies, so I can't see them getting to miffed by his comments.

HBO Max subscribers can catch all previous episodes of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. For more information about shows coming to streaming later this year, make sure you check out CinemaBlend’s fall TV premiere schedule. 

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has a history of using the comedy monologue format to draw attention to political and cultural topics. The show is incredibly good at making big ideas and complicated conflicts more accessible for general audiences. This past week, Oliver talked about the long-running NBC franchise Law & Order. He reflected on the show’s relationship with the police and how the procedural's popularity has apparently skewed public perception of law enforcement. This caught the attention of many, including Law & Order: SVU alum Diane Neal, who went on to blast the NBC shows days after the segment aired.

It seems that Diane Neal really connected with John Oliver’s appeal. After the discussion went viral, Neal tweeted about it while also asking those who'd been victims of sex crimes to tell her about their experiences with law enforcement. Neal replied to an individual that shared their story with her and didn't hold back when sharing her thoughts:

On his show, John Oliver specifically called out the show for misrepresenting the police force’s response to sexual assault cases. On Law & Order, the characters fight tooth and nail to help victims receive justice for wrongdoing, while Oliver argues that this does not reflect true attitudes held by police or accurately reflect the justice system. During his Last Week Tonight monologue, he explained:

Those stats are admittedly damaging, and it’s interesting to see a cast member from the show speak out about how Law & Order's producers portray the numbers in their fictional universe. At the very least, one does have to applaud Diane Neal for getting candid about her former show and the shortcomings that she believes it has.

This is not the first time that John Oliver’s material has attracted widespread attention. Famously, Hotstar censored Oliver's piece on India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also went after the WWE’s labor practices, which prompted a negative reaction from wresting organization, and Oliver remains a controversial figure in China following his comments on the President of People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping. Clearly, Oliver is no stranger to controversy, so I’m sure he had no reservations when it came to going after L&O. 

Regardless of the host’s criticisms though, Dick Wolf's Law & Order franchise isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The shows are all still doing well when it comes to viewership and, just recently Mariska Hagitay teased the crossover event between Law & Order spinoff shows SVU and Organized Crime, which will occur this month. As for Diane Neal's SVU, it's heading for its 24th season, so it’s popularity clearly isn’t dying down.

Only time will tell if John Oliver’s think piece generates any long-term discussions about Law & Order and its merits. But he definitely has given us, and Diane Neal, a lot to think about. 

Last Week Tonight airs Sundays on HBO, and HBO Max subscribers can stream all past episodes of the show. In addition, the Law & Order will return for their respective seasons on September 22 on NBC starting at 8 p.m. ET. For more information regarding upcoming shows airing this fall, check out our 2022 TV schedule.

While Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars ceremony was no laughing manner, the discourse in the aftermath certainly inspired a lot of takes from myriad people – from actors to those who have hosted awards shows like Billy Crystal and more. Of course, comedy hosts were not immune to bringing up what happened, either, and Trevor Noah was among those with thoughts. His comments largely focused on the Oscars banning Will Smith for a period of 10 years rather than the initial incident, and he used them as a jumping-off point to roast himself when it comes to competing with John Oliver’s popular Last Week Tonight, too. 

After the viral moment aired live on television, the Academy ultimately conducted a formal review of the incident and came up with a ban that would keep Will Smith from attending the Oscars but would not keep him from being nominated. As Trevor Noah pointed out, that’s hardly a punishment. In fact, for some people who attend awards shows often and lose just as often, it might be the ideal situation. Per Noah’s comments on The Daily Show: 

In other words, the ban may be meant to be a punishment, but for someone like The Daily Show host, it may be a blessing in disguise. That’s likely due to the fact that Trevor Noah’s show is oft-nominated at awards ceremonies and oft loses. In fact in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah has landed a nomination in the Outstanding Variety Talk Series category. Every single one of those years the show has lost to John Oliver. Every. Single. One. 

Now, Trevor Noah has used the Will Smith ban to joke around about his own Emmy nomination failures. It may be a little tongue-in-cheek, but there's certainly some truth to the pain of putting on a good face when one loses over and over too. 

But who knows, Trevor Noah, 2022 could be your year! 

Meanwhile, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith actually bowed out of the 2016 Oscars during the #Oscarssowhite controversy. This year the famous couple attended to support King Richard in which Smith portrayed Williams family patriarch Venus and Serena, who notably helped the girls achieve superstardom in tennis. Though Smith slapping Chris Rock became the story of the night, Will Smith did go on to win Best Actor at the Academy Awards and gave a lengthy acceptance speech. Smith later apologized to the Oscars host and comedian. 

Comedy legend Norm Macdonald passed away on September 14 after a long battle with cancer, just days before the 2021 Emmy Awards. His presence still loomed large in the room thanks to the acceptance speeches of some of the winners, with Saturday Night Live creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels and Last Week Tonight's John Oliver both specifically taking time out to mention Macdonald.

John Oliver was the first of the two to have the chance to honor Norm Macdonald on the Emmy stage after his passing, and he actually was on the stage twice in a row. Last Week Tonight initially won the trophy for Writing For A Variety Series, but Oliver stepped back and let his coworkers do the talking and thanking for that category. When he took the stage again moments later, it was to collect the Emmy for Variety Talk Series, and he seized the chance then to mention Macdonald. Take a look at the full announcement and speech:

John Oliver saved the tribute to Norm Macdonald for the end of the speech to pack a real emotional punch, noting that "nobody was funnier in the last twenty years than Norm Macdonald on late night comedy," so it really was an ideal category for Macdonald to get a mention. He also recommended that viewers follow his example and hit up YouTube to watch clips of Macdonald, because it doesn't get any better than that.

And it's only fitting that it was only minutes later that Saturday Night Live got the spotlight at the Emmys. SNL is how many people have experienced Norm Macdonald's comedy, and certainly his daring Weekend Update segments are a good way to start a YouTube binge-watch of Macdonald highlights. While Macdonald was actually fired from SNL for sticking to his guns about making a certain kind of jokes, his legacy as a Saturday Night Live player isn't fading away anytime soon.

Lorne Michaels took the Emmy stage with some current SNL stars, including nominees Kenan Thompson and Aidy Bryant, and also saved the Norm Macdonald mention for last. Take a look:

It's hard to imagine higher public praise from Lorne Michaels for Norm Macdonald than referring to Macdonald as "one of the best we ever had" after reminding everybody that Weekend Update has been part of SNL for 46 seasons. It was a somber moment, but there was no delay in applause breaking out as soon as Michaels finished his tribute to Macdonald. There were clearly a lot of Norm Macdonald fans in the room at the 2021 Emmys, and it was nice to see that he received the accolades that he so deserved after his passing.

Plenty of other big names in the comedy sphere have also shared their own messages in honor of Norm Macdonald over the days since his death, ranging from movie stars Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen to late night stars like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon. Even Bob Saget recently shared the story behind Macdonald bombing at a Comedy Central roast, and anybody familiar with Macdonald's comedy knows that him bombing is still funnier than just about anybody else. Kudos to John Oliver and Lorne Michaels for using the Emmy stage to honor him once more.

For many months now – going back to that ripe old point in history before the pandemic started – Last Week Tonight host John Oliver has utilized a very particular pattern when referencing Star Wars vet Adam Driver. Namely, Oliver has requested for the actor to perform highly violent acts to his body, usually with more than a tinge of sexual ribaldry swirling around. This whole time, it's been mostly unclear what Driver himself thought of the strange running gag, but it all became hilariously clear when he popped up for a surprise cameo in Last Week Tonight's Season 7 finale.

Though he waited for months without making any public declarations about the Last Week Tonight host's delightfully awful hopes for shared physical confrontations, Adam Driver capped it all off in a magnificent way by "calling into" the HBO news-comedy series in order to give John Oliver a piece of his mind. (And only his mind, unfortunately, given social distancing restrictions.) As balanced by some interruptive fawning from Oliver, here's how Driver hilariously put the host in his place.

Power to Adam Driver for staying completely in character with his small-scale performance here, all while John Oliver is reacting like a puppy dog trying to keep his master's attention, albeit a puppy dog that is also fully into its master choke-slamming it into hell. The comedian and Daily Show vet truly is hilarious to watch during the exchange as he smiles through the various references made in the past and humorously stammers his way through all of Driver's accusations.

In the midst of the exchange, Adam Driver showcases his acceptance and understanding from one human being to another, and got John Oliver to admit he was only having some "weird fun" with all the sexually violent imagery. But then, rather than saying he's sorry, Oliver first claims to instead be "America's naughtiest bitch" and "six feet of nasty spankable bird-meat crammed into a suit." Alas, the two men come to an understanding (of sorts), with Driver saying:

If any of those surprises happen to be Adam Driver-shaped entities putting John Oliver in a sweaty headlock, I'm sure the Last Week Tonight host would be Kylo Ren-to it. More so than he'd be into that pun, in any case.

Of the many moments worth celebrating from John Oliver's career, Adam Driver's appearance on Last Week Tonight is definitely one of the most memorable, considering all the sordid references that have been made. Oliver's passion for Driver's work in Marriage Story and beyond had taken ridiculously violent turns even before he used a WWE-related story to reflect on his obsession back in May. He says the bit is done for now, but will that hold true when Last Week Tonight returns for Season 8? We shall see.

Check out the excellence below.

Last Week Tonight may be over for now, but fans can catch up with recent episodes via HBO Max, and no one should be able to escape this wonky year without watching John Oliver blowing the whole shebang up to close out Season 7. While waiting for new episodes to start up again in February, which is currently the plan, head to our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule and our Winter and Spring 2021 rundown to see all the big shows hitting the small screen in the coming months.

Before he became the most trusted man in satirizing the news on HBO as host of Last Week Tonight, he served as the Senior British Correspondent for The Daily Show, while Jon Stewart still sat behind the desk, from 2006-2013. Of course, the fans who know John Oliver best also recognize the comedian from his various acting roles, many of which have required no more than his unmistakable voice.

Born in the United Kingdom on April 23, 1977, John Oliver has 13 Primetime Emmy Award wins to his name from commenting on serious matters with an impeccably sharp wit for years. His lack of awards from hosting a stand-up comedy showcase for Comedy Central, aptly titled John Oliver’s New York Stand-up Show, or his more recent (and more high-profile) role as Zazu in Disney’s 2019 update of The Lion King, must be why that avenue of his career more often goes largely unnoticed.

In fact, you probably have seen John Oliver in acting mode more often than you may realize. See for yourself by taking a look at the following list of nine characters he has played on the big and small screen alike, starting with his most, arguably, underrated role in one of the most beloved sitcoms in recent memory.

Professor Ian Duncan (Community)

Of the various recurring characters that fans of Dan Harmon’s cult comedy hit would call a fan favorite, Greendale’s Psychology Department head Ian Duncan might just barely make the cut. However, when he was not taking a leave of absence to care for his ill mother, John Oliver’s character played a pivotal role in some of Community’s most defining episodes, such as the 2009 pilot, in which friend and former attorney Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) asked to help him cheat his way to early graduation, or when he attempted to cure Abed (Danny Pudi) of his stop-motion animation delusion in the Season 2 Christmas special.

Dr. Xenon Bloom (Rick And Morty)

John Oliver’s association with Dan Harmon on Community led him to be cast as another character with doctorate (or, at least, we can assume from his official title) on the first season of Rick and Morty. In “Anatomy Park,” Oliver voices Xenon Bloom, an amoeba whose resemblance to Dr. John Hammond in Jurassic Park is no mistake as the titular tourist attraction he creates with Rick Sanchez (co-creator Justin Roiland) inside the body of a homeless man is a clear homage of the 1993 blockbuster and a profound example of the animated Adult Swim mega-hit’s parodic tone.

Dick Pants (The Love Guru)

A “hit,” either critically or commercially, certainly does not describe this 2008 comedy which stars John Oliver as Richard Pants (more often referred to as “Dick”), the Oprah-obsessed manager of American-born, but Indian-raised, romance expert, Pitka (Mike Myers). You may not remember that Oliver even had a role in The Love Guru, which was also co-written and co-produced by Myers, most likely because you probably forgot the movie existed altogether.

Vanity (The Smurfs)

You probably do have some recollection of the big screen, live-action/CGI hybrid adaptation of The Smurfs, particularly for casting Neil Patrick Harris as the human lead, Katy Perry as the voice of Smurfette, and the fact that there were two of them (one in 2011 and The Smurfs 2 in 2013). However, you may not have realized that it was John Oliver as the voice of Vanity, the blue forest-dweller’s boisterous, self-centered beautician.

Wax Sherlock Holmes (Gravity Falls)

John Oliver had the opportunity to voice a more inventive iteration of a pop culture icon, in this case Sherlock Holmes, on Gravity Falls: an animated, more kid-friendly answer to Supernatural that aired on Disney XD from 2012-2016. The Season 1 episode “Headhunters” sees siblings Dipper (Jason Ritter) and Mable (Kristen Schaal) take on a band of sentient wax sculptures of historical and fictional people, such as Larry King or rapper Coolio (voiced by themselves), and are led by Oliver as a statue based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mystery character.

Ian Amberson (Bob’s Burgers)

John Oliver would later reunite with Gravity Falls star Kristen Schaal on her less kid-friendly cult favorite animated series Bob’s Burgers in 2017. His character, Ian Amberson (who is very close to the spitting image of the actor in the Fox series’ animation style), works for the Pets Pawsitive Pet Agency and wants to represent the Belchers’ cat Mr. Business as a spokes-animal for a popular pet food brand, but the cat turns out to take an immediate dislike of him.

Various (Important Things With Demetri Martin)

Speaking of reunions, John Oliver also got to share the screen with fellow The Daily Show veteran Demetri Martin on Important Things, a quasi-sketch comedy that explored various mundane topics through the lens of the quirky comic’s irreverent style. Oliver appeared in two episodes of the short-lived, but quite amusing, Comedy Central original series to play a total of three characters (all of which British, naturally) including a king, a prince, and William Shakespeare himself.

Fitz (The Detour)

Another former The Daily Show correspondent who has since gone on to achieve notable success as an actor is Jason Jones, whose dark family sitcom The Detour featured a guest appearance by his buddy John Oliver. In the TBS original’s explosive Season 2 finale reveals that Nate Parker’s felonious father-in-law (James Cromwell) was able to smuggle a dismantled sculpture of Saddam Hussein out of Iraq with help from a British military officer named Fitz, played by Oliver, in a funny flashback to 2003 perfected by the comedian’s signature politically-charged humor.

Booth Wilkes-John (The Simpsons)

The humor was far less political, but still somewhat rooted in cultural dissonance, when John Oliver made a guest voice appearance on Fox’s long-running animated series The Simpsons. In fact, the most overt political reference throughout the 2014 episode, in which Homer and Marge butt heads with their British neighbors over game night, is his character’s name: Booth Wilkes-John, which is the name of Abraham Lincoln’s assassin in reverse.

What do you think? Do you feel you have some major binging to do of the aforementioned programs before you can justifiably call yourself a John Oliver fan, or do you think you will continue to keep your distance from The Love Guru, at least? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the Last Week Tonight host, as well as even more insight into the lesser-known movie and TV roles of your favorite celebrities, here on CinemaBlend.

For six seasons (and hopefully someday, its long-awaited movie), Community proved to be the little show that could. Despite its inconsistent ratings, a seemingly indifferent network, the firing (and subsequent re-hiring) of its showrunner, and the controversial exits of a number of its prominent stars – including Chevy Chase and Donald Glover – the show stayed strong, resulting in an underdog success that provided a consistently fun, ultra-meta spin on the familiar sitcom format.

Created by Dan Harmon, the series starred Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Alison Brie, Jim Rash, and Ken Jeong, many of whom have only continued to rise in fame since the acclaimed sitcom left NBC (and the short-lived Yahoo! Screen). But in addition to these familiar names, there were several other stars who made appearances — both brief and not — during the show's extended run. From John Oliver to Brie Larson, here are 10 actors you might have forgotten were on Community.

John Oliver (Ian Duncan)

John Oliver is best known nowadays as the host of HBO's Last Week Tonight, where he comedically recaps/breaks down some of the biggest news stories/political events of the past week. But when Community began, Oliver periodically appeared as Professor Ian Duncan, a psychology teacher at Greendale Community College who was close friends with Joel McHale's Jeff Winger. While Oliver was away from Community for awhile, he returned for several episodes in Season 5 – but he was absent again in Season 6 (as he was committed to the first season of his aforementioned talk show). Oliver's inconsistent time on Community was due to his involvement as the temporary host of The Daily Show when Jon Stewart was absent, which paved the way for his solo HBO series. Beyond the small screen, Oliver also voiced Zazu in 2019's The Lion King, starring fellow Community star Donald Glover.

Brie Larson (Rachel)

A few short years before her Oscar-winning performance in 2015's Room, and several years before she played the title role in Captain Marvel, Brie Larson appeared in a few episodes of Community — in the fourth and fifth seasons, specifically. Brie played Rachel, a love interest for Abed (Danny Pudi). While there were several elements from the fourth season (i.e. the Dan Harmon-less "gas leak" year) that didn't carry over into the last two seasons, Larson was one of the few newly-introduced characters who leaped into the showrunner's return. When Larson was introduced into Community, she was already an established actress, notably in the acclaimed indie Short Term 12. She also had prominent roles in The United States of Tara, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, 21 Jump Street, and The Spectacular Now. Since then, however, Larson has since been seen in Kong: Skull Island and Avengers: Endgame.

Kumail Nanjiani (Custodian Lapari)

Fans will remember 2014 as a big year for Kumail Nanjiani. After making brief and/or supporting roles in Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, The Five-Year Engagement, Veep, Drunk History, Burning Love, Franklin & Bash, and more, Nanjiani finally broke out with a main role in HBO's acclaimed Silicon Valley, and he had his own short-lived Comedy Central series, The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail. The actor-screenwriter gained more attention and exposure, thus continuing his Hollywood ascension and leading up to his Oscar-nominated work in the autobiographical dramedy, The Big Sick, and building up to roles in Men In Black: International, Stuber, The Twilight Zone, Dolittle, The Lovebirds and Marvel's upcoming The Eternals. As it happens, 2014 was also the year that Nanjiani made one of two guest star appearances on Community as Custodian Lapari, Greendale's deputy custodian, in the fifth and sixth seasons, respectively.

Tig Notaro (Bartender)

In 2012, Tig Notaro was a hard-working comedian with a hard luck story. A few days after she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer, Notaro performed a brazen, deeply personal set at the Largo, which was subsequently released online. Shortly thereafter, it became a huge success, turning the deadpan comedian into an overnight sensation. Notaro received a double mastectomy and thankfully found herself on the road to recovery, thus propelling her career in show business. She's now a Grammy-nominated performer with credits including The Office, Bob's Burgers, New Girl, Star Trek: Discovery, Transparent, Instant Family, and more, as well as the documentary, Tig, and a short-lived autobiographical Amazon series, One Mississippi. Two years prior to all that, though, Notaro was seen in Community's second season as a bartender serving drinks to Allison Brie's Annie Edison while the Greendale student pretended to be a whole different person.

Adam DeVine (William "Willy" Winger Jr.)

In 2013, a couple years after Workaholics premiered on Comedy Central, and only a year after the release of Pitch Perfect, Adam DeVine appeared in Community's fourth season. Playing the part of William Winger Jr., a.k.a. Willy Jr., the half-brother of Jeff Winger, DeVine was a guest star on the NBC series. The appearance came at a mid-point in DeVine's career. Due to the growing popularity of Workaholics, DeVine was turning into a household name in the world of comedy, though this mid-period Community episode was before he transitioned into leading roles in movies like Game Over Man, Isn't It Romantic?, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, and Jexi, as well as his principal role in HBO's The Righteous Gemstones and his leading role in Netflix's Green Eggs and Ham.

Brit Marling (Page)

When Brit Marling appeared in Community's second season, the actress/writer/producer was breaking out as an indie darling, having starred in, produced, and co-written two of the hottest movies at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival: Another Earth and Sound Of My Voice. In response to the acclaim for those two small-budget movies, Marling gained a few prominent acting roles, including the Community episode "Early 21st Century Romanticism" — which became Marling's first paid acting gig, by her own admission. Marling played Page, Britta's new friend whom she believes is a lesbian. This episode received attention for an on-screen kiss shared between Marling and Jacobs. Since her time on Community, Marling continues to expand he career as a multi-hyphenate, most notably with Netflix's cult-favorite sci-fi series, The OA. The mind-bending streaming series was cancelled after two seasons, though diehard fans are adamant about bringing it back.

Vince Gilligan (Devon)

Best known as the creator of AMC's masterful Breaking Bad and the co-creator of its exceptional spin-off series, Better Call Saul, Vince Gilligan has earned a wealth of acclaim as a writer, showrunner, producer, and director. But in 2014, Gilligan added his first acting credit to his resume when he appeared in the Community episode "VCR Maintenance and Educational Publishing," where the Emmy-winning writer-director played Devon, a struggling middle-aged actor and host of Pile of Bullets — a cheesy 1990s VCR-based video game. Other than a cameo on Comedy Bang Bang and an appearance as himself on What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage, Community was one of Gilligan's select few on-screen acting roles (he also did voice work for American Dad and Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero). He rarely appears on-camera outside of interviews. Therefore, if you didn't recognize Gilligan here, you're forgiven.

Drew Carey (Ted)

By the time Drew Carey appeared on Community, the actor-comedian-television personality was already a household name. Thanks to shows like The Drew Carey Show, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and, eventually, The Price Is Right, Carey was a familiar face to television audiences in the United States. Thus, it was a fun surprise to see him in the second season of the cult-favorite NBC series playing Ted, the head of the law firm Hamish, Hamish & Hamlin and Jeff's former boss. If you forgot that the game show host made a brief appearance on the program, that's understandable — especially since the character died off-camera in Season 3 (by Jeff's admission, at least). Nevertheless, Carey continues to be seen on The Price Is Right, though he recently took a break from the popular CBS series when his ex-fiancee was tragically murdered.

Paul Walter Hauser (Student #3)

In recent years, Paul Walter Hauser has stood out as one of our most impressive up-and-coming character actors. With strong supporting turns in BlacKkKlansman, I, Tonya, Cobra Kai, Late Night, Super Troopers 2, and the title role in last year's Richard Jewell, Hauser has stood out in parts big and small... although you would be forgiven if you missed him in Community. The actor made a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance in the Season 2 episode, "Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples." He was billed simply as "Student #3," though he has a line and modestly prominent screen-time. It was one of his first professional credits, and it paved the way for what we would see from him today — including upcoming roles in Cruella, Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods, and more. He's certainly an actor to watch for, especially after his outstanding performance in Clint Eastwood's newest.

Jack Black (Buddy Austin)

Unlike several other actors on this list, Jack Black was a well-established name when he walked onto Greendale's campus. The Golden Globe-nominated actor-musician is best known for School of Rock, Tropic Thunder, the Kung Fu Panda trilogy, Nacho Libre, High Fidelity, Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny, Goosebumps, and the recent Jumanji films, to name a few. He was a big get for the plucky NBC sitcom, playing the role of the hapless Buddy Austin, a would-be member of the study group. His brief mid-season role in the sitcom's first year was a splashy surprise, and it came at a point when Community was finding its groove (namely in the episode right after its first-ever mid-season break). As Community advanced into the more meta series fans know it for today, one could easily forget the surprises found in the first season — including Black's starry appearance.

In addition to these names listed above, Community also saw Randall Park, Nick Kroll, Martin Starr, Katharine McPhee, Matt Walsh, Eliza Coupe, Owen Wilson and other big name stars briefly roaming the halls of Greendale before the doors closed. Although the series was never a huge hit in the ratings department, nor was it ever the awards contender it should have been, the Dan Harmon-created meta-sitcom did have both critical acclaim and a devoted following in its favor. Suffice to say, it makes sense why it would attract so many high-level talents throughout its unlikely run. Now that the show has concluded, it's also easy to see why so many famous faces who appeared on this fan-favorite series went on to do so many great things. Who was your favorite celebrity appearance on Community? Let us know in the comment section below.

Community will long be remembered as one of the best sitcoms of the modern era, and that comes as an extension of having some incredible talent both in front of and behind the camera. From the genius mind of Dan Harmon serving as showrunner, to the incredible talents of Donald Glover on screen, every aspect of the show had brilliant people contributing to the overall greatness. All you have to do is watch the NBC series to understand this, but it’s also very much reflected in all of the success that key contributors have had in the years since being a part of it.

Looking back on the six seasons of the series, there are specifically nine people who really stand out when it comes to reflecting on how far they’ve come since adding their particular genius to the excellence that is Community, and so we’ve put together this feature highlighting their journeys:

Dan Harmon

In creating Community, Dan Harmon earned a legion of lifelong fans. The show may not have ever been a ratings giant, but the people who tuned into its frequency deeply connected with what the showrunner was doing, and it’s become a cult favorite as a result. Ultimately, despite some of the behind-the-scenes controversies, the NBC series provided Harmon with a passionate fanbase – and that fanbase has only gotten bigger thanks to the work he’s been doing since, namely the Adult Swim hit Rick & Morty.

The end of Community actually overlapped with the launch of Rick & Morty, as the first season of the latter aired concurrently with the second-to-last season of the former, but the animated series has successfully captured the attention of a far bigger audience, and now it’s easily one of the most popular shows currently airing. One can only hope that their appreciation of the cartoon is getting people to discover Community, especially since its now so easily accessible streaming on Netflix.

Alison Brie

When Alison Brie began her run as bright overachiever Annie Edison on Community, a certain cross-section of the TV watching audience was already familiar with her work. By 2009, she had been featured in two seasons of the AMC series Mad Men, playing the young housewife of Vincent Kartheiser's Pete Campbell. That being said, the sitcom allowed audiences to see Brie’s very real range, giving her the opportunity to play a very different character than Trudy Campbell, and we’ve seen a whole lot more of it in the years since both shows ended.

Nowadays, Alison Brie is probably best known for her central role as Ruth Wilder on the Netflix series GLOW, which is scheduled to release its fourth season later this year, but she has also been killing it on the voice actor front. In addition to consistently delivering a hilarious and emotional performance as Diane Nguyen on the brilliant series Bojack Horsemen, she has also played Unikitty in both of the LEGO Movies.

Donald Glover

For those who have been following his career for a while, the meteoric rise of Donald Glover has been extremely fun to watch. He was an internet star at first, creating hilarious content as part of the group Derrick Comedy (including the excellent feature Mystery Team), and from there he became a writer for 30 Rock – but it was really his work on Community that fully exposed his comedic brilliance and served as a key springboard to all of the amazing work he has done since.

Troy was unquestionably one of the best parts of Community, not only being half of the genius Troy & Abed duo, but also independently providing hilarity and surprising pathos. Dan Harmon has admitted that the best days of the NBC show ended when Donald Glover chose to leave, but you can’t exactly hate on him just because of his remarkable contributions to pop culture in the years since. His FX series Atlanta has won him two Emmys and a Golden Globe, and he has become a dominant force in music as well, winning five Grammys in the last two years. And did we mention he played young Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story, and adult Simba in The Lion King remake? Few stars shine as brightly as he does, and he’s only 36 years old.

Jim Rash

There were a hell of a lot of strange individuals who roamed the halls of Greendale Community College, but few were as ridiculous as Jim Rash’s Dean Pelton. The sexually confused administrator with a penchant for wearing crazy costumes regularly stood out as one of the most eccentric characters in Community, and consistently provided some of the most hilarious moments on the show. He was also a notable creative force behind the scenes, both as a writer and as a director – and that makes sense when you take note of his accomplishments beyond the NBC sitcom.

Community was in the midst of airing the second half of its third season when Jim Rash’s name was read by Angelina Jolie on the stage of the 84th Academy Awards, as he and co-writers Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for their work on The Descendants. Since then, Rash has not only become a prominent voice actor, with regular roles on shows like Star Wars Resistance, Mike Tyson Mysteries, and Harley Quinn, but he's also teamed with Nat Faxon and started directing features – the most recent being Downhill with Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Joe and Anthony Russo

When Joe and Anthony Russo were first hired to direct Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a lot of people were totally clueless as to who they were – but that group doesn’t include Community fans. That particular collection recognized the brothers as a dominant force behind the making of their favorite comedy series, collectively producing 48 episodes and directing more than 30 (including the pilot). Those who watched the NBC show recognized the impressive talent that Marvel Studios had brought into their fold by hiring the sibling filmmakers, and the Russos are considered two of the most famous blockbuster directors in the world.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier proved to be only the start of Joe and Anthony Russo’s career in the world of tentpole movies, as that hit was followed by Captain America: Civil War, and then the two-fer Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame (the latter now considered the biggest blockbuster of all time). It’s been great to watch as a Community fan, particularly because the Russos have consistently nodded towards their history with the show in their Marvel movies, specifically by including cameos by Jim Rash, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Ken Jeong.

Brie Larson

Community fans don’t love talking about Season 4 (alternatively referred to as the “Gas Leak Year”), but one part of that era of the show that even Dan Harmon loyalists can agree on is that it featured one of the series’ best character debuts. Having earned some recognition for roles in movies like 21 Jump Street, The Spectacular Now, and Short Term 12, Brie Larson was a welcomed addition to the Community family, playing a love interest of Abed’s who is introduced independently running a coat check at a school dance. The role blossomed into more excellence in Season 5, with Larson returning for two more episodes – but since then the actor’s profile has absolutely exploded.

It was shortly after being on Community that Brie Larson became an Academy Award winner for her stunning work in the drama Room, and now that acclaim has been paired with massive box office success as well. Like the Russo brothers, Larson also went on to become a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and in 2019 her debut superhero solo film Captain Marvel became a billion dollar hit. She is now considered one of the biggest stars in the industry, and it’s even more fun to watch her performances on Community now knowing that.

Justin Lin

Looking back on the history of Community, it was arguably the paintball epic “Modern Warfare” that really first helped the show not only capture attention, but start to define what it was going to be. Part of what made that episode so spectacular was because of the action-driven stylistic sensibilities that made it pop, and for that fans could thank director Justin Lin – who had a bit of experience under his belt having made both The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift and Fast & Furious. It was ultimately one of three episodes that Lin helmed for the show, all during the first season, as one year later the guy saw his career blow up with the blockbuster release of Fast Five.

Thanks to a bit of star power infusion courtesy of Dwayne Johnson, the fifth chapter of the Fast & Furious franchise made almost double what its predecessor did worldwide at the box office, and Justin Lin found himself established as a major Hollywood director. He went on to then direct Fast & Furious 6, another massive hit, and for his last big screen effort ventured into outer space for Star Trek Beyond. He’s since rejoined the Fast & Furious family, directing both the upcoming titles F9 and Fast & Furious 10, but Community fans will long recognize him for his contribution to the brilliant comedy series.

John Oliver

Admittedly John Oliver had made a name for himself prior to playing Professor Ian Duncan on Community. After all, he had spent years prior serving as a correspondent on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, receiving great praise for his contributions. His time on Dan Harmon’s show stands out, however, because it is one of the few examples of his live-action acting that exists – and it’s also the biggest production he was a part of prior to doing the work that he is best known for today.

John Oliver had to conclude his time as part of Community in 2014 (a.k.a. after Season 5) because that was when he started hosting Last Week Tonight With John Oliver – the show that he continues to host today. Oliver has earned great acclaim for the series, which is now airing its seventh season and has won a grand total of 16 Emmy awards. All the same, we’ll always remember him as the drunk Greendale professor who rapped about his penis and drinking tea at a school dance.

Who would you say has had the most success in the years since their contributions to Community? Hit the comments section with your thoughts!

John Oliver had several intense thoughts to share after he and his staff discovered that certain aspects of Last Week Tonight episodes were being censored by India’s Hotstar, a Disney-owned premium streaming platform offering viewers hundreds of hours of programming. Oliver recently ripped into Hotstar for censorship issues regarding both political opinions and his jokes about Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and others.

During the March 8 episode of HBO’s Last Week Tonight, John Oliver kicked the show off by informing the audience that the episode critiquing India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was never uploaded to Hotstar. Oliver went on to say that it wasn’t even the first time the show has been censored by the streaming platform. In fact, Hotstar had edited out Oliver’s jokes about various Disney characters, including one about Mickey Mouse being a cocaine addict. Oliver questioned why they would do such a thing.

However, John Oliver didn't seem very concerned about stoking Disney's ire because he already had an in with the company after playing Zazu in The Lion King live-action remake. Here’s the expletive-filled diatribe he offered to Hotstar concerning the censorship:

John Oliver conceded that Hotstar probably edited the prior segment because of Disney’s ownership of the streaming platform. After that takedown, however, it seems even Hotstar can’t ruffle John Oliver’s feathers. Zazu would be proud, I’m sure. You can watch parts of the segment below!

HBO’s Last Week Tonight has become synonymous for its funny and insightful takedowns on serious and well-researched issues. John Oliver has covered a variety of topics, criticizing everything from sheriff elections and accountability to debunking the myths about the Miss America pageant program. So, it was rather unsurprising that he had the choicest of choice words for Hotstar and Disney when he realized Last Week Tonight was being censored.

It’s not the first time the host has called out major companies and it won’t be the last, though not all company representatives have remained quiet about John Oliver’s epic takedowns. Last summer, Oliver’s segment on warehouses had an Amazon exec slamming the HBO series for an “insulting” depiction of the workplace environment, and the show also earned the anger of WWE head honcho Vince McMahon.

New episodes of Last Week Tonight air Sunday nights at 11 p.m. ET on HBO. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 midseason schedule for updated premiere dates and times.

You might as well change the title to The Lion Queen, because when Beyoncé is part of your cast, she’s going to be the center of attention. It’s clear in the cast photo for Disney’s most recent photo-realistic Lion King remake, where the vocalist stands tall in the middle of the photo amongst her co-stars. Take a look:

There’s one inconsistency here. During the rest of the cast’s press tour, many of them admitted to have never met Queen Bey. Donald Glover, who plays the Simba to her Nala, didn’t even record the signature song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” in the same room as her. Beyoncé is a busy woman: she’s been on tour, writing music (she even dropped a Lion King inspired album) and raising her three children in between the making of The Lion King. So was she photoshopped into this cast photo? Here’s what the film’s Zazu, John Oliver says:

There is a huge gap between Beyoncé and the rest of the actors. They had to be mindful of leaving room for her with a piece of tape with her name on it! The Last Week Tonight host continued telling the hilarious story with these words:

That’s the power of Beyoncé. She doesn’t even need to be there for her future presence to be felt! It is pretty funny to look at the picture with this new perspective on it. Take a look at everyone's faces with this in mind. Billy Eichner looks a bit stressed about the idea of sharing a photo with Beyoncé, while Chiwetel Ejiofor looks positively overjoyed! Donald Glover is playing it cool, his face says: "What Beyoncé’s behind me? I didn’t even notice."

Check out John Oliver relay the story on a recent appearance of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert below:

The Lion King broke the July record with a $185 million opening weekend and has made a total of $564 million so far. While Beyoncé had something to do with it, the film also features cutting-edge visuals helmed by The Jungle Book’s Jon Favreau.

There’s also a talented voice cast, including Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen’s scene-stealing Timon and Pumbaa. However, critics weren’t kind to the remake, awarding it with a Rotten Score of 52%.

The Lion King is in theaters now.

Disney has an impressive library of animated movies, but since the start of the decade, the studio has been selecting numerous tales from this collection to adapt for live action. This includes using the best special and visual effects the movie-making industry has to offer to achieve a live action look for Disney movies that couldn't be fully or partially adapted in traditional live action. The Jungle Book did that in 2016 with everything that wasn't Mowgli, and following in its footsteps is The Lion King, arguably the biggest hit from the Disney Renaissance era.

The 1994 Lion King is still one of Disney's most popular releases, so this "live action" remake has its job cut out to come anywhere close to the legacy its animated predecessor has built up. That being said, the news surrounding the movie indicates that this is shaping up to be one of the studio's most ambitious projects. With that in mind, we've gathered all the details that have been released so far about The Lion King so you have a better idea of what to expect from this new journey into the Pride Rock kingdom.

What Have We Seen From The Lion King?

It took a while, but after getting a teaser in late November 2018, we finally got the full trailer for The Lion King in early April 2019, and, as you can see from the above video, it gave fans of the original a good look at how the characters in this version will fulfill all our dreams of the classic. Got chills yet?

What Is The Lion King's Release Date?

The Lion King will be released in theaters on July 19, 2019, a little over 25 years after the animated movie was released. Disney's recent live action remakes have traditionally come out between March and May, so putting Lion King in the latter half of the summer movie season is an interesting move. The main reason for this is likely because Dumbo already came out on March 29 of this year, and Aladdin debuted on May 24, so this gives each remake a bit of breathing room.

Of course, this is Disney we're talking about; the studio's track record with movies in the summer (even if it's more on the commercial side than the critical) is typically great. Plus, the original Lion King movie remains one of Disney's most popular animated releases, so you can be sure that audiences will come out in droves to see this new adaptation. So, the July release date probably won't affect The Lion King's performance negatively, and it doesn't seem that this will change, since no other studio has scheduled its own highly-anticipated blockbuster for that same opening weekend.

What Is The Lion King's Rating?

It took a while for us to learn what The Lion King's official MPAA rating would be, but looking at the studio's other live action remakes and the target audience, we were able to logically surmise that it would end up being a PG feature. Look at 2016's The Jungle Book. That was rated PG for "some sequences of scary action and peril." While The Lion King doesn't have a human as its central character like The Jungle Book did, the animal-centric action from the latter was a good indicator that the former would earn a similar rating.

Disney wants this movie to be accessible to almost everyone, so while the remake may have taken some creative liberties to be darker than its predecessor, the studio wouldn't risk making it PG-13. The Lion King has been rated PG "for sequences of violence and peril, and some thematic elements." So, it might be wise to leave the little ones at home and let them enjoy the animated Lion King for a few years before exposing them to this more intense version.

The Lion King's Director

Jon Favreau kicked off his directing career with 2001's Made, and he followed that up with 2003's Elf and 2005's Zathura. 2008's Iron Man, however, marked his biggest blockbuster venture yet, and, along with 2010's Iron Man 2, he helped lay the groundwork for what the Marvel Cinematic Universe would become in later years. After scaling back his MCU duties, Favreau kept the blockbuster train going with 2011's Cowboys and Aliens, and three years after that, he released the acclaimed comedy-drama Chef, which he also wrote and starred in.

This brings us to 2016's The Jungle Book, which was one of Disney's biggest hits of that year and no doubt the reason Favreau was tasked with tackling The Lion King before The Jungle Book 2. Favreau has proven he can deliver a compelling story revolved around realistic-looking, talking animals, so giving audiences a good Lion King re-telling should be no sweat for him.

Is The Live Action Lion King A Musical?

Disney's live action remakes have varied in terms of how closely they match the animated movies they're based off of. Some are straightforward adaptations that have taken a few creative liberties, like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. Others have been significantly different from their animated predecessors, like Maleficent and Alice in Wonderland.

It remains to be seen how much of the live action Lion King's plot will deviate from the original movie, but it's been confirmed that this new version (which is being penned by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales writer Jeff Nathanson) will remain a musical that features songs that we remember Simba and the gang belting out. Like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King remake has thrown in an original tune to add extra flair, and, as a side note, Hans Zimmer has also been brought back to score the remake. Here's the complete soundtrack list:

Simba

After J.D. McCrary from K.C. Undercover is done voicing young Simba in The Lion King remake, Donald Glover will take over as the adult prince. Some of you may know Glover better as the rapper Childish Gambino, but since the start of the decade, Glover's acting profile has soared to impressive heights. For years he was primarily known as Troy Barnes on the TV series Community, but since then, he's appeared in big movies like Magic Mike XXL, The Martian and Spider-Man: Homecoming, and he also played Lando Calrissian in last year's Han Solo movie.

Glover has also been keeping his foot in the TV world through his work on the Emmy-nominated Atlanta. Even though we won't see his face, Glover appearing in The Lion King (and following in Matthew Broderick's footsteps) will be a good way for him to reach a younger demographic that isn't old enough to watch his other work.

Mufasa

The Lion King remake has only brought back one actor from the original movie, but of all the original performers who could have returned, no doubt this is the person most people wanted back for a reprisal. James Earl Jones will be voicing Mufasa again, and this is a solid choice. Jones' voice is one of the best in Hollywood, and if he's willing to bring life to the king of Pride Rock for a second time on the silver screen, then all power to him. This is the second character that Jones has recently revisited, as he reprised Darth Vader in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the Star Wars Rebels TV series.

Nala

It's now official: Beyonce has snagged the role of Nala, taking over once Shahadi Wright Joseph from Hairspray Live! is through voicing the lioness. It was reported at the end of March 2017 that Beyonce was Favreau's top choice to voice Nala, but at the time, she hadn't made a decision about accepting the role because of her pregnancy. By August 2017, Beyonce was said to be nearing a "huge deal" to portray the lioness, and months later, she was finally announced as part of the cast.

We also know that her involvement won't just be acting-related. She was reportedly in talks to produce The Lion King's soundtrack, filling the same position that Elton John did in the animated movie. While that doesn't seem to have come to pass, she will be singing at least one song for the remake. With a colossal production like this, her talents will be incredibly valued.

Scar

Having signed on the dotted line, Chiwetel Ejiofor will succeed Jeremy Irons as the voice of Scar in The Lion King remake. This will be Ejiofor's first foray into voice acting, but his face has become all too familiar on the Hollywood circuit. Some of you may remember Ejiofor's earlier appearances in movies like Love Actually and Kinky Boots, but he scored worldwide acclaim in 2013 with his performance as Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave.

Since then, he's had major roles in The Martian, Triple 9 and Doctor Strange. Ejiofor typically plays good guys on the big screen, but with that deep voice of his, we have no doubt he can deliver an intimidating Scar to the masses.

Timon

Simba left Pride Rock at a young age, but, thankfully, he has two figures to guide him into adulthood and give him a unique perspective on life. One of those animals was Timon, who was originally voiced by Nathan Lane. For the remake, Billy Eichner will take over as the meerkat, whose voice is just as memorable as Lane's, albeit in a different way.

Eichner is best know for playing Craig Middlebrooks on Parks & Recreation and Bill Epstein on Difficult People, as well as for chatting up New York City pedestrians on Billy on the Street. With Eichner playing Timon, we can't help wondering if this version of the character will be louder as he's explaining the merits of Hakuna Matata.

Pumbaa

You can't have Timon without Pumbaa right by his side, and while Ernie Sabella has continued to voice the flatulent warthog in various Lion King spinoff material, Seth Rogen will take over for the remake. While Rogen is famous for being one of Hollywood's top comedy actors, most of his movies definitely aren't family friendly (don't be fooled by Sausage Party).

However, he did voice Hogsqueal in 2008's The Spiderwick Chronicles, B.O.B in 2009's Monsters vs. Aliens and Mantis in 2016's Kung Fu Panda 3, so he can build off those performances with The Lion King to broaden his reach to younger moviegoers. They'll still have to wait a few more years to see what he does in live action, though.

Zazu

Even great rulers need help running their kingdoms efficiently, and Mufasa was fortunate to have the hornbill Zazu aiding him. Rowan Atkinson breathed life into the uptight majordomo in the original Lion King, and for the remake, John Oliver is taking over as the bird-brained confidant. Oliver is primarily known for his political comedy work on The Daily Show and currently with Last Week Tonight, but he's also built an impressive resume of voice work, from Bob's Burgers to Rick and Morty to the first two Smurfs movies. We're confident Oliver can deliver a stellar performance as the new Zazu, so he shouldn't ruffle any feathers.

Rafiki

Another member of Musfasa's "staff" is Rafiki, the mandrill who serves as the shaman of Pride Rock. The late Robert Guillame's version of Rafiki is best remembered from the animated Lion King for holding up the baby Simba for all the animals in front of Pride Rock to see. For the live action remake, Captain America: Civil War's John Kani will take over as Rafiki, and we're confident that he'll remain an important ally to both Mufasa and Simba. The big question is if Rafiki will be just as eccentric as he originally was or if he'll be toned down for this re-telling.

Sarabi

Simba's mother, Sarabi, didn't have nearly as much to do in The Lion King as daddy Mufasa did, but her presence was nonetheless valued. We're hoping that Alfre Woodard's version of the lioness will have more to do in the remake than Madge Sinclair's version did (maybe she can more actively aid Simba in overthrowing Scar). Regardless, Woodard is still a welcome addition to the cast. Her recent credits include State of Affairs, Luke Cage, Burning Sands and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

The Hyenas

The final characters on this list are Scar's goons, the hyenas Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin and Jim Cummings voiced the trio, respectively, in the animated movie, and their realistic-looking counterparts will be played by Emerald City's Florence Kasumba, Man Seeking Woman's Eric Andre and Key & Peele's Keegan-Michael Key. However, while Kasumba's hyena is still named Shenzi, Andre and Key's hyenas have been renamed Azizi and Kamari, respectively.

It's unclear why there's been a name change, but let's not discount that they might be significantly altered in other ways. Perhaps the hyenas' comedic tendencies will be toned down in favor of making them scarier. The footage we've gotten so far from The Lion King hasn't given us a better idea of how they'll fit into the movie, but at the very least, you can expect them to continue carrying out Scar's will and to drop some sass while doing so.

The Lion King is just a little over a week from opening now, so be sure to bookmark this guide and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for important updates on Disney's live action remake!

HBO's Last Week Tonight has gained a reputation for its humorous takedowns and thinkpieces on governments and major corporations, and has garnered acclaim and inspired change with its investigative tactics that call out issues in America and around the world. Of course there are always two sides to a story, and some of the show's targets have occasionally fired back or claimed the things John Oliver and the crew reported on them are not true, or insulting towards their brand.

The latter has happened following a recent episode, which highlighted the demanding work environment of warehouse jobs and put a spotlight on Amazon's practices as an industry leader. The piece happened to be seen by Amazon executive Dave Clark, who decided to take to social media and call out Last Week Tonight and criticize the show and its crew for not accepting an invitation to tour a company facility.

Dave Clark prefaced the statement with the fact that he is a fan of Last Week Tonight, and does typically enjoy watching John Oliver dissect and "make an entertaining case for the failings of companies." This one was an exception, of course, and while Clark seemed to appreciate Oliver did mention Amazon is one of the industry leaders in terms of warehouse job pay, he was disappointed the HBO comedy news program didn't mention Amazon's other positive employee benefits and programs.

Pointing out the positive programs Amazon offers employees wasn't the point of the Last Week Tonight segment, which largely focused on work environments warehouse workers are subject to. Amazon was highlighted as an industry leader that sets an example, and stories were featured that explained workers there can be subject to physically demanding days. For example, one former worker detailed how a work day consisted of him walking 15-17 miles due to the distance between items he had to fetch.

Other footage featured employees who alleged bathroom breaks were discouraged, and that using the bathroom would throw their quotas for completed tasks out of wack. Having that happen too many times would result in termination, so while the bathroom breaks weren't expressly forbidden, it wouldn't be the best idea to take one outside of a lunch break. These are just a couple of the problems Last Week Tonight featured, some of which Amazon's Dave Clark may believe the show may have rethought had it toured a facility.

Neither Last Week Tonight nor John Oliver (whose voice will soon be heard in theaters) have responded to Dave Clark's criticism yet, although it is possible a response will come in a future episode. Typically, those responses don't tend to work out well for these critics, especially if Last Week Tonight is confident in its reporting and that it gave Amazon a fair shake in its analysis.

The Strange Situation Between HBO's John Oliver And China

We can only wait and see if anything more will develop from this situation, and continue to watch Last Week Tonight on HBO Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET. As always stick with CinemaBlend for the latest news in television and movies.

I love staying up until the wee hours of the 2025 TV schedule to watch my favorite late night TV hosts, but I alsoI feel that I have reason to be both concerned and optimistic about the future of the format at this point in its history. We have seen some exciting new developments in how this corner of programming can thrive in an era dominated by streaming and viral content, as well as some disheartening news that suggests a potential regression of what has made late-night TV special.

I will get more into the specifics of these contrasting feelings soon enough as I list out my favorite late-night TV hosts working today, ranked from least to most favorite. How do Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, or Jimmy Kimmel measure up against each other, in my opinion? Read on to find out…

9. Bill Maher (Real Time)

Bill Maher has been telling jokes for 40 years, which makes me wonder if he has a friendlier disposition performing stand-up than as a talk show host, but I may never find out because I have no interest in seeking out his specials. As the host of Politically Correct from 1993-2002 on Comedy Central and ABC and, currently, HBO’s Real Time since 2003, the comedian discusses various topics on the political spectrum with a versatile group of guests weekly, incorporating his staunch viewpoints at a satirical angle. I cannot help but question if Maher understands the difference between satire and insult, as his comedic style nowadays feels less funny and more mean-spirited.

Some notable examples include criticizing adult comic book fans mourning the death of Stan Lee in a blog post or poking fun at travel blogging as a profession in response to influencer Gabi Petito’s murder in a Real Time segment from October 2021. He could not have picked more unnecessary topics to judge at more inappropriate times and in less funny ways. I hope HBO would get real and cut Maher’s time short but they will more than likely keep him on for as long as he makes headlines.

8. Jimmy Fallon (The Tonight Show)

Former SNL cast member (who was hired quite young at 24) and “Weekend Update” host Jimmy Fallon got his first taste of late-night glory as a guest host for David Letterman on The Late Show in 2003. He would go on to succeed Conan O’Brien’s position on NBC’s Late Night five years later and, eventually, earn the top prize when he took over The Tonight Show in 2014. His unique hosting persona is given away in the show’s current official title: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon – implying that he is not just “with” the show, but is its bonafide star, participating in live bits with celebrity guests and constantly proving himself as a committed showman.

The one reason I have for ranking Fallon so low on this list is, for as great an entertainer as he has proven to be, his interviewing skills still lack one important ingredient: authenticity. With every overstated laugh and incredulous compliment, he seems to spend more time being a people pleaser than really getting down to the nitty-gritty with his guests. Sometimes I’d rather he just stop asking questions (and interrupting his guests’ answers on occasion) and stick to singing, dancing, and playing games.

7. Andy Cohen (Watch What Happens Live)

Andy Cohen is a TV personality who has never had a problem staying authentic and often tries to hold his guests to the same standard. This can often be to his detriment and leads to many awkward celebrity interactions – even outside of his show, such as his supposed feud with Ryan Seacrest – but that’s about the only negative thing I would say about the St. Louis native.

Otherwise, it is no wonder why Watch What Happens Live has lasted more than a decade – debuting on Bravo in 2009 as a weekend event before being rebranded as a nightly show – and how Cohen has managed to stay so busy wearing multiple hats on TV. His intimate hosting style, which involves not hiding behind a desk, always keeps things interesting, and his charming presence is hard to resist.

6. Seth Meyers (Late Night)

Following one of the longest SNL tenures on record – during which he also served as a strong head writer and solo “Weekend Update” host – Seth Meyers seemed like a perfect fit to replace Jimmy Fallon on Late Night. Indeed, he has the interviewing chops Fallon lacks, but, admittedly, lacks the showmanship his predecessor boasts, and I recall seeing him struggle to get into a rhythm that helped him stand out and utilize his skill set to its full potential.

He would later combat the struggle to transition from satirical news reading on SNL to juggling traditional hosting duties on Late Night by swerving into that skid and, more or less, making that the basis of the show. As a result, he's done away with opening stand-up monologues altogether and incorporated his signature satire into bits, most often, from behind the desk, throwing in a few lighthearted sketches here and there – such as day drinking with celebrities in pre-taped bits. Meyers is the same guy he was when he was at SNL, but that may be just how it should be.

5. Jimmy Kimmel (Jimmy Kimmel Live)

Of the late-night “Jims,” I feel most partial to Kimmel, being the kind of host you would love to be a guest for, or even just grab a beer with. He has certainly come a long way from his time as Adam Corolla’s co-host for Comedy Central’s The Man Show – a program which he would probably be one to criticize today – since debuting Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2003.

His signature snark and everyman relatability have lent themselves to some of late-night’s most amusing interviews and hilarious moments, with one of the funniest bits being his increasingly furious feud with Matt Damon. What started as an impromptu throwaway joke from Kimmel’s early days on ABC has evolved into a recurring segment – including one instance in which the Academy Award winner took over the show – with a surprising endurance that has even left the host himself amazed. It is one of the most celebrated traditions in late-night and cemented Kimmel as one of the strongest in the game.

4. John Oliver (Last Week Tonight)

The Daily Show has proven to be a consistently fertile breeding ground for comedic talent, but one of the best to make the transition from social satire to… well, more social satire, is John Oliver. The British comedian and one-time Community cast member first showed that he had what it takes to be the man behind the desk as a temporary fill-in on The Daily Show while Jon Stewart was out directing a film.

As the host of Last Week Tonight on HBO, Oliver touches on everything from entertainment to politics with a refreshingly light and accessible tone that, no matter how dark the subject material can get, never fails to be entertaining. What is his secret? Other than his clever wit or personable tone, I think it might be the accent.

3. John Mulaney (Everybody’s Live)

In the summer of 2024, celebrated comedian John Mulaney debuted a six-part talk show-style series that streamed live with a Netflix subscription called Everybody’s in L.A. The bizarre, off-the-cuff tone of the program made such a remarkable impression on viewers that the demand to see more was high… and eventually granted the following year.

Everybody’s Live, a great comfort watch that has already been renewed for a second season, according to Deadline, is one of the best editions of “late night TV” I have ever seen, with its use of absurd and relatable topics that dominate each weekly episode, fascinating and hilarious guests, remote segments that feel authentic yet too good to be true, and an unmatched rotation of awesome musical guests. The show is already a game-changer in the format by streaming live weekly on Netflix, but it is Mulaney’s bold and ingeniously wacky approach to the material that makes him a standout.

2. Stephen Colbert (Late Show)

It is with a heavy heart that I talk about my choice for the second-best late night TV host working today, because the show he has hosted for more than a decade is coming to an end. In July 2025, citing economic reasons, CBS cancelled Late Show, which was started by David Letterman in the early 1990s, meaning that Stephen Colbert will be packing things up at the network in May of next year.

It is frustrating to know that the former Daily Show correspondent and Colbert Report host’s time at the Ed Sullivan Theatre – from which he conducted wonderful celebrity interviews and participated in brilliant comedy sketches – is already nearing its end. However, with his one-in-a-million wit, reserved and well-spoken tone, and courage to never back down from speaking his mind, I have no doubt that we will be seeing Colbert back in the game beyond CBS at some point.

1. Jon Stewart (The Daily Show)

While Trevor Noah proved to be a fantastic successor when Jon Stewart left The Daily Show in 2015, it really felt like the end of the political satire in its most essential form. Luckily, we would only have to wait a little less than a decade to see him come back home.

At the moment, Stewart only appears once a week amid a rotation of guest hosts filling in the remaining days, and he is currently contracted only to appear through 2025. However, his appearances so far have been a fruitful reminder of why his equally witty and boldly insightful commentary made him one of broadcasting’s most trusted faces, despite being on a comedy network. For as long as we have him back, I believe he deserves to stand at the top of my list.

If you ask me, I do not believe for one second that late-night TV is dying, but I do believe it is changing. Whether or not it is changing for the better still remains up for debate. However, as long as we have talented comedians like these people leading the format, it has nowhere to go but up.

Can you believe we're only 50 days out from The Lion King's big 'live-action' debut? Director Jon Favreau, armed with one of Disney's biggest animated hits of all time and a couple surprises up his sleeve, is about to test that Mouse House magic once again with a remake of this famed film from the '90s.

To celebrate this occasion, the studio has issued brand new posters of the new photo-realistic versions of your favorite characters from The Lion King. And in an interesting exercise, we placed those new character renderings next to their respective voice actors for comparison. See how the circle of life has spun its magic as we work through the list, starting with Simba himself.

Simba – Donald Glover

First off, let it be said that the family resemblance between older Simba and Mufasa is pitch perfect in terms of their new photo-real lion forms. Keep that in mind when you get to Mufasa further down the line, but for now let's get back to the future king. Donald Glover has assumed the vocal responsibilities for the new version of The Lion King, and if they can animate a smile that matches half of his charming grin onto that new form, it'll be a historic achievement.

Nala – Beyonce Knowles-Carter

While The Lion King's cast is definitely supposed to resemble a sort of hybrid between actor and animal, Beyonce and Nala are a pretty fine character match. Both have that regal air about them, and we wouldn't be surprised if after all is said and done, Nala starts to take after her real life counterpart by ruling with firm formation.

Mufasa – James Earl Jones

As the only returning cast member from the original Lion King cast, James Earl Jones will once again play Mufasa. But don't let the translation of Mufasa's looks into a more standard lion form fool you, Jones has indeed recorded all brand new vocals for the remake; even if the material is pretty close to what he had back in 1994. So that warm, authoritative voice will have a brand new animated face to speak out of, with new pearls of wisdom to boot.

Sarabi – Alfre Woodard

As the matriarch of the Pride Rock royal family, Sarabi is played in the modern Lion King cast by none other than legendary actor Alfre Woodard. Looking at both Woodard and Sarabi, there's definitely a similarity between the actor's face and the characters. But strangely enough, a case could be made to say that Simba's grown form gets his eyes from his father, but his finer facial features from his mother.

Scar – Chiwetel Ejiofor

Now here's where we run into a big point of push back between the fans and the animators. With the stellar casting of Chiwetel Ejiofor suiting the role of Simba's evil uncle Scar to a tee, there are some arguments as to whether or not the live-action rendering of this Lion King baddie does the original justice. Sure, he has the characteristically pronounced scar on his face, but depending on if you're a purist or not, the lack of a black mane or sparkling green eyes will have some prepared to accept and others to reject this variant.

Timon – Billy Eichner

Looking at the full poster for Timon's new Lion King makeover, it's comical how his character is proportioned on his one-sheet versus the rest of the cast. While most others have close ups that span between the title block and the character credit at the top, Billy Eichner's neurotic guru of the jungle is not so lucky, what with meerkats being of smaller stature than most of the other characters on display. Though, to be fair, that just lends to his credibility as an adorable singing dispensary of wisdom.

Pumbaa – Seth Rogen

The folks at Disney are really nailing it with Seth Rogen's Pumbaa, as The Lion King's better half to Billy Eichner's Timon looks like another one of those renderings that captures the spirt of character and performance perfectly. What's even funnier is the fact that when it comes to Rogen's smile, as well as the texture of his hair, Pumbaa seems to be a spiritual match, which will probably make him even more emotional about taking his place in Disney history.

Zazu – John Oliver

While you can't make a Hornbill look perfectly like John Oliver, at least not without some serious explaining to do, Zazu's new look in The Lion King is exactly what you'd expect when it comes to the king's majordomo. An air of informative wisdom and self-serious behavior show in both Oliver and his animated avatar, which has us thinking that if HBO and Disney could be the best of friends for one night, we could get an episode of Last Week Tonight in Pride Rock with Zazu.

Rafiki – John Kani

Wise counsel to Mufasa, and later Simba, in matters of Pride Rock, Rafiki's life lessons and blessings unify the royal family in their fates, and bring Simba back to his homeland when it needs him the most. Black Panther's John Kani plays the role of the shrewd baboon, who's always ready to literally knock some sense into someone in their darkest hour. Honestly, out of all of the characters we've seen so far, the resemblance between Kani and Rafiki is so close it's awe inspiring.

Young Simba – JD McCrary

We close out our cast rundown from The Lion King with the youngest characters in the main cast, young Simba and Nala. In the case of the young cat who wants to be king, recording artist and actor JD McCrary is the guy with the skills to bring Simba's cub days to life. And much like that little lion who will ascend to the throne, Mr. McCrary matches the light, eager energy that we know Simba to radiate in this part of his journey.

Young Nala – Shahadi Wright Joseph

Simba and Nala: a pair as iconic as any you could dream of from Disney storytelling. Just as it's important to see Simba go from wild eyed wander to restless voyager, we need to see Nala go from partner-in-crime to a stalwart supporter against Scar's legion. You can see both in the expression of the lion component of Nala, and you'll surely be able to hear it in not only Beyonce's adult version of the character, but also in Us star Shahadi Wright Joseph's performance as young Nala.

Remaking The Lion King is a task that could go either wonderfully right or horribly wrong. From the looks of the characters we're seeing come to the screen in these images, it looks like things are trending towards the better. If that's not Disney magic, then we don't know what is.

The Lion King graces Pride Rock with its presence, and that modern Disney magic, on July 19.

HBO's award-winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has long been known for its long and detailed pieces that expose individuals or companies of wrongdoing, and has made plenty of headlines for doing so. Now, the subject of one of its recent pieces is firing back as the WWE has released a statement addressing the show's claims:

As of writing, neither John Oliver or Last Week Tonight have publicly responded to the WWE's invitation to attend Wrestlemania. The company will be doing a lot of publicity for its biggest event of the year in the coming days, so the response (via THR) may have been a way to get out ahead of any questions that might unexpectedly float out to talent as they make their rounds on the media circuit.

As mentioned, Last Week Tonight's segment on the WWE called attention to the massive organization and its contractual relationship with performers. John Oliver positioned the company's head Vince McMahon as a businessman who developed a system that doesn't look out for the well-being of its performers. Oliver additionally referenced departed wrestling legends like Rowdy Roddy Piper, Eddie Guerrero, and Macho Man Randy Savage as folks who died untimely deaths, and suggests McMahon actively shields himself from any responsibility. Take a look!

The video is a long watch, but points out interesting things like the requirement that WWE superstars remain exclusive to the organization while signing contracts that list them as "independent contractors." Last Week Tonight states this arrangement denies talent annual paid leave, pensions, or benefits from health insurance. It also mentions the rampant year-long schedule many performers are subjected to, which encourages them to work through injury to keep getting paid which leads to more health problems down the road.

While the WWE is quite clearly upset about Last Week Tonight's recent piece, there are former faces of the company that have reached out to show their support of the segment. Jim Cornette and Paul London made comments regarding the video on their Twitter accounts, and former WWE champion CM Punk tweeted out a spin on a tweet that was referenced in the video.

There's still a chance for the drama between the two parties to escalate further, as the WWE has upcoming episodes of Monday Night Raw and Smackdown Live that will air ahead of Wrestlemania Sunday, April 7. For more on programming that's looking into the less savory parts of wrestling, check out which network will be airing a docuseries on the business in the near future.

John Oliver is in the midst of an intriguing development. Following a segment of Oliver's show Last Week Tonight, in which the host took aim at the President of People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, there are reports circulating that users have been banned from mentioning Oliver on the microblogging platform Weibo.

And now you can add HBO's website to the list of alleged censorship. Before we get into that, let's explain how the Weibo ban on John Oliver works. Well, if a Weibo user attempts to create a post mentioning John Oliver by name, it apparently results in an error message. As for the HBO website, that's where things get tricky.

Deadline reports that while users are not able to access the network's site, they are still able to watch some of the network's most popular series, including Westworld and Game of Thrones, on the streaming platform Tencent. The thing is that HBO's website only contains information on programs available to stream through Tencent, not the streaming content itself. Apparently, HBO's licensing agreement with the streaming platform does not include and has never included Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

So why would HBO's site being blocked have to do with John Oliver? And how did all of this begin? Well, the news out of China comes as part of continued fallout surrounding a segment on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

The segment involved host John Oliver delivering a blistering commentary concerning Xi Jinping's policies and included criticism of censorship, among other things. An issue regarding Winnie the Pooh also came into play. The 20-minute segment aired on June 17 and remains up on the show's YouTube channel in the U.S. It is unclear if and when the ban against John Oliver on the social media site Weibo will come to an end.

In the meantime, you may be able to anticipate the always-outspoken host addressing the reports surrounding HBO's website on his show. As its title hints; new episodes of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver air once a week on Sundays. With news of HBO's site being blocked having made prominent headlines this week, it seems like this coming Sunday's episode could include a response from Oliver.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver does revolve around covering the week's news cycle, and thanks to this segment, John Oliver is now a part of that. Whether Oliver wants to engage in addressing the matter further will be interesting to see. This coming Sunday's episode will mark two weeks since the episode containing the segment originally aired, and it is still in the news. Will he mention it? Tune in and find out.

New episodes of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver air Sundays at 11 p.m. ET on HBO. For new and returning television shows you can anticipate watching over the next couple of months, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's summer premieres.

John Oliver has made a name for himself by putting together quirky segments for HBO's Last Week Tonight. The late night host had another memorable bit this weekend, when he revealed he purchased plenty of Russell Crowe memorabilia from Cinderella Man and some of his other movie projects and wants to use the memorabilia to be a "fun, movie-themed way to draw people in" to one of the last remaining Blockbuster Video stores in Alaska. Yes, you read that correctly. And you know what? The Blockbuster store is all for it.

During the segment, John Oliver revealed that he had purchased $80,000 items from "Russell Crowe: The Art of Divorce," including a leather jockstrap that Russell Crowe wore during the making of Cinderella Man and items from Robin Hood and Les Miserables. In fact, Last Week Tonight actually paid $7,000 for the item in question all so they could make a joke on the late night TV show about movie memorabilia and Blockbuster. The rest of the segment was devoted to joking about how the show "didn't buy anything else" from the auction. (It did.)

He ended the spot directly addressing the manager at the Blockbuster at 5600 Debarr Rd. in Anchorage, Alaska -- assumedly just in case one of the other remaining Blockbusters tried to claim the prize -- and letting him know "all this shit" actually belongs to him. If you want to catch the hilarity in all of its full glory, please do so, below.

Last Week Tonight later continued to run with the joke on social media, it got some traction, and then the Blockbuster store in Alaska heard about it. In fact, the general manager at that Blockbuster, Kevin Daymude, actually told THR that the segment has already created a lot of buzz for himself and the store around the town, noting:

Kevin Daymude's store is actually one of several stores still open in Alaska, and he also mentioned to the outlet that he doesn't actually know why the Debarr Rd. store was the one that got the shoutout on Last Week Tonight. (Probably because Debarr Rd. sounds way cooler than "College Rd." brah.) Regardless, his store may very well be the fine proprietors of some weird Russell Crowe memorabilia in the future. Because this story has several steps to go before it is likely to be finished, do stay tuned to CinemaBlend, as we will be sure to let you know if Blockbuster actually gets the movie memorabilia at some point, proof that sometimes being a part of a dwindling chain of stores does actually pay off.

Over the course of the last few years, John Oliver has proven himself as one of late night's most prominent and biting satirists on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Having said that, his status as a prominent political comedian has also drawn the ire of the people that he profiles on a weekly basis, which recently led to a lawsuit at the hands of Murray Energy after a particularly notable segment on his show. However, things seem to have worked out in Oliver's favor for the moment, as the defamation case filed by Murray Energy against the HBO series has officially been thrown out.

The whole thing started last summer when Last Week Tonight with John Oliver aired a notably sharp segment dissecting the business practices coal magnate Robert E. Murray. The show was quickly hit with a defamation lawsuit (something that John Oliver predicted would happen), and the case then went to court. However, when the case ultimately went to the West Virginia state court, the judge found that Oliver and HBO were within their First Amendment rights to criticize Murray in the way that they did.

The legal decision has not gone unnoticed by the folks at Murray Energy either. Following the initial THR report on the decision, the company responded with a comment stating that the case was decided based on "flawed arguments" with little basis in actual law. The company very clearly disagrees with the outcome of this particular verdict, and it has voiced its intention to appeal the decision and take it to a higher court as soon as possible.

If you are looking for more information about what exactly John Oliver said in his takedown of Murray Energy, then you can watch the segment in question, below.

It's not necessarily that surprising to see that Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has found itself in this particular situation. Oliver has made no secret of the fact that he emphasizes research and preparation in the deep dive segments (something that he honed during his tenure on The Daily Show), and this has allowed him to go on passionate rants about deeply polarizing and political topics. With the show now firing on all cylinders in its latest season, we will have to wait and see if any other lawsuits follow.

With that in mind, CinemaBlend will bring you more information related to this situation if and when new details become available to us. For now, you can catch new episodes of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver every Sunday night at 11 p.m. ET on HBO. The series recently returned for its fifth season, and you can take a look at our midseason premiere guide to see what other shows will follow suit in the coming weeks!

HBO's annual comedy-infused fund raiser Night Of Too Many Stars: America Unites For Autism Programs aired on Saturday, and those who thought host Jon Stewart wouldn't rope in old pal Stephen Colbert for some hilarity most certainly thought wrong. Colbert took the stage to get into a weird dragon-related argument that soon culminated in a big Daily Show reunion that was hilarious from start to finish. Check it out!

Jon Stewart got the ol' band back together, with Stephen Colbert's argument regarding white males being cast as dragons soon got interrupted by Last Week Tonight host John Oliver in person, as well as former correspondent and Full Frontal host Samantha Bee via a pre-recorded message. While other celebrities like America's Got Talent judge Howie Mandell and Michael J. Fox worked their way into the mix, Colbert, Stewart, and Oliver joked their way through the somewhat bizarre skit, berating each other much to the delight of many in the audience. Judging by the laughs, John Oliver might actually want to consider renaming Last Week Tonight as "Harry Potter and the half-hour lecture."

Obviously, John Oliver can classily take the jabs from his friends about his show, as the Emmy-winning Last Week Tonight recently snagged a renewal from HBO through 2020. Stephen Colbert can do the same, considering Jon Stewart continues to help out hisLate Show career as an executive producer on the series. As playful as the joke was when Stewart said he "raised them," there's no denying the impact he's had on both of their careers, as well as Samantha Bee's, in working with them on The Daily Show. We're not sure what effect he's had on dragons int he industry, though.

What one can absolutely deny in regards to this sketch, however, is that Michael J. Fox indeed wrote that tweet! Given the actor's very spotty social media presence, it was hard to believe that the Back to the Future star would update his Twitter feed during the Night Of Too Many Stars: America Unites For Autism Programs even if it was for charity. Sure enough, the actor's Twitter page shows his last tweet was on November 13th, which was a full five days before the event took place! Apparently, Michael J. Fox is not a method actor, although maybe Doc Brown had something to do with this.

While they weren't involved in the sketch, there were many other veterans of The Daily Show in attendance at the Night Of Too Many Stars: America Unites For Autism Programs. Rob Corddry, Jordan Klepper, Olivia Munn, Hasan Minhaj, and Michelle Wolf were all in attendance for the big night. Apparently, any time Jon Stewart gets back in a hosting capacity on television, it's an event not many wish to miss!

Those who missed HBO's Night Of Too Many Stars: America Unites For Autism Programs can currently access the event on demand, provided they have an HBO subscription. For more upcoming programming, be sure to visit our fall premiere guide, or jump ahead to 2018 by visiting our new midseason premiere guide. For a group of shows that got the ax in 2017, hit up our cancellation guide.

Among the many upcoming live action remakes of classic animated Disney movies is The Lion King, which took the world by storm in 1994 and remains a cinematic favorite more than two decades later. While it's not "live action" in the strictest sense, the new Lion King movie will follow in The Jungle Book's footsteps and treat audiences to realistic-looking CGI animals acting out a fantastic tale. The Lion King's cast is stacked with big entertainment names, and now we can add John Oliver to that group, as he'll portray Zazu.

Thanks to The Wrap, we've learned that John Oliver has been tapped to voice Zazu in The Lion King remake. Like his animated counterpart, the new Zazu will be a red-billed hornbill who serves as the "dignified and uptight" adviser to Mufasa and later Simba. Mr. Bean himself, Rowan Atkinson, originated the role in the '90s animated movie.

While John Oliver is best known in the realm of news satire for his work on The Daily Show and currently on Last Week Tonight, he's built a solid resume of voice work in recent years, including the first two Smurfs movies, The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, Robot Chicken, Rick and Morty and the upcoming Amusement Park. Oliver is also known for recurring on Community as Ian Duncan. It will be a while before we see any footage of Oliver's Zazu in the new Lion King, but at least we can count on the comedian's dry wit to be properly channeled in the African setting. I'm especially eager to hear his reading of Zazu's lines in the "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" musical number.

Directed by Jon Favreau (who also helmed The Jungle Book remake) and written by Jeff Nathanson, The Lion King is expected to be a direct re-telling of the original Disney tale, akin to this year's Beauty and the Beast, rather than go in a radically different direction, like Maleficent and the Alice in Wonderland movies. Besides John Oliver, The Lion King cast includes Donald Glover as Simba, Billy Eichner as Timon, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa and James Earl Jones reprising Mufasa. Beyonce was also approached to voice Nala, but it hasn't been confirmed if she accepted the role. The Lion King has been in production since May, so hopefully in the coming weeks or months, we'll learn who will voice the remainder of the main characters, including Scar, Rafiki and the hyena trio. Perhaps this weekend's D23 convention will provide more updates if we're lucky.

The new Lion King movie will be released in theaters on July 19, 2019. You can also check out what other Disney live action remakes are coming down the pipeline. For more immediate offerings, browse through our 2017 movie guide to see what's coming out in the remainder of the year.

In his career as a pundit of comedy and critical thinking, John Oliver has attracted a lot of negative attention from those he seeks to undermine on his newsy HBO series Last Week Tonight, but the most recent episode has earned the show its biggest blowback yet. Oliver -- along with HBO, Time Warner, Partially Important Productions and more -- are at the center of a lawsuit brought about by coal mining magnate Robert E. Murray, who is apparently not happy with what was said about him on the most recent episode. What's more, Oliver predicted it.

For the Last Week Tonight episode that aired on Sunday, June 18, one segment featured John Oliver going to town on Robert E. Murray, who is the head honcho of Murray Energy Corporation, the U.S.' biggest privately owned coal company. The claims made on the show portrayed Murray as a boss who didn't do enough to put miners' safety first and foremost, and Oliver was particularly critical of Murray for a mine collapse in Utah back in 2007, responsible for nine people's deaths. And as the episode was coming to a close, Oliver welcomed a man in a squirrel suit (meant to represent the squirrel rumored to have advised Murray to start up his coal company) who foresaw how things would play out legally, telling "Bob" that suing would only net three acorns and some pocket change.

And, less than a week later, that lawsuit actually came into existence when filed in Marshall County, West Virginia. As reported by The Daily Beast, the suit takes broad swipes at Last Week Tonight and John Oliver for the episode, in which Oliver stated that attempts to contact Murray Energy were met with a cease-and-desist letter, apparently a first for the HBO show. Most of the lawsuit appears to be hot air, according to First Amendment litigator Ken White, but there are a couple of points that could stick.

For one, in reference to the Crandall Canyon Mine collapse, Oliver said government conclusions put the blame on the mining company's miscalculations and mistakes, while Robert E. Murray himself claimed it was because an earthquake occurred. The lawsuit states that Murray's legal team sent Oliver's team reports that backed up the earthquake claims, but that the the paperwork was ignored. As well, some legit gripes could be made about another one or two points explicitly concerning factual statements, but for the most part, Last Week Tonight isn't expected to face much of a hit here.

Robert E. Murray's lawyers likely want to keep the suit situated within West Virginia, where area coal miners would obviously be behind the company putting them in work. But it's more than possible that HBO's legal wranglers will attempt to get things moved up to its home turf in New York.

With loads more ire-stoking left to come, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver airs Sunday nights on HBO at 11 p.m. ET. While waiting to hear how things shake out with the politically driven series, head to our summer TV premiere schedule to see everything else the small screen has to offer.

While fans of The Late Show are used to seeing the outspoken Stephen Colbert spending his time taking charged political jabs at President Donald Trump and his administration, things got a lot more optimistic on last night's broadcast, which featured a giant episode-length reunion of former Daily Show stars from that series' most iconic stretch. Colbert welcomed Jon Stewart, Samantha Bee, Ed Helms, Rob Corddry and John Oliver (as Steve Carrell), and the gang took a trip back into the past for a pristine recreation of Colbert's last day at The Daily Show back in 2005.

The whole frigging Late Show episode was good, don't get me wrong, but this segment brings out everything that I love about all of these entertainers: broad humor dressed with subtleties, and high brow jokes crawling around with low brow jokes. Oh, and the funny hair, of course. Because a comedy sketch is not a true comedy sketch unless someone has got the funniest hair. Even though it's a flashback to 2005, there is no faux-follicle consistency.

Samantha Bee appears to be an extra on Miami Vice. Ed Helms won Worst Dressed at a Village People costume party. Rob Corddry is possibly a professional wrestler turned announcer. And Jon Stewart...well, he looks like Jon Stewart in a bad wig.

Take a drink of whatever Mountain Dew flavor was popular in 2005 every time these guys make a joke that is super-specific to the year in which the flashback takes place. Now, there obviously were some political jokes involved, since mixing former Daily Show crew members is just asking for D.C. satire saturation. It is nice, though, that George W. Bush is the subject matter, and they're basically kind to him, as opposed to what things used to be like. You know...whenever Steve Carrell looked like himself and not like current Last Week Tonight host John Oliver. But maybe my memory is just fuzzy.

When Stephen Colbert spread his big bald eagle wings and flew away from The Daily Show to settle in his new Colbert Report nest, he destroyed something beautiful. But from that, something else that was equally beautiful grew. And when he also destroyed that, he moved to CBS. And here we are. Looking for our yogurts.

You can still catch The Daily Show every night on Comedy Central at 11:00 p.m. ET. And, of course, you can see Stephen Colbert rocking it on The Late Show on CBS every night at 11:35 p.m. ET. And to see when everything else is heading to the small screen soon during the primetime hours, head to our summer TV schedule.

Saturday Night Live and various other programs have been attempting additional political comedy ever since new President Donald Trump was sworn in. However, not everyone thinks that the latest election cycle always makes for the best jokes. For some comedians, including the producers of South Park and Last Week Tonight's John Oliver, the "low-hanging fruit" that is recent political jokes doesn't always translate to intriguing comedy or great TV. In fact, John Oliver revealed that just making fun of "personalities" and "sound bites" doesn't give his work any real satisfaction. He also said this is a lesson he learned from none other than John Stewart.

Of course sound bites have come into play on The Daily Show and even HBO's Last Week Tonight before. But really the germ of John Oliver's comment in a lengthy interview over at Rolling Stone indicates that he really did learn a lot during his time on The Daily Show. It's hard to understand the fine line between easy comedy and comedy that is more nuanced, but John Oliver does seem to have a good grasp in regards to what works for him and his weekly show. In fact, it's the weekly format that actually lends itself to fewer sound bites and more "timeless" stories, as John Oliver himself put it. It's challenging to do a show where the host is not on every night and still create quality content that will work when it is aired on Sunday nights. It's a lot harder than it looks, ladies and gentleman.

It's clear from the above quote that John Oliver still thinks a lot about his time on The Daily Show. It was an integral part of the comedian's life, after all, and a successful guest hosting stint on the Comedy Central series while John Stewart was out on a break helped lead to John Oliver landing Last Week Tonight in the first place. When asked whether he felt afraid to somehow still be in Stewart's shadow, Oliver had the following to say:

This guy and his adorable sound bites, amiright?

Seriously, though, John Oliver's big break came on The Daily Show, where he was both an on-camera personality and a writer. Not every TV show is a happy family or even a respectable one, but it's nice that John Oliver has positive thoughts about his prior work experience and the man at the head of it. If you'd like to hear more about the upcoming season of Last Week Tonight, you can check out the full interview. You can also check out more about Season 4 with the first trailer for the new episodes. Last Week Tonight With John Oliver returns on Sunday, February 12 at 11 p.m. ET. More on upcoming TV dates can be found in our midseason TV premiere schedule.

Leave it to John Oliver to expose an important aspect of American security in a way that everyone can understand. The host of HBO’s late night news satire Last Week Tonight has become quite a voice in American news and politics, and last night John Oliver revealed an interview for the ages. The comedian sat down with none other than Edward Snowden to to talk NSA, privacy, and most importantly, dick pics. Take a look (Skip to the 15-minute mark for the juicer portion of the interview):

You may be questioning why a seemingly silly concept like dick pics is the highlight of this interview. But, it is the genius of John Oliver to provide a simple yet extremely effective concept that relates to a vast majority of people. He explains the sentiment to Snowden who was a bit offput by the concept at first, but goes along, and by the end of their discussion of “The Dick Pic Program”, Snowden comes to the realization:

Edward Snowden, who Oliver terms as, “the most famous hero and/or traitor in recent American history” exposed a number of classified NSA documents to mainstream media back in 2013. While the actions he took were illegal, Snowden brought to light a number of intrusive elements of particular government surveillance programs that most Americans had been completely unaware about. In short, Snowden helped show that the government pretty much had access to anything you published on the internet. But, as Oliver exposed in his interview, Snowden’s message may have not been as clear as intended, as many people on the streets of NYC did not even recognize the former system administrator's name.

So, by calling this information a dick pic, the people spoke, and as Oliver persuaded Snowden to explain all of the elements of Section 215 in the Patriot Act by way of a traveling dick pic, it became fairly clear. When it comes to dick pics, that’s where the line is drawn. But in explaining this government program with that particular humor, Oliver is actually getting the message out to a much larger number of people, had the two just sat down and talked logistics. Oliver added his signature humor in the mix toning down the expected intensity of an interview with a man as infamous as Edward Snowden. He asked him some of the more hard hitting questions like “do you miss hot pockets?” But, the host’s mission was to get people more aware of Section 215 and its implications as it is up for reauthorization in June, and in that sense, Oliver definitely achieved his goal.

You can see Oliver take on more difficult subjects on his weekly HBO show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver which airs Sundays at 11pm E.T.

If anyone out there was outwardly hoping that former Daily Show correspondent and guest host John Oliver would head back to Comedy Central to take over when Jon Stewart leaves, we have bad news for you, although it’s still technically good news if you’re a fan of Oliver in the first place. HBO has announced they’re keeping the English satirist close to home by renewing Last Week Tonight for not just a third season, but a fourth one also. There is justice in the world.

This extended order comes just over a week after Last Week Tonight debuted Season 2 on the premium cable network. And surprise, surprise, the two episodes that have aired this year have birthed massive viral video successes. Like Season 2, both Season 3 and Season 4 will be made up of a whopping 35 episodes, which means the world had better get its act together by the time next winter rolls around.

Beyond all of the vocal praise from fans and outlets, Last Week Tonight capitalized on an engaging and sometimes enraging first season by taking the Writer’s Guild Award for Comedy/Variety Series at the award ceremony this past weekend. That’s no shock, given how pitch-perfect the sarcasm-laden writing is. Next stop, the Emmys.

In its first season, Last Week Tonight took on topics such as the Washington Redskins name controversy, Hobby Lobby’s court problems, Ferguson, the Supreme Court, student debt, and the salmon cannon. You might recall when Oliver discussed net neutrality, his segment led to crashes on the FCC website, due to thousands and thousands of people getting on to complain.

Similarly, Season 2 has already made headlines around the world. Last week, Oliver focused on the controversial viewpoints of Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa, and soon found himself at the receiving end of a Twitter bashing from Correa. On Sunday night, Oliver railed against tobacco giant Philip Morris by chastising their international policies, and introduced the anti-smoking cowboy hat-wearing mascot Jeff the Diseased Lung, which started up a #JeffWeCan campaign on social media. Check out the hilarious segment below.

Curb your fury for the ways of the world and watch Last Week Tonight every Sunday night on HBO at 11 p.m. ET, or else be completely bamboozled by what everyone is talking about the next day.

Comedian John Oliver has made some headlines in the past, but none have been quite as entertaining as his latest. The host of Last Week Tonight made his Season 2 return to HBO last Sunday, and let's just say he has opened up a social media firestorm. His latest segment on Rafael Correa notably caught the eye of the Ecuadorian President himself, who went on a massive Twitter rant against the political satirist.

It was in response to some comments Oliver made about the president, calling him too thin-skinned and saying he's focusing too much on what his critics think, that set Correa off. The economist-turned-leader of the Republic of Ecuador came out swinging:

He went on to blast Oliver by saying he makes “too much noise for such little nuts” before suggesting “talk show gringos are more unfriendly than a diuretic.” Reading Correa's comments, we couldn't help but laugh at least a little. Part of the chuckles come from imagining Correa actually typing the tweets up himself, and the other part is from him poking fun at Oliver's knowledge of geography (something I've never thought to use as a basis for attack). Not sure whether to picture him laughing or gnashing his teeth as he types, but regardless of the emotion behind Correa's response, Oliver must have really struck a chord to provoke such a rant.

What exactly did the comedian say, you ask? Well, it was in his response to Correa's public reprimanding and shaming of his critics during his weekly addresses that Oliver, who loves talking politics, decided to share a few choice thoughts:

Oliver went on to encourage Correa not to attempt beating down his critics with his proposed Twitter war, citing that nobody has ever won one of those in all of history. He saved his best jokes for the end of the segment, however, where he hilariously referred to the leader as a “Used Jeremy Piven Salesman” before comparing him to one of the Real Housewives husbands. Anyone in their right mind would naturally be offended by the latter part. Oliver didn't stop there, though, closing out the bit strongly, comparing the thin-skinned President of Ecuador to a very unflattering part of the human body. Check out the full clip of the segment here.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver airs Sunday nights at 11p.m. ET only on HBO.

If there’s one thing that you can guarantee from watching an episode of HBO’s weekly political satire, Last Week Tonight it’s that John Oliver is probably going to piss someone off. Whether it be a celebrity, a politician, or a bigwig corporation, the man has no filter. And that’s why his show has been so successful, he has no fear in saying exactly what he thinks and exactly what people need to hear. But, certain individuals may not like to hear Oliver’s particular criticisms, and he knows it. So to stay comfortable, and to continue speaking his comedic opinions with ease, John Oliver won’t be partying with celebrities or politicians any time soon.

In a recent interview with NPR, Oliver discussed his new talk show, and the responsibility that came along with the freedom HBO gives him. He gets to discuss important issues as ruthlessly as he pleases. And to do this, to be a comedian who makes jabs at all of these powerful and popular figures, he knows that he can’t meet any of them. Oliver explains:

Last Week Tonight was one of the most talked about shows in 2014. It has a similar style to The Daily Show or The Colbert Report but more journalistically sound. It actually dives deep into real issues, and gives real solutions to problems. Yes, Oliver cracks a lot of jokes in the process or sometimes shows a cat video to lighten the mood, but he stays on point so much so, that it gets the public talking. I think I saw more bits from Oliver’s Sunday night show go viral this year then even SNL sketches. But with Oliver’s strong opinion and well-deserved popularity comes a price. Oliver has become a bit of an outsider. But he explained to NPR that he likes it that way and that comedians aren’t supposed to fit in. He said:

While John Oliver may not call himself a journalist, this outsider quality is what makes him such a good one. Because he is a journalist, especially the type that we need to see on TV. Smart and witty, but still breaks everything down for those who may not be up to date on certain subjects or ideas. And beyond that, he tries to get people involved and speak out their own opinions via social media.

These are all the reasons why Oliver can’t go to parties with celebrities and politicians. Because he is pointing out their wrongs, and telling their fans and followers to also do so. Oliver doesn’t want to go to parties with these people because it humanizes them, makes him feel bad for the things he says. But in reality, Oliver may not be getting invited to any parties either. And we like him even more so because of it.

The Daily Show has seen a lot of talented comedians come and go under the tutelage of Jon Stewart, and none have followed in his footsteps quite as closely as John Oliver. Well, his footsteps led to HBO instead of Comedy Central, but you get me. The current Last Week Tonight host returned to his former home for a “surprise” interview. Check out his knightly return below.

When one is the host of a chat series, it’s not the easiest thing in the world to promote material; that is, unless one has another former guest host to sit in and take over hosting duties. That’s exactly what happened here, with Oliver popping by to talk to Stewart, correspondent Jason Jones and executive producer Tim Greenburg about Stewart’s directorial debut, Rosewater.

But this was no mere visit, for Oliver, the most sarcastic genie who’s ever lived, was magically summoned by teapot groping! Also by Stewart’s bottle of rose water, his Rosewater baseball cap, a rose water bottle opener and a hand-scrawled note. I’ve done more for less stuff. And it turns out that’s just enough to get John Oliver to give another spin to the non-premium cable host chair. What a trooper that guy is.

Not only was it great to see Oliver back behind the Daily Show desk, but it makes a lot of sense, too. After all, he hosted the show for eight weeks in the summer of 2013 when Stewart was out completely taking advantage of his good friend’s generosity, and was also filming Rosewater. It was Oliver’s success during this stint that locked him the HBO gig, which has gone swimmingly well in creating watercooler talk and viral videos a plenty. It makes one wonder what Jon Stewart would be capable of if he ever left the Daily Show.

You can watch the rest of the interview in the video below, which is pretty insightful on the film’s background. It sadly doesn’t feature the as-if-from-nowhere appearances of Stephen Colbert and Steve Carrell. It’s still pretty funny though.

Catch The Daily Show every night on Comedy Central and watch the equally amusing, if not more so, Last Week Tonight every Sunday night on HBO. And be sure to watch Rosewater when it hits theaters on November 14.

Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster is getting ready for The Furchester Hotel, a new UK TV series that just started airing this fall. Sometimes, Cookie Monster works at the hotel, and he recently spoke to Brit John Oliver about the differences between the UK and the American street he generally lives on. You can check out the amusing video, below.

Things seems to be going pretty well for Cookie Monster. He seems pretty excited about The Furchester Hotel, where he will work as a waiter, and he has enlisted the help of Last Week Tonight host John Oliver to help him get acclimated with the differences in vocabulary on both sides of the pond. Early in the video, John Oliver explains to Cookie Monster that people will say “hello” and “goodbye” in generally the same fashion as they do at home. However, then disaster strikes.

As Oliver and Cookie Monster talk about differences between the two countries, the HBO news anchor accidentally calls Cookie Monster the Biscuit Monster, totally shattering his ideas about the world. The muppet totally freaks out, screeching, “Oh no” before launching into a tirade about how he knew things would be different in the UK. He’s about to have a full-blown panic attack when Oliver produces a biscuit, which the muppet is smart enough to realize has the same shape, size, taste and texture as the cookies he knows and loves. All is well that ends well.

The two make it out of the sketch as buddies, and Cookie Monster even gives Oliver a “little tea/ little t” to go along with his biscuit. Cookie’s also learned a valuable cultural lesson in the sketch, and is ready to head to The Furchester Hotel. Hopefully, there won’t be too many other language surprises when he gets there. Just wait until he hears about jumpers and chips.

You can catch all of The Furchester hotel episodes with your kids when they hit Sesame Street’s Youtube channel every Friday.

Or, if you are super in a Cookie Monster mood now that you’ve caught this video, you can watch the character read cute tweets on Jimmy Fallon’s show or catch the hilarious “Call me Maybe” spoof with Cookie Monster called “Share it Maybe.” Cookie Monster, if anything, is always entertaining.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has made a habit of pushing relevant topics in a manner that is funny and manages to work for a platform that only airs once a week. He made waves recently when tackling the net neutrality argument, and this week he covered the equally controversial topic of student loans. Check it out, below.

The segment starts out innocuously enough, with shots of happy students wearing caps and gowns and looking as if they’ve achieved something. However, as Oliver notes, student loans are like HPV—most people are “almost certainly” going to get them in college. Here’s what else he has to say in the introduction.

Oliver is great for jokes, but he’s even better when he’s slipping in the jokes between serious pieces of news. The story mentions that 7 out of 10 students will leave with debt, making student debt a bigger enterprise than the debt accrued from credit cards or auto loans. Additionally, footage from expert Barmak Nassirian pops up, during which the man notes that student loan debt is “the most collectible kind of debt there is.”

If you’ve ever wanted to know about the history of student loan debt and why it has seen so much growth in the past decade, look no further than the Lyndon B. Johnson administration, which wanted to offer an “escape from poverty.” In the years since, for-profit schools have become a huge business, and now account for about 30% of student loan debt. Even worse, recruiters for these schools are often told to focus on “pain points” for low income recruits. So, if you work at McDonald’s and want a better life for yourself, a typical recruiter might use that to sell you on a for-profit school. But don't take it from me. Oliver has a much wittier way of explaining student loans in the United States.

Last Week Tonight has been a great venue for John Oliver. I was a little skeptical that the format would not work with only one episode a week, but so far the former Daily Show employee has focused on interesting, lengthy and relevant information that makes his show a standout on HBO. It’s too bad the subscription cable network doesn’t want to budget Oliver in for a few more days a week. No doubt we would watch.

You can catch HBO’s Last Week Tonight on Sundays at 11 p.m. ET.

"We need you to get out there," John Oliver urged to internet commenters everywhere on Sunday night. "And for once in your lives, focus your indiscriminate rage in a useful direction. Seize your moment, my lovely trolls. Turn on caps lock and fly my pretties, fly! Fly!" Along with that rallying cry, Last Week Tonight host John Oliver presented the link to FCC.Gov/Comments, encouraging people to lodge their complaints with the FCC, which is now being run by Tom Wheeler, who was once a lobbyist for cable companies. The result of Oliver's ranting appears to have made an impact, because it looks like FCC's website crashed on Monday afternoon.

First and foremost, if you haven't watched it yet, here's the clip from Last Week Tonight, John Oliver's weekly HBO news show. It's a pretty great watch from beginning to end, but if you just want to see the part where he tells people to make an effort to prevent "cable company fuckery" by taking advantage of the FCC's comment page, start it up at about the 10:40 mark:

According to Deadline, the FCC experienced a bit of high complaint volume following the Last Week Tonight episode, which led to them issuing the following tweet:

And this followup...

After watching Oliver's rant, I wouldn't be surprised if people really were stirred to action enough to want to vocalize their own opinions via the FCC's comment page. Oliver makes a pretty persuasive argument about these issues. "The internet, in its current form, is not broken," he says near the start of his commentary. "And the FCC is currently taking steps to fix that." From there, he goes on to talk about net neutrality and how it would affect businesses. "Ending net neutrality would allow big companies to buy their way into the fast lane, leaving everyone else in the slow lane."

Oliver eventually talks about the cable company monopolies, comparing cable companies to drug cartels that would intentionally avoid each others' territory. A clip of the Comcast CEO talking about how Comcast and Time Warner are in different areas of the country, and thusly not competing with one another plays. Oliver's response is, "Exactly, you can't reduce competition when nobody is competing. You could not be describing a monopoly more clearly if you were wearing a metal top hat while driving a metal car after winning second prize in a beauty contest."

Because this is John Oliver (Community, The Daily Show), there's plenty of humor (and some Australian accents) worked into the rant, including a remark about the cable company's administering the truth in boring doses. "The cable company's have figured out the great truth of America. If you want to do something evil, put it inside something boring."

It all leads into the big speech, which Oliver directs toward internet commenters that he likens to the Karate Kid, mastering their craft and ready for the All Valley Tournament....

It looks like Oliver's words have done the trick.

In case you missed that address

In trading his correspondent suit for a full-time news anchor suit, John Oliver became the latest in a line of brilliant minds to leave Comedy Central’s The Daily Show behind for less Jon Stewart-y pastures. It’s hard to imagine a better place for foul-mouthed, wit-infused satire than HBO, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is the refined-but-bitter scotch drinker, sitting at the bar with nuggets of cynical wisdom falling out of his mouth with each sip. And we all know that kind of guy is only as tolerable as the listener is tolerant, so the series’ half-hour runtime is a perfect blend of depth and brevity, skipping from topic to topic while rooting around each one long enough to make sure you’re fully aware of how ludicrous this subject matter actually is.

The set-up is almost too simple. John Oliver the Quip Machine tackles current events in front of a lively audience until it’s time for the interview segment, with interstitials – like John McCain making the same joke in six different places – filling the spaces where commercials would go on ad-based networks. There’s definitely room to play around with the format, but if these next five episodes do nothing more than give Oliver an America-sized sandbox to bury the media beneath, I won’t be displeased.

And that seems to be the major difference between Last Week Tonight and The Daily Show. The latter is often an indictment of the government as seen through media coverage, and the former is a scathing look at media from a broader perspective; or at least its attack on the media features a broader front line, with outlying soldiers picking up the rest of the week’s mishaps, like NFL cheerleaders sick of being the diner waitresses of the sports entertainment complex.

The premiere episode kicks off innocently enough with civil rights enemy number one, L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was recently re-ousted for derogatory comments against black people and their place in his girlfriend’s life. After calling Sterling a “walking before photo,” Oliver then temporarily turns his targets to the even more blatantly bigoted Cliven Bundy. It’s then we get to see the first great moment in the show, as the subject of Oregon’s expensive and ridiculously botched healthcare website somehow becomes a public service announcement parody in which musician Lisa Loeb basically tells Oregonians to go fuck themselves for being a state stupid enough to blow a lot of taxpayers’ money advertising an even bigger waste of taxpayers’ money. The irony that HBO had to spend money in order for the show to make fun of this was lost on no one, I’m sure.

For the interview segment, Last Week Tonight somehow landed former NSA Director Keith Alexander, and Oliver got a chance to hone the interview skills he’s picked up during his eight years dangling as an underling beneath Jon Stewart’s frothing teats. He’s never as patronizing as The Colbert Report’s staunch leading man treats his guests, nor is he as categorically surface level as Stewart. Oliver obviously tries to get a rise out of Alexander in several ways, the most amusing of which involves deciding whether a cute kitty cat named Mr. Tiggles or a handsome man who listens is the correct way to go about rebranding the NSA.

But it’s maybe too lighthearted. Alexander comes across as neither a bad guy for enacting untold amounts of surveillance on the American public, nor a victim of Last Week Tonight’s hard-hitting scandal-mongering. It’s just a goofy interview, and Oliver’s wicked sarcasm does little more for the Greater Good than point out that a British comedian clearly cares more about our country than many of its citizens do.

The middle of the episode is where Last Week Tonight did something refreshing and hopefully emblematic of what we can expect in future episodes. Oliver goes on a lengthy tirade against the news media for barely paying attention to the upcoming election in India, the biggest in the world, with over 800 million potential voters. He points out that despite this huge number of voters, the election is still a contest between only two people, and in humorously pointing a finger at CNN and the like, Oliver delivers solid information about candidates Rahul Gandhi (and his Han Solo vest) and Narendra Modi, a growing favorite whose involvement with violent events in the past taint what would otherwise looks like a flawless campaign. It’s educational, and it’s hilariously on point when comparing the shouting matches of Fox News to the repetitive calmness of India’s talking head news shows. Plus, we get the superb “Je ne sais genocide” pun.

On top of all that, Oliver also shines a light on the asinine state of affairs behind POM Wonderful calling out Coca Cola for false advertisements about its use of pomegranate juice, which rings of idiocy since Pom went through its own legal troubles for basically saying pomegranates were an elixir for immortality. More bullshitty claims from food companies were put to task, and the Last Week Tonight Facebook page released a few “true” labels that they encourage people to print out and affix to actual products before taking pictures of them. Check them out below.

So while it may not be as good as the best examples of political satire on TV, Last Week Tonight is already worlds (or Americas, rather) better than nearly everything but the two Comedy Central series that paved its way. Plus, it’s got a joke about a hologram of a politician promising people toilets in their homes, so it's pretty much the American dream, assuming one is taking dream suppression medication.

John Oliver, former correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, finally has a premiere date and title for his upcoming satirical news show on HBO. And on Sunday, April 27th we’ll all be invited to check out Last Week Tonight with John Oliver for the first time.

Oliver’s series falls directly in the funny Brit’s wheelhouse, tackling the week’s news and events with a satirical edge — similar to his myriad bits on the aforementioned Daily Show, which he left back in December. The half hour series will dish on the latest doings in news, politics, and other current events at 11PM each week.

All of this comes on the heels of Oliver’s stint as guest host of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart this past summer when Stewart was overseas filming a movie. Oliver’s time on the show proved he was ready for the spotlight, garnering critical and fan-bolstered rave reviews with ratings to match. So it was far from a surprise when, back in November, it was announced that the It’s-Not-TV network was giving him his own platform.

And Oliver’s exit for the HBO series wasn’t the only poaching that came from The Daily Show: he also took the Comedy Central series’ head writer, Tim Carvell, with him as showrunner and executive producer. In his nearly 10-year long run on the series, Carvell nabbed no less than six Emmy Awards for his writing. So, you know, no pressure or anything! It, all in all, spells good things for the impending series, and we’d be lying if we didn’t say we were super excited.

In case you needed any more convincing on the matter, we’ve included some of our favorite John Oliver-as-host moments, in video form, below.

And just because we’re sentimentalists, a look back at Oliver’s time on the series:

Amidst this week’s Duck Dynasty controversy and Jennifer Lawrence telling a story about butt plugs, we somehow missed John Oliver’s final night as an actual employee on The Daily Show with John Stewart. I would say last appearance, but I get the inkling he might still pop up on the show in the future. Regardless, for his big night, Stewart and The Daily Show staff put together a really touching video that looked at Oliver’s more than seven years of experience, as well as spotlighted a few of the funniest moments from his Daily Show career.

The “John Oliver Retrospective” first features some moments when Oliver is in character on the show, after which Stewart doesn’t miss a beat and remarks on the comedian's “range” (or lack thereof). It keeps things light, and helps to segue into the next portion of the video, which features the comedian interviewing people in politics. This includes an amusing segment with Herman Cain, who clearly has no idea who the President of Uzbekistan is. This makes him look a bit foolish, but really, I’m not sure I blame him. The video then concludes with more than a minute of short clips of Oliver trying out some oddball activities, which is always good for a few laughs. Beyond these things, there are also more than a few jokes about balls. And then Oliver cries, which of course should make your heart melt, and might even make you a bit blurry around the eyes, as well. I’m feeling weepy just writing about it.

If you haven’t been keeping up with Oliver’s story, he’s headed to HBO to headline his own television series. Unlike Seth Meyers, who has stuck around on SNL for several months before the premiere of his own headlining show, Oliver’s big move has happened with a little more pace. Just a little over a month ago, the announcement was made that Oliver had nabbed a topical HBO program. It is expected to premiere in 2014, and it makes sense that the man would quit at the end of 2013 to give himself time to prep for the new gig.

We already know he’s capable. Oliver rocked out on the Daily Show as its host this summer. Stewart was out directing his first feature film, and Oliver led the charge for eight weeks while his partner in crime was out. The buzz surrounding Oliver’s brief tenure as host was high, and HBO took notice. Currently, there’s no official premiere date for Oliver’s new series, but we’ll keep you posted as that news is released.

In the meantime, here’s another excellent montage from Comedy Central giving us a look at some of Oliver’s finest and funniest moments.

Lest you forget, HBO has the epic television game on lock. Between looking back at the year that was in 2013 and anticipating what’s to come going forward, the it’s-not-TV network managed to sneak a few surprises and teasers into their year-ending promo video. Turns out there’s plenty to be excited about that’s coming up in 2014, including a first look at season four of Game of Thrones, and new series The Leftovers, True Detective, Looking, Silicon Valley, and even John Oliver’s new one, too. Oh gosh, HBO, why do you insist on teasing us with greatness we’ve yet to experience? Rude!

Mostly because we’re positively clamoring for new seasons of the old guard programming we love so much. Thankfully, HBO’s got our backs there, too, featuring teasing glimpses at Girls, Veep, Boardwalk Empire, Vice, Real Time with Bill Maher, and the final season of True Blood thrown in for good measure. So let’s take a quick peek at what we’ve gleaned about some of our favorites, shall we?

Game of Thrones

Well there’s certainly heaps going on in the George R.R. Martin epic novel saga-turned-TV saga. And, as you can tell in the GIF above, there’s plenty a-brewin’. Probably because there were some seriously spoiler-y moments revealed. A sullen-and-sour looking Joffrey (so weird and new and different for him!) is perched before some sort of celebration — likely his wedding — is seen after what online speculation suggests is the champion of Meereen approaching Daenerys Targaryen’s unsullied on horseback. The biggest shake-up being that Sansa is in the Eyrie now, while her husband (guess not anymore though, huh?) Tyrion Lannister is led up the throne room in shackles. (See what happens when you don’t bed your wifey, Tyrion?) And in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, there’s even a well-dressed and, important to note, golden-handed Jaime Lannister tucked in there as well.

True Detective

The Woody Harrelson/Matthew McConaughey-fronted drama series looks full of just that. Though not much by the way of spoilers: just a guarantee that there’s going to be a lot of tormented drama and fighting in these two’s collective future. Which is to be expected from a seventeen year-long serial killer hunt.

Silicon Valley

Now here’s a series that seems to have not taken any liberties with characters. There are beers, mop-haired nerdboys, and key cards aplenty in the tease for Mike Judge’s new comedy series. And it’s always good to see hilarious professional funny person Kumail Nanjiani getting work.

Girls

Three moments from Lena Dunham’s season four trailer for Girls made their way into the teaser as well: one showing Marnie getting her romantic balcony thoughtful thing on, and two more of the girls just being their wacky selves. Nothing new to see here, really, outside of Shoshanna’s upgraded smizing efforts.

Looking

The modern-day look at San Francisco’s LGBTQ community will contain these things (of this we’re sure): some smiles of a varying sort, hugs, and Jonathan Groff generally being the delightful human that he seems to be.

The Leftovers

Lost creator Damon Lindelof’s drama about those who were left behind following a rapture is sure to be a buzzed-about affair. It has big names (Justin Theroux, Liv Tyler, Amy Brennerman, Christopher Eccleston) and a cool premise to boot. And apparently maybe some people falling off of buildings/out of the sky — people who’ve read the 2011 novel on which the series is based would know better than us, though.

Veep

Oh and we, of course, would be remiss to forget about Veep. That gloriously delightful and mean-in-the-best-way Julia Louis-Dreyfus fronter was one of the highlights of 2014’s comedy year, and it seems we’re to expect more of the same bumbling about (we mean that as the highest compliment). Now if only we could get Gary some help. Poor Gary, someone help Gary. He doesn’t know how much he needs it, either.

True Blood

And of course, last but not least, the series finale of True Blood is on the horizon. Expect more of the same, which is to say: a heck of a lot of this wistful-but-panicked staring — not to mention likely a couple more fairy versus vampire versus werewolf battles to boot — just like in this GIF here!

You're making 2014 look real good, HBO. Real good.

By the time John Oliver really hit his stride as the temporary host of The Daily Show, it became easy to stop hoping for Jon Stewart's return-- something I'm not sure any fans of the show could have imagined when Stewart first announced he'd take the summer off to direct a movie. But now that Stewart really is back, and Oliver is returning to the correspondent's chair… man is it good to see that clean-shaven face again. Though it takes a minute, as you can see in the video above, to get Stewart back to fighting condition.

When Stewart finally did return to the desk, though, it took a little more adjustment, both coping with the recent news about a potential strike against Syria and, more personally, the embarrassing news about Stewart's old pal Anthony Weiner. Oh, excuse us, we mean Carlos Danger.

And by the time Stewart got around to talking about the new from Syria, it really was, as he calls it, "like I never left." Because when a President and the Secretary of State are trying to build the case for a military strike against another country, you start flashing back to the Bush years, and the sarcastic man in a suit who helped us get through it.

Even though Stewart is now back in action and behind the desk on The Daily Show, he's still got some attention on his film, called Rosewater. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, it tells the story of a British journalist who was held captive in Iran for 118 days-- partly as a result of an appearance on The Daily Show. The film is far from finished, but according to The Hollywood Reporter Stewart will be presenting some footage to buyers at the Toronto Film Festival this weekend, and it seems impossible that the film won't be picked up immediately. Stewart's credentials as a director may still be unproven, but if he can translate even an ounce of the energy he brings to the anchor desk, Rosewater ought to be a gripping watch.