'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' Season 8: Release date, creators, trailer and all you need to know about HBO talk show
While the coronavirus pandemic has brought much of America’s television production to a halt, talk shows have managed to entertain the viewers during such difficult times. One of the shows that created a lot of impact on the minds of the people was news satire TV program ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ and it comes in as no surprise that the show will be returning for an eighth season on February 14.
The satirical current events show has been off the air since mid-November and it looks like Oliver is ready to satisfy the viewers with his sharp commentary.
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Release date
The show will begin its eighth season Sunday, February 14 at 11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. It will also be streaming live on the network’s streaming service HBO Max.
Plot
‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ is a satirical look at the current events in the U.S. and around the globe and features the host’s perspective on many cultural, political, and social issues. Oliver is known for his one-liners and always uses the phrase “horse-shit” for something bizarre that’s trending in the outside world.
The upcoming season will once again talk about the global health crisis and all the latest developments in Washington D.C. as Joe Biden starts his tenure as the 46th president of the United States. The series features a mix of the series’ sharp commentary, pre-taped pieces, and occasional special guests.
Cast
John Oliver
Born on April 23, 1977, Oliver is a British comedian and television host who started his professional career as a stand-up comedian in the United Kingdom. He performed at various cultural festivals and became really popular in Edinburgh. He joined the ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ in 2006 as its Senior British Correspondent and received Primetime Emmys for outstanding writing in 2009, 2011, and 2012.
However, his moment of glory came in 2014 when he began hosting ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ for HBO. His initial two-year contract with HBO was extended through 2017 in February 2015, and through 2020 in September 2017. In 2015, Oliver was named on the list of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” for his work on the show. The talk show host takes inspiration from former talk show hosts like Jay Leno and Jon Stewart. Oliver has made his name for himself in the segment that was once dominated by Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert.
Oliver has 13 Primetime Emmys, 5 Writers Guild of America Awards, and 1 Grammy to his name. On the other hand, the show has won a total of 20 Emmys since 2014.
David Kaye
One of the most important members of the show, David Kaye has been doing voice-overs on the variety talk series since the show’s inception. Kaye is one of the most prolific names in the industry who has given voices to many iconic characters such as General Hawk (‘G.I. Joe’), Tomoyo Wakagi (‘Key: The Metal Idol’), Recoome (‘Dragon Ball Z’), Megatron/Galvatron (‘Transformers: Armada’), James McManus (‘Battlestar Galactica’), Commissioner James Gordon (‘Batman: Arkham City’) and many more.
Kaye’s voice-overs have appeared in 134 episodes of ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’.
Creators
The news satire television program is created by John Oliver and shares some similarities with ‘The Daily Show’ where he worked as a correspondent. A comedian-turned-actor, Oliver began his acting career in 1985 by making an appearance in the TV series ‘Masterpiece Theatre: Bleak House’.
In 2014, he started filming the ‘Last Week Tonight’ show and became a household name. Talking about the show in an interview, Oliver said, “It’s all happened so quickly. Which I know is bizarre to say, 11 years later, but I don’t feel I’ve come up for breath on any of this yet. The fact there is a poster of me in Times Square is absurd.”
The talk show is produced for HBO by Avalon and Sixteen String Jack Productions. Meanwhile, John Oliver, Tim Carvell, Liz Stanton, Jon Thoday and James Taylor serve as executive producers. The upcoming season will be helmed by Paul Pennolino and Christopher Werner.
Trailer
A satirical and meticulously researched look at current events in the U.S. and around the globe, ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ features Oliver’s perspective on political, social, and cultural issues.
Where to Watch
The eighth season of the ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ will premiere on HBO and HBO Max on February 14 at 11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT.
If you like this, you will love these:
‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’
‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’
‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’
‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’
