Last Week Tonight

Considering Netflix has pushed it to the point of debuting near of a new season or series every week, the premium providers of old seem almost deprived of new content. HBO won’t take that lying down, planning to up its original series haul by at least 50% of its current stable, but will it affect subscription fees?

There’s not shortage of controversy around this year’s Oscars. But there is a shortage of roles for people of color in Hollywood — or at least that’s the argument that tends to get made by those who think that it’s not fair to blame the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for selecting an all-white field of acting nominees (for the second year in a row). The fault, they claim, lies with the Hollywood filmmakers who don’t make opportunities for actors of color in the first place. The system of honoring actors is merely a reflection, supposedly, of the larger system of moviemaking, and all its flaws.

Now that we’ve finally arrived in 2016, TV talk can safely shift to from the shows closing up shop in December, to the onslaught of premieres and returns on deck. We’ll have to wait until February the latest Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, but thankfully, the prolific host has a short segment to tide us over, and remind us it’s okay to fail New Years’ resolutions miserably.

The late Friday occurrence of Paris’ tragic terror attacks left many late-night programs without a pulpit to address the events, though weekend shows managed to extend their support. Last Week Tonight With John Oliver went just a bit further with its Sunday run, however, as Oliver laid into the attackers as “unconscionable flaming a–holes.”

However brief the window may have been, we can officially say goodbye to dreams of John Oliver returning to host The Daily Show after Jon Stewart. HBO has officially locked down its breakout star for two more seasons of the acclaimed Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, bringing more belated-but-hard-hitting journalism through 2017.

John Oliver is afraid of the Super Bowl. The 'Last Week Tonight' host has admirably dedicated himself to understand American pursuits -- especially sports -- since he came across the pond to be funny and say smart things on television, but even he is a little terrified of the Super Bowl.