Here at Her Campus, we are always looking for new TV shows to watch. If you’re looking for something to watch that will make you laugh, but might also make you a little more informed, you’ve come to the right place. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver premiered on HBO in 2014 and is currently on its 5th season. We already love this show, but here are some reasons why you should too!
1. It rounds up the major political news stories of the week
The topic of the show is in the name, the premise of the opening segment is to quickly round up everything that has happened in the past week in a short format that keeps audiences engaged through the use of satire and crude humor.
2. The main story takes a deep dive into important topics
Even though the opening segments capture the news for the past week, the main story often covers something that hasn’t really been in the news, or if it has, it goes deeper into the story. Topics for the main story range anywhere from The Canadian Election, to Sex Ed in the U.S and are guaranteed to teach you something that will make you a more informed person.
3. A full episode is usually only 30 minutes long
One episode only takes up a short amount of your time watch. Unfortunately, the only way to see the full episode is on HBO, but even if you don’t have HBO you’re not out of luck. That leads us to #4.
4. All of his main stories of each episode are posted on YouTube
Even if you don’t have HBO and don’t get to see the entire half hour segment, the main stories are always posted on YouTube after the episode has aired. John Oliver makes viewing his content easy!
5. It has a similar set up to The Daily Show
If you’re a fan of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert, or John Stewart, the format used by Last Week Tonight is similar. Even though the show doesn’t air on Comedy Central, it’s still sure to make you laugh.
6. It might make you more politically inclined
Most of the topics John Oliver covers have to do with politics, but he presents it in a way that is easy to understand. This format presents often boring topics in a comedic light that makes learning about politics that much easier.
7. John Oliver is hilarious
As a former Daily Show correspondent, it’s no surprise that John Oliver is hilarious to watch. His combination of satire, self-deprecating humor, and overall flawless joke delivery makes any episode fun to watch.
Watch episodes live on HBO on Sunday nights around 11 pm Eastern time. If you can’t watch it on HBO, here is the link to the YouTube channel for all his main stories.