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I'm not aware of any other show that so seamlessly combines rip-roaringly funny comedy with essential insight into the way our society and system of government

I'm not aware of any other show that so seamlessly combines rip-roaringly funny comedy with essential insight into the way our society and system of government is deeply flawed. And on top of that, he even manages to direct action to fix the issues he draws attention to -- taking down the FCC website being one example[1]. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/03/john-oliver-fcc-website-net-neutrality https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/03/john-oliv...

rev_null 10y ago
The only other show that comes to mind is The Daily Show, of which John Oliver is an alumnus.
- mhurron 10y ago
  Trevor Noah is too nice though.
  - daveguy 10y ago
    He is growing into the role.
    - JazCE 10y ago
      is he? It's been a little while since i've watched [his] show, maybe the last one was with Ricky Gervais. I don't have the same urgency, there isn't a bite to the way he presents. I miss watching the correspondents though, Jessica Williams and Jordan Klepper are both awesome and they have been put to use a lot more. Sam Bee's full frontal and Oliver's Last Week Tonight are now both my staples of american news consumption.
    - qmr 10y ago
      I haven't felt urge to watch a single episode with him.
      - dannypgh 10y ago
        You're proud of the fact you've pre-judged Trevor Noah's performance without watching a single episode?
        67726e 10y ago
        I saw Trevor Noah do the "Africa or America"[0] bit on The Daily Show back when the news about him taking over was out. I loved it and went and found all the stand-up of his I could find. I thought it was similarly great. He's actually a large part of why I decided to sign up for Hulu, but to be honest it lacks the punch I was expecting. Maybe he'll grow into the role, but it's turned into a show I just watch in the background while I'm working. [0] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHO1a1kvZGo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHO1a1kvZGo
        EGreg 10y ago
        I think he means that, after watching show X, he wasn't feeling an urge to watch show X+N, for multiple values of X.
        hyperbovine 10y ago
        You mean like you pre-judged him to be prideful of this fact?
        qmr 10y ago
        I've watched clips. Just doesn't do it for me.
- agildehaus 10y ago
  Last Week Tonight is a direct spinoff of The Daily Show. Oliver took the Comedy Central format and applied HBO to it to rid it of its problems (commercials, crappy celebrity interviews).
  - gre 10y ago
    And now he can swear!
coderdude 10y ago
It's a good show (he's funny and you learn stuff) but it's way too preachy. He gets just a little too excited about things that are basically impossible for anyone to get excited about. Clearly pandering to the young, left crowd. I'm sure it makes some people feel very warm at night but it gives me a bad taste in my mouth after binge watching.
- thegp 10y ago
  Which things do you mean? And excited as in happy or as in rage?
- ThomPete 10y ago
  Thats the reason why I stopped watching it too. No doubt it has something but it's just too one sided IMO. It's bashing from a very specific political angle. I.e. it always possible to know what side of critique he is going to fall down on, and that for me isn't interesting.
  - aexaey 10y ago
    Yep. Same here. He wasn't nearly as judgmental in The Bugle, while being as funny as ever. [1] [2] [1] http://podcast.timesonline.co.uk/rss/thebuglemp3.rss http://podcast.timesonline.co.uk/rss/thebuglemp3.rss [2] https://soundcloud.com/the-bugle https://soundcloud.com/the-bugle
    - bsandert 10y ago
      Love that podcast. Really a shame he's stepping down from it.
  - bayesian_horse 10y ago
    Somehow, comedians falling on the "political right" side of the argument are rarely funny or insightful...
    - defen 10y ago
hellofunk 10y ago
The show is very entertaining and sheds some light on important issues, but don't kid yourself: you are being manipulated by masterful editing and writing, just like any other compelling "news" program. Everything in the show is filtered through a carefully worded script and is biased as hell. But I still love it. Just be sure you know what you're watching.
- smt88 10y ago
  Example(s) where that makes the show less factual? I don't watch it and am curious.
  - hellofunk 10y ago
    It's more a problem of only using convenient evidence and omitting other facts that might make the show's argument weaker. Nothing is so much "not factual" on the show as it is often "incomplete" and "heavily spun." It's genuinely an enjoyable show, however, especially if you side with the attitude it offers. But not unlike some Michael Moore documentaries, a fair amount of it can be tossed up to propaganda.
    - sdenton4 10y ago
      We've got two things happening in journalism today: total partisan hackery and 'unbiased' 24 hour news network boulsheet. What Oliver is doing is pretty thoughtful, well-researched argumentation, something completely missing from both of those dominant modes. And something that's between an essential part of civic discourse from Plato to quite recently...
      - hellofunk 10y ago
        I do like the show, but it is also very partisan and biased.
ashitlerferad 10y ago
It seems to me this show is all about native advertising.
- vitd 10y ago
  Can you give an example? Thinking back to episodes I've liked, he's mostly been pretty awful to various brands.
tptacek 10y ago
If you like John Oliver, check out Sam Bee's _Full Frontal_ on TBS. I like both shows, but Bee's is the better of the two.
- dtornabene 10y ago
  The Bugle, a podcast he did with his old partner in the UK, is truly solid as well. Andys pun runs end up being so epic. Super sad the output has stopped now that Oliver has his new show (which is awesome!).

rev_null 10y ago

The only other show that comes to mind is The Daily Show, of which John Oliver is an alumnus.

mhurron 10y ago
Trevor Noah is too nice though.
- daveguy 10y ago
  He is growing into the role.
  - JazCE 10y ago
    is he? It's been a little while since i've watched [his] show, maybe the last one was with Ricky Gervais. I don't have the same urgency, there isn't a bite to the way he presents. I miss watching the correspondents though, Jessica Williams and Jordan Klepper are both awesome and they have been put to use a lot more. Sam Bee's full frontal and Oliver's Last Week Tonight are now both my staples of american news consumption.
  - qmr 10y ago
    I haven't felt urge to watch a single episode with him.
    - dannypgh 10y ago
      You're proud of the fact you've pre-judged Trevor Noah's performance without watching a single episode?
      - 67726e 10y ago
        I saw Trevor Noah do the "Africa or America"[0] bit on The Daily Show back when the news about him taking over was out. I loved it and went and found all the stand-up of his I could find. I thought it was similarly great. He's actually a large part of why I decided to sign up for Hulu, but to be honest it lacks the punch I was expecting. Maybe he'll grow into the role, but it's turned into a show I just watch in the background while I'm working. [0] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHO1a1kvZGo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHO1a1kvZGo
      - EGreg 10y ago
        I think he means that, after watching show X, he wasn't feeling an urge to watch show X+N, for multiple values of X.
      - hyperbovine 10y ago
        You mean like you pre-judged him to be prideful of this fact?
      - qmr 10y ago
        I've watched clips. Just doesn't do it for me.
agildehaus 10y ago
Last Week Tonight is a direct spinoff of The Daily Show. Oliver took the Comedy Central format and applied HBO to it to rid it of its problems (commercials, crappy celebrity interviews).
- gre 10y ago
  And now he can swear!

coderdude 10y ago

It's a good show (he's funny and you learn stuff) but it's way too preachy. He gets just a little too excited about things that are basically impossible for anyone to get excited about. Clearly pandering to the young, left crowd. I'm sure it makes some people feel very warm at night but it gives me a bad taste in my mouth after binge watching.

thegp 10y ago
Which things do you mean? And excited as in happy or as in rage?
ThomPete 10y ago
Thats the reason why I stopped watching it too. No doubt it has something but it's just too one sided IMO. It's bashing from a very specific political angle. I.e. it always possible to know what side of critique he is going to fall down on, and that for me isn't interesting.
- aexaey 10y ago
  Yep. Same here. He wasn't nearly as judgmental in The Bugle, while being as funny as ever. [1] [2] [1] http://podcast.timesonline.co.uk/rss/thebuglemp3.rss http://podcast.timesonline.co.uk/rss/thebuglemp3.rss [2] https://soundcloud.com/the-bugle https://soundcloud.com/the-bugle
  - bsandert 10y ago
    Love that podcast. Really a shame he's stepping down from it.
- bayesian_horse 10y ago
  Somehow, comedians falling on the "political right" side of the argument are rarely funny or insightful...
  - defen 10y ago

hellofunk 10y ago

The show is very entertaining and sheds some light on important issues, but don't kid yourself: you are being manipulated by masterful editing and writing, just like any other compelling "news" program. Everything in the show is filtered through a carefully worded script and is biased as hell. But I still love it. Just be sure you know what you're watching.

smt88 10y ago
Example(s) where that makes the show less factual? I don't watch it and am curious.
- hellofunk 10y ago
  It's more a problem of only using convenient evidence and omitting other facts that might make the show's argument weaker. Nothing is so much "not factual" on the show as it is often "incomplete" and "heavily spun." It's genuinely an enjoyable show, however, especially if you side with the attitude it offers. But not unlike some Michael Moore documentaries, a fair amount of it can be tossed up to propaganda.
  - sdenton4 10y ago
    We've got two things happening in journalism today: total partisan hackery and 'unbiased' 24 hour news network boulsheet. What Oliver is doing is pretty thoughtful, well-researched argumentation, something completely missing from both of those dominant modes. And something that's between an essential part of civic discourse from Plato to quite recently...
    - hellofunk 10y ago
      I do like the show, but it is also very partisan and biased.

ashitlerferad 10y ago

It seems to me this show is all about native advertising.

vitd 10y ago
Can you give an example? Thinking back to episodes I've liked, he's mostly been pretty awful to various brands.

tptacek 10y ago

If you like John Oliver, check out Sam Bee's _Full Frontal_ on TBS. I like both shows, but Bee's is the better of the two.

dtornabene 10y ago
The Bugle, a podcast he did with his old partner in the UK, is truly solid as well. Andys pun runs end up being so epic. Super sad the output has stopped now that Oliver has his new show (which is awesome!).