Given the current state of late-night television, any absence makes a noticeable difference for fans. Thankfully, after taking a week off, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is back with a brand-new episode on Sunday, May 31.
The HBO late-night series skipped last weekend's broadcast, a break that likely coincided with the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The hiatus came after a busy stretch of episodes in which Oliver tackled a wide range of topics, from the controversial structured settlement industry to the increasingly influential shadow docket of the U.S. Supreme Court and the growing concerns surrounding AI chatbots.
Now, Oliver returns at a moment when late-night television fans may be paying closer attention than ever. The return of Last Week Tonight comes just a little over a week after The Late Show with Stephen Colbert aired its final episode, leaving a major void in the world of late-night television. Stephen Colbert and Oliver both showed fearlessness when attacking politicians and corporations alike. Now with Colbert sidelined, Oliver's voice becomes that much more important among the current late-night TV options.
Meanwhile, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! is also approaching its annual summer hiatus. Host Jimmy Kimmel is expected to begin his traditional summer vacation in the coming weeks, further reducing the number of nightly hosts regularly weighing in on the biggest stories in politics and culture.
That leaves Oliver in a particularly unique position. While his weekly format differs from the traditional nightly talk show model, Last Week Tonight remains one of the few major programs dedicated to long-form examinations of current events, public policy, and pop culture. Put another way, it's one of the most important shows on television.
The timing could make Sunday's episode especially notable. Since Oliver last appeared on air, there has been no shortage of news developments. Fans will be eager to see which stories make it into the show's opening monologue and whether Oliver devotes his main segment to another underreported issue.
As always, there's no telling what Oliver will dive into for his top story. The Last Week Tonight crew works on stories weeks in advance, so it's not so easy to predict what's caught their attention over the past couple of months.
The new episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver premieres Sunday, May 31, at 11: 06 p.m. ET on HBO. The episode will also be available to stream on HBO Max.
Add us as a preferred source on Google