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Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

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2014–Ongoing13 seasonsRenewedSeason 14 upcoming430 episodes~30 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

A half-hour satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Last Week Tonight with John Oliver?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Last Week Tonight with John Oliver streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Last Week Tonight with John Oliver?

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver earns 5 badges, led by Top 10% of shows and Award-winning performance.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Cast

Reception

Is Last Week Tonight with John Oliver worth watching?

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver's Midcredits score is the 93rd percentile of all shows, from 112K ratings across 5 sources. 88% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

93rd percentile

Better received than 93% of shows

92nd percentile among Comedy92nd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)92nd
Approval (how many liked it)89th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

82 /100

92nd percentile of all shows

93rd percentile among Comedy91st percentile among 2010s

Critics 76 · Audience 82

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

Approval

How many liked it

88% liked it

89th percentile of all shows

87th percentile among Comedy88th percentile among 2010s
88% rated it 7–1012% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

98th percentile

112K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Comedy98th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 3% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the show is a well-researched, left-leaning satirical news program that covers important but overlooked topics.

Fans praised

  • In-depth investigative segments on underreported issues
  • Blend of sharp humor with serious social commentary
  • Fearless, well-researched political satire

Detractors panned

  • Overly partisan and preachy, especially post-2016
  • Repetitive Trump-bashing and predictable jokes
  • Smug, condescending delivery and biased framing

What stands out

ActingDivisive85

Host's charismatic, intelligent, and energetic delivery

Plot and storyDivisive82

Deep-dive segments on complex issues with narrative clarity

DialogueDivisive80

Witty, sarcastic writing; some find it forced or crude

OriginalityDivisive78

Unique format focusing on one main story per episode

Emotional impact75

Mixes outrage with hope; inspires action

HumorDivisive72

Sharp satire and absurd gags; detractors call it repetitive and unfunny

Effects and spectacleDivisive70

Elaborate stunts, mascots, and props enhance segments

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 3 points apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Episodes

13 seasons

Season 13 · 2026 · 30 episodes · 4.1 average across 26 rated episodes

  • S13E1

    February 15, 2026: ICE

    Feb 15, 202640 minTMDB rating 4.3
  • S13E2

    February 22, 2026: Twitter

    Feb 22, 202640 minTMDB rating 4.3
  • S13E3

    March 1, 2026: Police Body Cameras

    Mar 1, 202639 minTMDB rating 4.3
  • S13E4

    March 8, 2026: USAID

    Mar 8, 202650 minTMDB rating 4.1
  • S13E5

    March 15, 2026: J.D. Vance

    Mar 15, 202640 minTMDB rating 4.1
  • S13E6

    March 22, 2026: Police Stings

    Mar 22, 202639 minTMDB rating 3.7

Watch experience

What is Last Week Tonight with John Oliver like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Ironic, serious and charged — an even-paced watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
AbsurdTriumphantTense
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Satirical · 5% of showsWry · 7% of shows: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Sketch or variety · 1% of showsStatus quo each season
ToneThe show holds its material at a knowing, satirical distance, using humor to expose absurdity and injustice.
The rideEpisodes typically build through absurdist humour to a pointed, often hopeful call to action near the end.
StructureThe show is a sketch variety format with no overarching narrative structure.
Episode formatEach episode is a self-contained monologue with segments and sketches, no continuing story.
Season formatSeasons are interchangeable batches; any season is an entry point.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingInfuriating · 4% of shows: Leaves you angry at an injustice the film shows, never at the film.
Why it leaves you this wayViewers leave with a potent mix of outrage at systemic injustices and a mind stirred to examine them critically.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeLast Week Tonight is a non-narrative sketch variety show without a single plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10% (this title): Community 25% (this title) · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% (this title) · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Society

CommunityTruth · 6% of showsJustice · 14% of shows
Satirizes its theme: Attacks its theme through ridicule.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe show relentlessly examines societal failures and advocates for collective action and accountability, often through the lens of truth-telling and fairness.
StanceThe show satirizes societal failures (the primary theme community) by ridiculing power, hypocrisy, and inaction.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral classicalPopSupportive music · hybrid
SettingHBO studio with field segments and animations
MusicThe theme song is a stirring orchestral piece; segments often use pop and classical tracks for ironic contrast.

Content guide

Is Last Week Tonight with John Oliver okay for kids?

TV-MA

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is rated TV-MA. As of October 5, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at moderate (45/100), language at severe (81/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (18/100) and frightening material at mild (34/100). Overall it is heavier than 21% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 14 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14+
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France18
  • Ireland12
  • New Zealand16
  • Brazil16
  • Denmark15
  • MexicoB-15
  • Poland16
  • PortugalNR
  • Spain18
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 50% of all showsHeavier than 21% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Mild
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 15%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 35%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 76%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 3%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 19%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Last Week Tonight with John Oliver have?

MovieCove's classifier found 1 depicted content warning in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Gore or body horror (mild). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

MildGore or body horror

Cast and crew

Who is in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver?

Cast

Ryan Barger won the Emmy for this show.

David Kaye
as Voice Over
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Ryan Barger
as Voice Over
Emmy win: Primetime Emmy — Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming
Noel MacNeal
as Puppeteer
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
H. Jon Benjamin
as The Blank Void
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Alberto Bonilla
as Al (Amazon Employee)
Susan Evans
as Voice Over
Rachel Dratch
as Wanda Jo
James Wojtal
as Puppeteer
Kyle Ploof
as Dancing Zebra
Paul McGinnis
as Cat Puppeteer

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What are shows like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver include The Daily Show (1996), Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (2016) and The Jim Jefferies Show (2017).

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