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July 24, 2014

John Oliver’s New Show Puts Premium On Quality Content

As a Search Engine Optimization Specialist, I really subscribe to the concept that ‘content is king’. Unfortunately, most news outlets I encounter don’t offer the kind of unique, engaging content I’m looking for.  News programs are most concerned with getting you the story fastest.  They tend to touch on subject for a couple minutes tops, then move on, trying to fit as many different stories into a time block as possible. Faster news isn’t that appealing to me.

The quality of the content in John Oliver’s new HBO Sunday night show “Last Week Tonight” is in a class of its own, and I’ve found it particularly charming. There have been comedy-news hybrid shows before, but never with this quality of content. John Oliver first started appearing on American TV regularly on the Jon Stewart’s Daily Show back in 2006.  He wrote for them for about eight years, and formats his current show after them.  However, while “Last Week, Tonight” is influenced strongly by the Daily Show, the show has some major advantages over his old one: There are no commercial breaks on HBO, and he only goes on once a week, hence the cleverly title of “Last Week Tonight.”

Not having commercial breaks means Oliver has eight more minutes to work with in his half hour time slot.  It also means he doesn’t have to build his show around the commercial breaks. Add in the fact that he only goes on once a week, and it really allows him to dig deeper and be more comprehensive with his main segments on each program. Instead of comedy/news, his show has become comedy/investigative journalism. While the Daily Show can only spend about five minutes on a specific topic, Oliver regularly devotes 11-15 minutes to one specific important issue. Rather than give you enough information to enjoy the punchlines, with the extra time he has, Oliver attempts to lure the viewer in and keep their attention with jokes, with the ultimate purpose of informing them about an important topic and why it matters.

The main topics he chooses to build his shows around are important, but also tend to be issues that a majority of Americans have overlooked, or are apathetic about: Net Neutrality, Indian Elections, Regulations on Health Supplements, and more. He displays an activist spirit, taking a firm, genuine stance on an issue, and then, maybe most importantly, he relays to viewers why they should care.

Did I mention the guy is hilarious? The bits in “Last Week, Tonight” are witty and original, and I appreciate that he keeps things fresh by trying out new ones each week.  It’s impressive how he is able to make a viewer laugh for a half hour, but then leaves them feeling more informed and thinking about an issue long after his show is over.

Oliver’s blend of satire and in-depth journalism makes for fascinating content. His brand of storytelling is very appealing to me, and as a company full of storytellers, I thought it would be something worth highlighting. The show is worth a watch, you might even learn something important!