Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Season 1 poster

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver — Season 1

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201424 episodes7.8/10 (214 votes)

About this season

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

Episodes (24)

POM Wonderful v. Coca-Cola
E1

1. POM Wonderful v. Coca-Cola

7.3

Aired 27 April 2014 • 30 min

John talks about the Indian election, Pom Wonderful and talks with the former NSA Director General Keith Alexander.

Capital Punishment
E2

2. Capital Punishment

7.9

Aired 4 May 2014 • 30 min

John talks about the recent issues of the death penalty, François Hollande and the rising issues happening in Brunei.

Climate Change Denial
E3

3. Climate Change Denial

7.1

Aired 11 May 2014 • 30 min

John talks about Eurovision, Ukraine and Russia's relations and interviews Bill Nye about Climate Change.

The Right to Be Forgotten
E4

4. The Right to Be Forgotten

8.4

Aired 18 May 2014 • 30 min

John talks about the product recall going on at General Motors, the EU Court of Justice "Right to be Forgotten" ruling and updates us on how the Indian election is going with help from Fareed Zakaria.

Net Neutrality
E5

5. Net Neutrality

7.8

Aired 1 June 2014 • 30 min

John talks about the rise of the far-right political parties in Europe, the Ukrainian election, Afghanistan, Net Neutrality, Australia's hard-line right-wing Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

FIFA and the World Cup
E6

6. FIFA and the World Cup

7.1

Aired 8 June 2014 • 30 min

John talks about California Chrome and the Belmont Stakes, FIFA and the 2014 World Cup, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Immigration Reform
E7

7. Immigration Reform

7.0

Aired 15 June 2014 • 30 min

John talks about US Immigration and interviews Professor Stephen Hawking.

Dr. Oz
E8

8. Dr. Oz

8.2

Aired 22 June 2014 • 30 min

John talks about Iraq, Antarctica tourism and Dr. Oz's "Miracle Drug".

Burwell v. Hobby Lobby
E9

9. Burwell v. Hobby Lobby

6.5

Aired 29 June 2014 • 30 min

John Oliver sheds light on recent Supreme Court cases and discusses gay rights in Uganda with activist Pepe Julian Onziema.

Income and Wealth Inequality
E10

10. Income and Wealth Inequality

7.9

Aired 13 July 2014 • 30 min

John talks about modern American income inequality, Warren G. Harding's love letters and President Obama's "Day In The Life" tour.

Incarceration in the United States
E11

11. Incarceration in the United States

7.6

Aired 20 July 2014 • 30 min

John talks about the Gaza crisis, the decay of American prisons and the gambling addiction problem in Singapore.

Nuclear Weapons and the United States
E12

12. Nuclear Weapons and the United States

8.2

Aired 27 July 2014 • 30 min

John talks about human rights violations in the Middle East, nuclear disarmament and Russia's science satellite that lost communication.

Native Advertising
E13

13. Native Advertising

7.9

Aired 3 August 2014 • 30 min

John talks about Uganda's anti-gay laws, the CIA's recent report on their use of torture, the New York Port Authority, Argentina's default on debt and native advertising.

Payday Loans
E14

14. Payday Loans

7.9

Aired 10 August 2014 • 30 min

John talks about the return of US military actions in Iraq, replacing all passwords due to a global security breach and the terrible practices of the Payday Loan industry.

Shooting of Michael Brown and Police Militarization
E15

15. Shooting of Michael Brown and Police Militarization

8.1

Aired 17 August 2014 • 30 min

Focuses on the shooting of Michael Brown and police militarization in Ferguson, MO. John also discusses the topic of equal pay for equal work.

Student Debt
E16

16. Student Debt

8.1

Aired 7 September 2014 • 30 min

John talks about ISIS and student loan debt. Musical group A Great Big World make a special appearance.

Scottish Independence Referendum
E17

17. Scottish Independence Referendum

8.2

Aired 14 September 2014 • 30 min

John talks about the NFL's decision on Ray Rice's contract, the international response to ISIS, Scotland's separation from the United Kingdom and Twitter hashtags that are being misused by corporations.

United States Embargo Against Cuba, Miss America 2015
E18

18. United States Embargo Against Cuba, Miss America 2015

7.7

Aired 21 September 2014 • 30 min

John covers the results of the Scottish referendum that took place the week before and explains why the policy of United States having embargo against Cuba doesn't make sense . The main story focuses on the Miss America pageant and their scholarships to women. John explains how outdated and absurd the requirements for the contestants are and to illustrate these problems, stages his own pageant with the help of a guest star - Kathy Griffin.

Drones
E19

19. Drones

8.0

Aired 28 September 2014 • 30 min

John discusses U.S. military drones and the Kansas state budget shortfall. Also, Narendra Modi, the Prime Minster of India visited New York and did some classic New York things.

Civil Forfeiture
E20

20. Civil Forfeiture

7.6

Aired 5 October 2014 • 30 min

Main story: how desperate the American law enforcement is to make money out of everyone by using the process called the "civil asset forfeiture," and how it would make for a weird episode of "Law and Order." Plus, John wants to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and how is Columbus Day still a thing.

Military Translators
E21

21. Military Translators

8.6

Aired 19 October 2014 • 30 min

Translators who have aided the U.S. Military in Afghanistan and Iraq are in great danger in their home countries, but red tape is making it impossible for many of them to leave. John Oliver interviews FNU Mohammad, one translator who made it out. Plus, since cameras aren’t allowed in the Supreme Court discussions, most coverage of the important cases looks like garbage. John fixes that problem with real animals and fake paws.

Sugar
E22

22. Sugar

8.1

Aired 26 October 2014 • 30 min

John Oliver talks about a Russian submarine in Sweden, ebola in New York, added sugar in food, Rob Ford's brother and interviews Jane Goodall.

State Legislatures and ALEC
E23

23. State Legislatures and ALEC

8.1

Aired 2 November 2014 • 30 min

While midterm coverage is largely focused on the parts of Congress that do very little, vital (and bizarre) midterm elections are going unexamined. State legislators pass a lot of bills, and some of that efficiency is thanks to a group called ALEC that writes legislation for them. It’s as shady as it sounds!

The Lottery
E24

24. The Lottery

8.2

Aired 9 November 2014 • 30 min

The Lottery: State lotteries claim to be good for education and the general wellbeing of citizens. But are they? (Spoiler alert: No.) Also, there is a cannon that shoots salmon over dams. It’s awesome. Check it out.

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