John Oliver is back and ready to take on some of the biggest stories and issues of 2025 with his own brand of news insight and comedy with Last Week Tonight with John Oliver season 12 on HBO and Max.
Many late night programs offer their take on current events, notably ones like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Daily Show and Oliver’s HBO peer Real Time with Bill Maher, but few offer the same level of research and wacky comedy bits that Last Week Tonight delivers on a weekly basis. That is a large reason why the show has amassed 30 Emmys since its premiere in 2014, as well as other awards like the Peabody, Writer’s Guild Award, GLAAD Media Awards and more.
Here’s everything you need to know about Last Week Tonight season 12.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver season 12 release date
Last Week Tonight season 12 premieres on Sunday, February 16, at 11 pm ET/PT on HBO and streaming simultaneously on Max. The show is expected to be available in the UK the next day, February 17, on Sky.
In order to watch Last Week Tonight, you must either have HBO on a traditional pay-TV cable provider or be subscribed to Max as either a standalone service or as an add-on with services like DirecTV, Disney Plus, Hulu, Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Sling TV, YouTube TV and others.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver host
As the name would suggest, John Oliver is the host of Last Week Tonight.
Oliver got his first break on The Daily Show as a correspondent, but really grabbed the spotlight when he filled in for Jon Stewart while he was on a hiatus directing the movie Rosewater. Oliver was able to parlay that experience to a deal with HBO for what would become Last Week Tonight. Of the show’s 30 Emmys, he has won 21 of them for writing and producing the show.
Outside of his stints on comedy news programs, Oliver has also acted in projects like Community, The Smurfs, 2019’s The Lion King, Big Mouth and more.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver premise
Last Week Tonight usually gives a quick rundown of some of the biggest things that happened in the days leading up to its latest episode before diving into their in-depth main story. The show has also been known for committing to some outlandish bits that can often become viral, like hijacking the New Zealand’s bird of the century competition, buying all the assets of a bankrupted Red Lobster restaurant and forming their own megachurch.
Here is the official synopsis of the show from HBO:
“A satirical, insightful, and meticulously researched look at current events in the U.S. and around the globe, the 30-time Emmy®-winning series features Oliver’s hilarious, expertly honed perspective on today’s pressing political, social, and cultural issues, as well as lesser-reported topics that both inform and entertain.”
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver season 12 trailer
Watch the trailer for Last Week Tonight season 12 directly below, which recounts some highlights from previous years to remind you just what Oliver and his team are capable of pulling off:
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver behind the scenes
Last Week Tonight is filmed in New York City, produced for HBO by Avalon and Peyance Productions. Oliver is the executive producer on the show, alongside Tim Carvell, Liz Stanton, Jon Thoday and James Taylor. Paul Pennolino directs the episodes.
