HBO Officially Renews 'Last Week Tonight With John Oliver' Through 2020
"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" has been picked up for three more seasons by HBO.
The renewal means HBO's Sunday night show will stay on air through 2020, with each season composed of 30 episodes. News of the pickup comes after HBO confirmed that Bill Maher's "Real Time" has been renewed until 2020 as well.
Reports note that "Last Week Tonight" scored two early Creative Arts Emmy wins over the weekend: one for outstanding interactive program and another for outstanding picture editing for variety programming. The series is currently nominated for three more Emmys, which includes best directing, best writing and best variety talk series.
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Since its 2014 debut, the weekly program has received three awards, including its first ever Emmy for best variety talk series. Unfortunately, not everyone is happy with the show. Oliver was recently slapped with a defamation lawsuit by Robert Murray, the CEO of a mining corporation, because of a segment in which the host criticized President Trump's plans of bringing the coal industry back.
"We are thrilled to have John Oliver as an integral part of the HBO family and to continue to share his comedic brilliance with the world," said HBO programming president Casey Bloys in a statement. "His extraordinary genius for rich and intelligent commentary is second to none."
Echoing some of Bloys' sentiments about the renewal, Oliver also released a statement. "We're very grateful to Richard Plepler, Casey and everyone at HBO for letting us continue to do whatever it is we actually do," he stated. "... We'd also like to thank our staff for all their hard work. We're incredibly proud of all of you, and rather than tell you that to your face, we'd like to do it in the cold, dispassionate form of a press release."
The fourth season of "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" airs every Sunday night at 11 p.m. EDT on HBO.
