After his acclaimed summer as temporary host of The Daily Show, we called John Oliver the show’s heir apparent. A couple of months later, we were proven wrong, as Oliver got a gig on HBO. Still, the sentiment was right: Oliver’s track record on The Daily Show made you want to see what he’d do with a show of his own. So, with Last Week Tonight set to premiere this Sunday, here’s a look back at what exactly made his time on The Daily Show so special.
October 2008: Oliver reports from the presidential debate on Long Island, fully embracing the local culture.
April 2009: Oliver reports from a tea-party rally, feeling like they are underrating just how oppressive the British rule was.
February 2010: Oliver talks to Republicans who traveled to Hawaii to discuss fiscal responsibility.
July 2011: Oliver plays the part of the Dodd-Frank Act, singing an updated version of “I’m Just a Bill,” but reflecting how terribly it’s been treated.
September 2013: Oliver plays Sir Archibald Mapsalot III, the man responsible for drawing the country borders of the Middle East without regard to tribal allegiances.
April 2013: Last Spring, Oliver did an incredible three-part series on gun control. Many consider it his masterpiece on the show.
June 2013: Oliver takes on the Paula Deen scandal.
June 2013: Oliver discusses the strike down of key parts of the Voting Rights Act.
July 2013: Oliver talks Anthony Weiner’s second sexting scandal. “Carlos Danger” really was his muse all summer.
August 2013: Oliver, whose wife is an Iraq War veteran, interviews Senator Kirsten Gillibrand about sexual assault in the military.
