On Thursday, John Oliver announced he would be leaving his correspondent position at “The Daily Show” after seven years to host a similar-sounding show for HBO.
Oliver won rave reviews when he filled in for Jon Stewart for 12 weeks over the summer, which is what sold HBO on hiring the comedian.
“We weren’t otherwise searching for another weekly talk show, but when we saw John Oliver handling host duties on ‘The Daily Show,’ we knew that his singular perspective and distinct voice belonged on HBO,” said Michael Lombardo, president of HBO Programming.
The new show will be a satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events airing Sunday nights starting in 2014.
Oliver commented, “I’m incredibly excited to be joining HBO, especially as I presume this means I get free HBO now. I want to thank Comedy Central, and everyone at ‘The Daily Show’ for the best seven and a half years of my life. But most of all, I’d like to thank Jon Stewart. He taught me everything I know. In fact, if I fail in the future, it’s entirely his fault.”
So what do you need to know about John Oliver before tuning in?
April 23rd, 1977: John was born in Birmingham, England, to two teachers.
1998: John graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge, where he studied English and was VP of the Cambridge Footlights — an amateur theater club.
2001: John first appeared at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of The Comedy Zone, a late-night showcase of newer acts.
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