Page 29 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 13 February 2018
Oliver relishes being

able to do show

without restrictions

By DAVID BAUDER hour extra sleep I'll have,'"
NEW YORK (AP) — HBO's he said.
John Oliver so relished be- The show constantly has
ing able to trash AT&T's cell to weigh how much of the
phone service that he can't day-to-day actions of the
imagine doing "Last Week Trump administration to
Tonight" under corporate address, both because he
restrictions. doesn't want to change its
His network's corporate formula, and since many
parent, Time Warner, is topics are picked clean
waiting to see whether by daily topical comedy
a proposed takeover by shows. News, and the hu-
AT&T will be approved. Oli- mor pulled out of it, moves
ver's show, which begins its so fast that programs like
fifth season on Sunday, has the "Late Show" had to go
been able to operate with live after Trump's State of
freedom in part because the Union address because
HBO's business depends on the jokes would seem stale
subscribers instead of ad- 24 hours later, he said.
vertiser, and he's become But there are some topics In this Nov. 7, 2017 file photo, comedian John Oliver performs at the 11th Annual Stand Up for
Heroes benefit in New York.
quite accustomed to it. — like when Trump com- Associated Press
"We were drawing a line mented upon the demon-
in the sand," Oliver said on strations in Charlotteville,
Monday, referring to an Virginia — where not talk-
episode last season that ing about it would be like
discussed corporate merg- an editorial decision in it-
ers, including Time War- self, he said.
ner's. "I don't anticipate the Despite starting its fifth sea-
ground underneath us shift- son, Oliver said the show still
ing and if it does, that is go- feels new. He’s contracted
ing to be a problem. We'll to do two more and an
go down screaming." HBO executive sitting near
He said he realizes that him at a news conference
"Last Week Tonight" is lucky indicated the network
to have the ability to do the would like more.
lengthy, journalism-style ex- “I still feel there is a lot of
plorations of issues and the room to get better,” Oliver
jokes it gets to do along the said. “I don’t feel like we’re
way. at cruising altitude yet.”
"Being able to point out Oliver attracted attention
that this product is (lousy) during the show’s hiatus for
and that tastes terrible, it's being on a panel discus-
really great to have that sion with Dustin Hoffman in
kind of freedom," he said. December that sparked an
"It's addictive." uncomfortable discussion
Besides some topical jokes, about women who had
the show's centerpiece is made sexual misconduct
one lengthy exploration of allegations against him.
an issue each week. Oliver Hoffman should have been
tackles topics that would expecting that he would
seem television-unfriendly, be questioned about it, Oli-
like net neutrality or health ver said.
care financing, and teach- “The first person that he
ing an audience while hav- talked to (publicly) was
ing some laughs along the going to have to ask him
way. questions about it,” Oliver
He's reluctant to talk about said. “Unfortunately, that
any topics that the show was me.”
will cover during a new The discussion continued
season, both to preserve largely because his an-
the element of surprise and swers “were pretty bad,”
because they probably Oliver said. “I wanted to
wouldn't sound appetizing. try and get him to a point
"If we say to people, 'look, of self-reflection and to try
we're going to talk about and get something out of
Sinclair Broadcasting,' you'll the conversation, but that
think 'good, that's a half- didn’t happen,” he said.q