What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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BY KENNETH ANDEEL TV Media W hen John Oliver accepted corre- spondent duties at "The Daily Show" as a fresh-faced British youngster in 2006, he could not have dreamed that he would eventually adapt and perfect that show's formula to create a series that would ulti- mately eclipse its progenitor. That's exactly what he's done with "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" — he has in- herited the cable comedy news throne that was once oc- cupied by Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show." Oliver's version of the late-night com- edy news genre heads into its sixth season on Sunday, Feb. 17, when its milestone 150th episode airs on HBO. "Last Week Tonight" fol- lows in the footsteps of "The Daily Show," exposing the ab- surdity of traditional news media, the 24-hour news cy- cle, and both niche political factions and the political elite, while avoiding cheap-shot ac- cusations through diligent re- search and a fundamentally journalistic approach. Oliver got his first serious taste of hosting duties in 2013, when Stewart took a 12-week leave of absence to direct the film "Rosewater" (2014). Au- diences were largely im- pressed with Oliver's fill-in duties, and executives across the TV world raced to see who could land him as a head- liner for their own news com- edy show. HBO turned out to be the best fit, and a mere three months after his stint as temporary host, it was an- nounced that Oliver would be creating a brand new show for the premium cable network. In April 2014, "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" premiered, and in the time since its debut, the show has become a cultural touchstone and a critical darling. It has also won multiple Emmy and Peabody awards for its hu- morous-yet-informative treat- ment of serious issues — most recently, the show took home the 2018 Emmy for Outstand- ing Variety Talk Series. "Last Week Tonight" is es- pecially notable for taking ex- tra deep dives into serious is- sues. If "The Daily Show" was a satirical version of the ar- chetypical nightly news broadcast, then "Last Week Tonight" is more like an off- kilter newsmagazine. It's not uncommon for a segment on Oliver's show to run between 15 and 20 minutes, which is a vast chunk of time for a half- hour show to dedicate to a CR O SS W O R D S S UDO KU W O R D SE A RC H T V & M O V I ES A/Filler 5 x 3 Not-so-fake news IT'S EASY! Just go to nwaonline.com, click on "Photos" in the top menu bar and use the search to fi nd the photo you want. Then just click "Purchase" for sizing options. You can also have the image put on a co ee mug, mouse pad, key tag, holiday ornament and more! Check it out! Do you know someone featured in a photo in our newspaper or on our website? DID YOU KNOW those images are available for purchase?