HBO Confirms John Oliver Returns Feb 15 — Get Ready for the News You Never Knew You Needed

HBO has officially confirmed that Last Week Tonight with John Oliver returns February 15. After a winter hiatus that felt roughly three decades long, given the current speed of the news cycle our favorite bespectacled provocateur is heading back to his white void in New York to explain why everything you love is actually a shell company for a predatory utility provider.

The Return of the Deep Dive

The Season 13 premiere, airing at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and streaming on Max, arrives at a moment when political satire isn’t just entertainment. While other late-night hosts are busy playing charades with celebrities, Oliver remains the only man brave enough to spend thirty minutes screaming about the intricacies of the municipal debt market or why a specific species of duck is technically a war criminal.

Fans can expect the usual blend of meticulously researched investigative journalism and high-budget "stupid things" that have become the show's hallmark. Whether he’s buying millions in medical debt just to forgive it or starting his own church to prove a point about tax laws, Oliver’s return marks the restoration of the "Main Story" to our weekly vocabulary.

New Season, New Stakes

This season feels particularly high-stakes. Following his recent sweep at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, where the show secured its 10th consecutive win, Oliver is entering a new era of competition. Due to recent rule changes, Last Week Tonight is now duking it out in a merged variety category, proving that even the Television Academy doesn't know how to categorize a show that is half-news-briefing, half-performance-art-trolling.

Why The TV Cave is Tuning In

At The TV Cave, we’ve seen plenty of "news-adjacent" comedy, but Oliver’s superpower is his refusal to look away from the boring stuff. His return on February 15 isn't just about the jokes; it’s about the catharsis of seeing a man lose his mind over a 40-page legislative rider so that we don’t have to read it ourselves. Plus, we’re all secretly hoping for the return of the giant costumes or another international incident involving a foreign head of state and a very confused mascot.

As we prepare for the 2026 season, one thing is certain: the world hasn't gotten any less ridiculous during the break. If anything, the news has been auditioning for a segment on "And Now This" for the past three months.

Are you ready for the return of the rat-faced bastard? Drop a comment below and tell us which obscure industry you hope John Oliver destroys this season.

For more TV news, previews, and reviews, stay locked into The TV Cave.