“The Daily Show” smart aleck John Oliver is taking his act to HBO.
Oliver, a correspondent for the Comedy Central late-night show, has been tapped for a weekly comedy show on HBO, which will premiere next year.
Much like his Comedy Central gig, the new Oliver series will present a satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events.
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The series will premiere Sunday nights.
Oliver distinguished himself admirably hosting “The Daily Show” over the summer while Jon Stewart took a hiatus for his directorial debut. HBO Programming president Michael Lombardo cited his hosting run as a reason for greenlighting the new series.
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“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 Lombardo. “We are extremely excited that John has agreed to make HBO his home.”
Alas, Oliver’s new gig means the end of his run on “The Daily Show.” In a statement, Comedy Central said that it wishes Oliver the best.
“‘The Daily Show’ and Comedy Central have a proud tradition of identifying and developing some of the greatest comedic voices of this generation.,” Comedy Central said in a statement. “John Oliver is the next of a long line of ‘Daily Show’ alums that have moved on to do great things in the world of comedy. We wish him the very best.”
The British comedian, who signed on with “The Daily Show” in 2006, thanked Comedy Central, the series, and, in particular, Stwewart, while declaring himself “incredibly excited” about the new chapter in his career.
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He’s pretty happy about the prospect of getting the premium cable channel for free now, too.
“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,” Oliver said. “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.”