Season 2 (2015)

Marketing to Doctors
6.7

February 8, 2015 • 30m

John Oliver discusses the growing issues of pharmaceutical companies marketing directly to and through doctors. Also, since RadioS...Read more

Tobacco
7.1

February 15, 2015 • 30m

Thanks to tobacco industry regulations and marketing restrictions in the U.S., smoking rates have dropped dramatically. John Olive...Read more

Elected Judges
7.6

February 22, 2015 • 30m

The vast majority of US judges are elected, forcing many judges to pander to the electorate and accept campaign money in order to ...Read more

Infrastructure
6.4

March 1, 2015 • 30m

America's crumbling infrastructure: It's not a sexy problem, but it is a scary one.

U.S. Territories
8.5

March 8, 2015 • 30m

A set of Supreme Court decisions made over 100 years ago has left U.S. territories without meaningful representation. That’s weird...Read more

The NCAA
6.5

March 15, 2015 • 30m

The NCAA doesn’t pay athletes because they consider them amateurs. The NCAA considers them amateurs because they don’t get paid.

Municipal Violations
7.6

March 22, 2015 • 30m

If you have money, committing a municipal violation may pose you a minor inconvenience. If you don’t, it can ruin your life. Also,...Read more

Government Surveillance
9.0

April 5, 2015 • 30m

There are very few government checks on what America’s sweeping surveillance programs are capable of doing. John Oliver sits down ...Read more

The IRS
6.7

April 12, 2015 • 30m

Nobody likes the IRS. But recent budget and staff cuts have made it increasingly difficult for the department to do its very impor...Read more

Patents
7.8

April 19, 2015 • 30m

For inventors, patents are an essential protection against theft. But when patent trolls abuse the system by stockpiling patents a...Read more

Fashion
7.8

April 26, 2015 • 30m

John explores the concept of changing and cheap fashion and some of the ugliest truths of the manufacturing process.

Standardized Testing
7.8

May 3, 2015 • 30m

American students face a ridiculous amount of testing. John Oliver explains how standardized tests impact school funding, the achi...Read more

Paid Family Leave
8.0

May 10, 2015 • 30m

Many American companies do not offer paid leave after the birth of a child, which means they probably shouldn’t run sappy Mother’s...Read more

Chickens
7.2

May 17, 2015 • 30m

John Oliver explains how chicken farming can be unfair, punishing, and inhumane. And not just for the chickens!

FIFA II
8.4

May 31, 2015 • 30m

After the arrests of numerous top officials, John Oliver decided to give an update on the state of FIFA. Also, Thailand's ignoranc...Read more

Bail
8.0

June 7, 2015 • 30m

John Oliver explains why America’s bail system is better for the reality TV industry than it is for the justice system.

Torture
8.2

June 14, 2015 • 30m

The US Senate Torture Report revealed horrifying details of America's interrogation program. Helen Mirren will fill you in. Plus, ...Read more

The Internet
8.0

June 21, 2015 • 30m

Online harassment is a major problem, but it’s rarely prosecuted. If only we’d been warned about this in the early days of the internet.

Transgender Rights
8.0

June 28, 2015 • 30m

This week’s gay rights victory was historic, but the transgender community still faces staggering challenges. John Oliver focuses ...Read more

Stadiums
7.5

July 12, 2015 • 30m

Cities spend massive amounts of public money on privately-owned stadiums. Cities issue tax-exempt municipal bonds that — wait, don’t fall asleep!

Food Waste
7.8

July 19, 2015 • 30m

Producers, sellers, and consumers waste tons of food. John Oliver discusses the shocking amount of food we don’t eat.

Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws
7.4

July 26, 2015 • 30m

Mandatory minimums require fixed prison sentences for certain crimes. John Oliver explains why we treat some turkeys better than m...Read more

District of Columbia
8.0

August 2, 2015 • 30m

Washington DC experiences taxation without representation. It's also missing from rhyming state songs. John Oliver and a group of ...Read more

Sex Education
7.8

August 9, 2015 • 30m

Sex education varies widely between school districts, leaving many teens without comprehensive information. We made a video that c...Read more

Church
8.6

August 16, 2015 • 30m

John discusses predatory churches and televangelism, and how the U.S. tax law allows them to get away with almost anything. Plus, ...Read more

LGBT Discrimination
7.4

August 23, 2015 • 29m

This year’s gay marriage ruling was a milestone, but LGBT discrimination is still surprisingly legal. John Oliver explains why we ...Read more

Public Defenders
7.9

September 13, 2015 • 30m

The Miranda warning includes the right to a public defender. It doesn’t include the fact that public defenders are highly overwork...Read more

Migrants and Refugees
7.4

September 27, 2015 • 30m

Millions of migrants seeking asylum in Europe face hostility, racism, and red tape. John Oliver does one admittedly tiny thing for...Read more

Mental Health
7.8

October 4, 2015 • 30m

John discusses Russia's involvement in Syria, the U.N. General Assembly, and the problems with the national system for treating me...Read more

North Dakota
7.8

October 11, 2015 • 30m

North Dakota is known for being polite, but perhaps they’ve been a little too hospitable to oil companies. Plus, the mess atop of ...Read more

Canada
7.7

October 18, 2015 • 30m

Canada is about to have a major election. John Oliver enlists Mike Myers, a beaver, and a moose to give voters some advice. Plus, ...Read more

Medicaid Gap
7.6

November 1, 2015 • 30m

John Oliver looks at the upcoming local state elections, the results of which could affect the lives of millions of Americans that...Read more

Prisoner Re-entry
7.5

November 8, 2015 • 30m

John Oliver discusses problems that prisoners face when re-entering the society after they're released from prison. A quick interv...Read more

Daily Fantasy Sports
7.8

November 15, 2015 • 30m

John talks about the recent Paris attacks, China's Singles Day, the Koh-i-Noor diamond and Daily Fantasy Sports.

Refugees & Pennies
7.6

November 22, 2015 • 30m

John reflects on the aftermath of Paris attacks and how it affects refugees worldwide. Plus, he questions the usefulness of the U....Read more