John Oliver’s Secrecy Deal With HBO Extended to Snowden Interview

John Oliver says he likes the idea of keeping as much as possible about his show, a secret, even from HBO.

Comedian John Oliver from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. (Photo: AP)

Comedian John Oliver says he likes the idea of keeping as much as possible about his show, Last Week Tonight, a secret until it airs each week – a philosophy he took to the extreme last spring when he traveled to Moscow to interview Edward Snowden.

Oliver, who begins a new round of his Last Week Tonight comedy show on February 14, did not tell HBO about his interview until he returned from Moscow.

Snowden leaked NSA documents to journalists in 2013 and faces prison time if he returns to the United States.

Oliver pleaded with HBO not to tell anyone that he had interviewed Snowden, in part because it would spoil a segment where he makes viewers wonder if Snowden would even show up. He even asked the studio audience at the episode’s taping to keep quiet about it online.

I really appreciated the fact that HBO would let us do it that way because we thought it was the best way to actually present it, even though commercially it was the worst way you could present it.

<b>John Oliver, Comedian</b>

Oliver said HBO has kept its promise not to interfere creatively in the making of Last Week Tonight.

It’s like your parents saying, ‘you can do whatever you’d like, but don’t touch that cabinet.’ I presumed that HBO was lying.

<b>John Oliver, Comedian</b>

Rachel Dratch and John Oliver posing as televangelists in Last Week Tonight. (Photo: YouTube Screengrab)

With his philosophy in mind, Oliver was not revealing much on Wednesday about the topics Last Week Tonight will be covering in the upcoming months.

It’s difficult to reveal much because some stories may fall through, he said. Each week’s show has a centerpiece story that is discussed in a mixture of comedy and reporting.

He will, however, be ending a moratorium on the discussion of the presidential campaign.

He hopes for more long-gestating stories like his examination of religious fundraising, after which he and actress Rachel Dratch posed as televangelists asking viewers to send them one dollar.

Joke or not, Last Week Tonight received some $70,000 in single dollar bills – along with five vials of semen, at least three of which Oliver is convinced were fake. The money was donated to Doctors Without Borders.