John Oliver is ready for the spotlight.
But after nearly a decade as a correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the British comedian told reporters gathered for the Television Critics Association press tour Thursday that he isn't clear yet what his solo effort will look like. There is neither a name nor a springtime premiere date for the HBO late night show, and all he could offer with regard to a format was that "it will be me making fun of things."
Instead, Oliver used his time on the Pasadena stage to express his gratitude for his former boss and mentor, Jon Stewart. “As a comedian I’m almost allergic to sincerity, but he’s been amazing,” Oliver said, adding that he will continue to seek Stewart’s advice as he’s done for the past seven and a half years. (He suggests he hasn’t yet done the same of fellow HBO comedian Bill Maher, but he says he intends to do so via email soon, and joked that the gesture likely would entail a fruit basket.)
VIDEO: 'Daily Show's' John Oliver Cries During Final Episode
He was quick to acknowledge that it was that stint as Daily Show’s guest host this summer -- an experience he describes as “bizarre, exciting and terrifying” -- that landed him the HBO gig. Though he wasn't fully comfortable classifying the two-month run as a "success," he joked that he was pleased that he didn't kill the franchise. "I guess it went well," he shrugged, adding: "But comedy is subjective, and I’m sure some people thought, 'Get that British imposter off of my favorite TV show.'"
What is clear at this stage is that he will look to do a different show than Stewart has done for more than 10 years. “It will be similar because it will be me talking about things [but] that was Jon’s machine,” noted Oliver, reiterating that he has yet to determine what his own "machine" will look like. To be fair, Thursday marked only his third day of production on the late night show.
Helping Oliver to differentiate his entry will be the weekly schedule, and he believes having more time and perspective on the news will present both an opportunity and a pressure. That his show will air on Sunday evenings, he adds, will also open up the potential subject matter and allow him to “look backwards and forwards.”
