Tuesday, September 23, 2025

John Oliver examines Jimmy Kimmel & the FCC after winning two Emmy Awards

I'm taking one more look at ABC suspending Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Kimmel & the FCC: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO).

John Oliver discusses ABC’s move to pull Jimmy Kimmel off the air, what it has to do with Brendan Carr and the FCC, what it means for free speech in the United States, and which broadcasting giant should open an Italian restaurant. Ok fine: it’s Tegna. With a name like “Tegna” you’ve just gotta serve complimentary garlic knots. End of discussion.
John Oliver basically recapped what Colbert and Klepper already said on a bigger budget with (slightly) better writing, so I'll be a good environmentalist and recycle myself.
Paramount and CBS gave Hoover Cleveland's maladministration plausible deniability when they canceled Stephen's show. FCC chair Brendan Carr's prompting and Hoover Cleveland's approval made the sequence of events and ultimate responsibility much clearer with Kimmel's show being suspended. I think that's why the reaction is stronger for Kimmel than for Colbert.
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While the FCC has no control over cable and streaming, so it can't threaten Tapper's employer, CNN, media consolidation in the form of the NBC and rumored Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger can still affect them and him.
The merger can affect HBO and Oliver, too, which he recognized. As I wrote in reaction to Jordan Klepper, "This is about billionaires knuckling under to state power for more money. Sigh."

That's the bad news. The good news is that Kimmel is returning tonight. As I wrote first in 'You're Not Alone' and 'Now What?' Closer looks at Trump's re-election from Colbert, Meyers, 'The Daily Show,' and Kimmel, "I'm wondering if people will protect Jimmy, Stephen, Seth, and the rest of the late-night talk show hosts. If so, it would be another example of the surest way to get Americans to act is to mess with their entertainm­ent. As I first wrote in 2011, 'America is quite clear about its screwed up priorities­.'" Looks like his fans came through.

Follow over the jump for the Emmy Awards Last Week Tonight with John Oliver won last week.


Time to revisit John Oliver examines 'Gang Databases' plus 'Last Week Tonight's six Emmy nominations and 'Saturday Night Live' earned seven Emmy nominations for its 50th season.
Outstanding Scripted Variety Series
  • Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
  • Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Saturday Night Live proper has seven Emmy nominations, 24 including the 50th anniversary specials and spin-offs, while Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has six. That's not a good handicap for this category or the next, as the prognosticators at Gold Derby think Last Week Tonight with John Oliver will win handily, just like last year. All the experts, two-thirds of the editors, and 84.3% of the users expect John Oliver and his producers will accept the trophy in September. One-third of the editors and 15.7% of the users are calling for SNL to win in an upset. I'm with the majority. Besides, SNL will win its Emmys for its 50th Anniversary specials.
There has been some movement since last month, with 92.9% of experts, 75% of the editors, and 89.4% of users behind Last Week Tonight with John Oliver while 7.1% of experts, 25% of the editors, and 10.6% of the users picking Saturday Night Live to upset. In general, there is more support for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver now than before.
As predicted, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver won Scripted Variety Series: 77th Emmy Award.

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver accepts the Emmy for Scripted Variety Series at the 77th Emmy Awards.
As I first wrote in 'The Hunger Games' as the endpoint of reality TV, "I used to be a moderator of a web forum about Survivor and other reality TV shows." While that has left a mixed legacy, it allowed me to enjoy Jeff Probst's introduction, which I found to be a clever use of the material. Also, I enjoyed Nate Bargatze being told he lost, twice. After making the winners, including John Oliver, rush off the podium so many times, he deserved it.

Another winning reality TV host presented the next award.
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
  • The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
  • Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
  • Saturday Night Live (NBC)
The Gold Derby odds also overwhelmingly favor Last Week Tonight with John Oliver to repeat here, too, as 91.7% of experts, 88.9% of editors, and 85.2% of users picked it to win again. The Daily Show sits in second with 8.3% of experts, 11.1% of editors, and 7.5% of users think it will upset. Only 7.3% of users think SNL has a chance. This ranking looks right to me.
Saturday Night Live's odds have improved enough to swap places with The Daily Show, but not nearly enough to pass Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, which has the support of 92.3% of experts, all of the editors, and 91.1% of users. The consensus around its victory is solidifying. SNL is now the choice of 7.7% of experts and 5.2% of users and sits in second ahead of The Daily Show, which has only 3.7% of users still thinking it can win.
Again, as predicted, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver won Writing For A Variety Series: 77th Emmy Awards.

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver accepts the Emmy for Writing For A Variety Series at the 77th Emmy Awards.
That was delightfully bitchy on Alan Cumming's part as well as being an example of good writing without calling attention to it. I'll get to his and The Traitors' Emmy wins along with the Emmy won by Queer Eye on National Coming Out Day next month. As for the acceptance speech, it was eerily prescient and the camera direction made it even more so. Just the same, congratulations to John Oliver, his writers, and the rest of the crew on their wins and to Gold Derby for correctly calling both awards.

That's a wrap for today. I plan on finally getting to the drama winners tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Previous posts about the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards
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