Watch: John Oliver Lists His Favorite HBO Documentaries for Your Viewing Pleasure
Becca Nadler
Not surprisingly, satirical newsman and “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver enjoys documentaries more than scripted television series. In the clip above, the “Daily Show” alum uses his amazing powers of persuasion to convince viewers to sign up for HBO NOW, this time by creating a playlist of his favorite documentaries in a new ad spot.
The list includes HBO docs such as “Gideon’s Army,” which follows public defenders in the American criminal justice system, “Terror At The Mall,” which covers a terrorist attack at a mall in Kenya, and of course, the infamous documentary “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” which premiered on HBO in March 2015. (Check out Indiewire film critic Eric Kohn’s review for more information on “Going Clear,” which premiered at Sundance in January.)
No HBO playlist would be complete without something sex-related, and Oliver doesn’t disappoint, adding “Real Sex 22” to his list. “Don’t worry,” he explains, “you can jump right in without seeing the first 21, because it’s at ‘Real Sex 22’ when they really hit their stride.”
All of the documentaries in the playlist are available now for viewing on HBO platforms, including On Demand, HBO GO or HBO NOW.
