LastWeekTonight: the videos Hacker News recommends
Not the channel's most viewed videos: the ones HN commenters kept linking with real commentary. The top pick, "Sinclair Broadcast Group: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)", hN repeatedly points to it as the eye-opening explanation of media consolidation and scripted local news.
- 10 HN recommenders 8 months 2017–2026commentaryHN repeatedly points to it as the eye-opening explanation of media consolidation and scripted local news.
- 7 HN recommenders 6 months 2014–2017commentaryHN commenters use it as the go-to funny, accessible explanation of net neutrality and credit it with driving public comments to the FCC.
- 8 HN recommenders 7 months 2014–2024commentaryHN treats it as the standard accessible explainer on civil forfeiture, linked in nearly every thread about police seizures.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2015–2021commentaryHN uses it in TPP and trade-deal threads as a clear example of ISDS being used by corporations against governments.
- 5 HN recommenders 6 months 2022–2024commentaryHN recommends it as an accessible overview of the data broker industry in privacy discussions.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2014–2023commentaryGo-to reference in lottery threads for the point that earmarked lottery revenue does not really add to school funding.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2015–2023interviewHN points to it as the best way to explain to ordinary people why privacy and mass surveillance matter.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2024–2025commentaryOffered as an accessible, well-made explainer to share in threads on scam texts, crypto fraud and scam compounds.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2016–2024commentaryHN points to it as an informative, fact-heavy overview of the opioid crisis and Purdue Pharma.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2015–2018commentaryHN cites it in threads on churches, tax exemption and religious fundraising, as the go-to explainer on seed faith televangelism.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2015–2020commentaryHN commenters point to it as a clear account of how minor infractions punish the poor.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2014–2026commentaryHN recommends it as a funny but sobering overview of nuclear weapons safety failures.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2025commentaryHN points to it as a well-researched, accessible overview of PFAS in PFAS-related threads.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2024commentaryCommenters cite it, with Oliver's other two opioid segments, as a well-researched case against pharma marketing and the Purdue settlements.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2019comedy videoHN commenters recommend it as an entertaining and sophisticated primer on reading science reporting critically.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2025commentaryHN points to it as an accessible, well-made mix of education and entertainment for anyone wanting to understand the Xinjiang situation.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–2022commentaryHN recommends it as a good overview of predatory lending and the problems with payday loans.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2019commentaryHN commenters cite it as a sharp, accessible primer on the NCAA's amateurism model and athlete compensation, including for readers outside the US.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2023commentaryHN points to it as an informative explainer on why many carbon offset schemes are not genuine.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2023–2024commentaryCited in threads about hard-to-cancel subscriptions and timeshare scams as an informative overview of the sketchy exit industry.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2023comedy videoCited to illustrate false balance and the trouble with giving all sides equal weight.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2026commentaryHN links it in personal finance threads as an entertaining explanation of how fees erode retirement savings.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2021commentaryHN recommends it as an accessible, funny explanation of why vaccines matter.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2014–2026commentaryRecommended as a funny, clear explanation of native advertising whenever sponsored content in media is discussed.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2021commentaryHN recommends it whenever legal threats against critics or open-source authors come up, often as the best accessible primer on SLAPP suits.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2022commentaryPointed to in debates over stadium subsidies as a persuasive case that cities should not pay for stadiums.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2019commentaryHN people use it as a quick, entertaining primer on territory status, citizenship versus nationality, and voting rights.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2021commentaryHN points to it as an accessible explanation of why the USPS struggles financially, especially in threads on mail delays and international rates.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2026commentaryHN cites it as a well-made explainer on police militarization that remains relevant years later.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2024commentaryHN recommends it as an entertaining and thorough overview of Boeing's decline whenever the company's safety problems are in the news.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2023commentaryHN commenters link it when discussions turn to dam failures, bridge collapses, or the unglamorous work of maintenance.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2025commentaryHN commenters point to it as good, accessible coverage of mobile-home park exploitation by private equity.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2025commentaryHN commenters use it as a researched, eye-opening reference whenever homeschooling oversight comes up.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2023commentaryHN links it in threads about native advertising and disguised ads as a good, funny overview of sponsored content passing as news.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2018commentaryCited in encryption policy threads as a funny, accessible primer and for its fake Apple ad.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2020commentaryHN cites it as an entertaining, fact-based explainer of gerrymandering tactics, though one commenter criticizes it as inconsistent.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2017commentaryHN uses it as a reference in threads about pharma payments, medical corruption, and declining trust in healthcare.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2024comedy videoHN shares it as a humorous but accurate primer on patent trolling and why East Texas is a favored venue.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2023–2024commentaryCited as a solid overview of the railroad safety problem, including the push toward longer trains and single-person crews.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2019commentaryHN cites it as an accessible explainer of prosecutorial abuse, especially piling on charges to force plea deals.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021commentaryHN cites it as a clear explanation of how industry shifted recycling responsibility onto consumers and why most plastic isn't recycled.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2017commentaryHN mostly references it in passing when student loans and predatory colleges come up, with one commenter recommending the veterans benefits section.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2024commentaryHN cites it in threads about donated bodies and organ transplant failures as a critical look at opaque systems.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2021comedy videoCited when discussing sensational health journalism and supplement industry misinformation.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2022commentaryHN uses it as a go-to overview of the congressional fundraising and lobbying problem whenever money in politics comes up.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2017commentaryHN cites it in discussions of news economics and repackaged reporting, though some commenters say they distrust Oliver as a source.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2023commentaryCited in threads on coerced confessions and plea bargains, and praised for well-researched coverage.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2025commentaryRecommended as an entertaining primer on grid problems, and cited for aging equipment causing fires.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2023–2024commentaryHN uses it as the go-to reference in threads about HOA absurdity, such as fines over small violations and authoritarian rules.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2023commentaryCited in election security threads as a watchable overview of voting machine problems.
- cited 5× 0 months 2017–2021commentaryCited for subprime auto loan statistics and as a reference for predatory car financing, rather than as a recommendation.
Questions
Which LastWeekTonight video does Hacker News recommend most?
Sinclair Broadcast Group: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO): recommended in 8 different months by 10 HN users between 2017 and 2026.
Is this every LastWeekTonight video?
No. Only videos that at least three different HN users linked, in at least three different months, with at least a sentence of their own commentary. That filter is what makes the list useful.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.