1. The Next Pandemic
Air date: 2021-02-14 · 30 min
As COVID-19 continues to spread, John Oliver discusses what could cause the next pandemic, what we can do to avoid it, and why you shouldn't kiss pigs.
Open episode 1 ↗Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Season 8.
30 episodes in the catalogue. Explore the stories and air dates, then choose an episode to open FRAME’s player.
2. Meatpacking
Air date: 2021-02-21 · 30 min
The pandemic has thrown into high relief some of the longstanding issues surrounding working conditions in meatpacking facilities. John Oliver explains why greater oversight is needed, and how we can go about getting it.
Open episode 2 ↗3. Raids
Air date: 2021-02-28 · 30 min
John Oliver explains how raids became a favorite tool of police, how few guardrails there are on their use, and what we should do about that.
Open episode 3 ↗4. Unemployment
Air date: 2021-03-07 · 30 min
John Oliver details the many obstacles that impede access to unemployment benefits – often by design – and why the entire system needs to be rethought.
Open episode 4 ↗5. Tucker Carlson
Air date: 2021-03-14 · 30 min
Tucker Carlson is admired by white nationalists, elected officials, and maybe some of your relatives or coworkers. Given that he has the ear of so many Americans, John Oliver explains where Tucker came from, what his rhetorical tactics are, and what he represents.
Open episode 5 ↗6. Plastics
Air date: 2021-03-21 · 30 min
Plastic is in everything, from the clothes we wear to the water we drink. John Oliver explains how plastics are harming the planet, why recycling isn't the solution you think it is, and why fixing the problem will be up to not just consumers, but corporations and policymakers.
Open episode 6 ↗7. The National Debt
Air date: 2021-04-04 · 30 min
The national debt has long been portrayed as a burden we're placing on future generations. John Oliver discusses how national debt works, why people are so concerned about it, and why it might be more helpful that you think.
Open episode 7 ↗8. Long-Term Care
Air date: 2021-04-11 · 30 min
John Oliver explains the industry behind nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and why long-term care needs fixing.
Open episode 8 ↗9. Bankruptcy
Air date: 2021-04-18 · 30 min
John Oliver details why people file for bankruptcy, how needlessly difficult the process can be, and the ways we can better serve people struggling with debt.
Open episode 9 ↗10. Covid Vaccines
Air date: 2021-05-02 · 30 min
John Oliver explains why some people don't want to get the Covid-19 vaccine and how they might be reassured. (Even you, Mike in Baltimore.)
Open episode 10 ↗11. Hair
Air date: 2021-05-09 · 30 min
John Oliver discusses the importance of black hair, the ways it can be a target of discrimination, and some ideas to address that.
Open episode 11 ↗12. Stand Your Ground
Air date: 2021-05-16 · 30 min
John Oliver takes a look at why "stand your ground" laws were created, who they protect, and, crucially, who they don't.
Open episode 12 ↗13. Sponsored Content
Air date: 2021-05-23 · 30 min
John Oliver explains why the integrity of local news is so important, how sponsored content could damage that integrity, and why the Venus Veil is so much more than a blanket! (It's not.)
Open episode 13 ↗14. Asian Americans
Air date: 2021-06-06 · 30 min
John Oliver discusses the large and diverse group of people who fall under the term "Asian American", the history of the model minority stereotype, and why our conversations on the subject need to be better-informed.
Open episode 14 ↗15. Prison Heat
Air date: 2021-06-13 · 30 min
John Oliver explains how the failure to air-condition prisons can cause both physical and mental health issues for incarcerated people, and why the solution is simpler than you might think.
Open episode 15 ↗16. PACE
Air date: 2021-06-20 · 30 min
John Oliver explains how PACE, a program meant to pay for environmentally-friendly home renovations, is fundamentally flawed and can put people at risk of losing their homes.
Open episode 16 ↗17. Health Care Sharing Ministries
Air date: 2021-06-27 · 30 min
Health Care Sharing Ministries, or HCSMs, advertise themselves as a more affordable, faith-based alternative to health insurance. But John Oliver explains some of the massive limitations these plans can have.
Open episode 17 ↗18. Housing Discrimination
Air date: 2021-07-25 · 30 min
John Oliver breaks down the long history of housing discrimination in the U.S., the damage it's done, and, crucially, what we can do about it; plus, John is headed back to the studio and makes a new friend along the way.
Open episode 18 ↗19. Ambulances
Air date: 2021-08-01 · 30 min
John Oliver explains how emergency medical services function in the U.S., why they can be so expensive, and what we can do to fix things.
Open episode 19 ↗20. Opioids III: The Sacklers
Air date: 2021-08-08 · 30 min
John Oliver explains how the Sackler family has been handling lawsuits related to the opioid crisis, how hard they've been fighting to defend their name, and why you should judge the situation for yourself.
Open episode 20 ↗21. Ransomware
Air date: 2021-08-15 · 30 min
John Oliver discusses ransomware attacks, why they're on the rise, and what can be done about them.
Open episode 21 ↗22. Afghanistan
Air date: 2021-08-22 · 30 min
John Oliver discusses the end of America's war with Afghanistan, and the humanitarian crisis being left behind.
Open episode 22 ↗23. Lukashenko
Air date: 2021-09-12 · 30 min
John Oliver discusses the longtime leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, and the many reasons his country's citizens have not to like him.
Open episode 23 ↗24. Voting Rights
Air date: 2021-09-26 · 30 min
John Oliver discusses the current attacks on voting rights, who's behind them, and what we can do about it.
Open episode 24 ↗25. PFAS
Air date: 2021-10-03 · 30 min
John Oliver discusses PFAS — a class of chemicals linked to an array of health issues — and why their widespread use isn't as magical as it may seem.
Open episode 25 ↗26. Misinformation
Air date: 2021-10-10 · 30 min
John Oliver discusses how misinformation spreads among immigrant diaspora communities, how little some platforms have done to stop it, and, most importantly, how to have a very good morning.
Open episode 26 ↗27. Taiwan
Air date: 2021-10-24 · 30 min
John Oliver discusses Taiwan's history of being governed by other countries, its fraught present-day relationship with China, and what its citizens would like their future to look like.
Open episode 27 ↗28. Homelessness
Air date: 2021-10-31 · 30 min
With homelessness increasing nationwide, John Oliver takes a look at the way we discuss the unhoused, what policy failures are making the problem worse, and how we can help.
Open episode 28 ↗29. The Power Grid
Air date: 2021-11-07 · 30 min
John Oliver discusses the current state of the nation's power grid, why it needs fixing, and, of course, how fun balloons are.
Open episode 29 ↗30. Union Busting
Air date: 2021-11-14 · 30 min
John Oliver discusses the mechanics of union busting, why the companies who do it face so few consequences, and what it really means when your manager wants to talk to you about "your attendance."
Open episode 30 ↗