"LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER" KICKS OFF ITS SECOND SEASON FEB. 8 ON HBO

Presenting a satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events, LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER returns for its 35-episode second season SUNDAY, FEB. 8 (11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

Other HBO playdates: Feb. 8 (1:15 a.m.), 9 (6:45 p.m., 4:00 a.m.), 11 (midnight) and 12 (5:00 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Feb. 9 (7:30 p.m.), 10 (9:30 p.m.), 13 (5:30 p.m.), 14 (12:15 a.m.) and 15 (6:30 p.m.)

The show is the only weekly news-oriented comedy series to be presented on Sunday night. Taped in New York a few hours before it debuts on HBO, the show features a mix of Oliver's topical commentary on the previous week's events, pre-taped pieces and occasional guests.

In the first season of the show, which concluded last November, Oliver covered a wide range of topics, from net neutrality and Uganda's anti-LGBT laws, to beauty pageants, climate change and civil forfeiture abuse by the police.

Hailing LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER as "2014's best show," the Huffington Post called it "one of the defining conversation starters in both popular culture and news media," praising "a winning star, astute tactics and a self-awareness that's remarkably on point." In addition, it was named to "best of" lists for the year by the AP, the Los Angeles Times, the Hollywood Reporter, TIME, Vanity Fair, the Boston Globe, the Detroit News, Rolling Stone and the San Francisco Chronicle, among many others. Videos featuring content from the show, as well as original material designed exclusively for the web, have been viewed by millions of people.

An Emmy(R)- and Writers Guild Award-winning writer, John Oliver was a correspondent for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," starting in 2006 and culminating in his stint as guest host in summer 2013, receiving critical raves. He first came to prominence as a cutting-edge political stand-up performer in the UK with a string of TV appearances and sold-out solo shows at the Edinburgh Festival. Oliver won the Breakout Award at the Aspen Comedy Festival in 2007 and went on to write and star in the Comedy Central stand-up special "John Oliver: Terrifying Times," followed by the series "John Oliver's New York Stand Up Show," which he hosted for four seasons. In addition, Oliver recently completed a national stand-up comedy tour.

LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER is produced for HBO by Avalon Television; executive producers, John Oliver, Tim Carvell, Jon Thoday, James Taylor; co-executive producer, Liz Stanton; producer, Diane Fitzgerald; director, Jim Hoskinson.