John Oliver speaks onstage during the ‘John Oliver’ panel of the HBO portion of the 2014 Winter Television Critics Association tour at the Langham Hotel on January 9, 2014 in Pasadena, California.
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
While John Oliver might not have been on the CBS short list to replace David Letterman, he was definitely on their radar for future late-night talent. According to The Hollywood Reporter, CBS approached Oliver last year to potentially take on either the 12:30 slot currently occupied by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson or a different late-night slot entirely. Sadly for the network, John Oliver chose to go with HBO and Late Week Tonight, leaving Les Moonves with only every other highly ambitious comedian hoping to become America’s latest sweetheart.