New Guidelines Reclassify ‘Last Week Tonight’ as Comedy, Excluding It from Critics Choice Talk Show Category.
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” has been removed from Critics Choice Awards consideration in the talk show category due to recent changes in eligibility rules, according to TheWrap.
The updated rules now restrict the Best Talk Series category to shows that “involve conversation,” mirroring a similar move by the TV Academy in 2023, which split its Variety Talk category into Best Talk Series and Best Scripted Variety Series. As a result, programs like “The Daily Show” remain eligible for Best Talk Series, while shows such as “Saturday Night Live” now compete in Best Scripted Variety.
Unlike the TV Academy, however, the Critics Choice Association (CCA) did not create a separate category for shows that no longer qualify. Instead, shows like “Last Week Tonight” must now compete in the Best Comedy Series category, alongside scripted sitcoms like “Abbott Elementary.”
The change has reportedly frustrated insiders, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news. Despite its dominance in the Best Talk Series category over the past four years, the HBO show now faces a new and unfamiliar competitive landscape.