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- John Oliver returns to Air Bud and the bizarre world of franchise claims
- Short week on late night: who stayed on and who took a break
- Bette Midler sings a playful tribute to Stephen Colbert
- Roy Wood Jr.: memoirs, laughs, and a courtroom cameo story
- Maya Rudolph’s retro quote and fashion moment on Kimmel
Last week’s late-night slate was quiet but memorable, with John Oliver turning a viral-sized curiosity about Air Bud into a meticulous critique, Bette Midler delivering a musical thank-you to Stephen Colbert, and both Roy Wood Jr. and Maya Rudolph sparking laughs on Jimmy Kimmel’s couch.
John Oliver returns to Air Bud and the bizarre world of franchise claims
John Oliver released a web-only segment that dug deeply into the long-running Air Bud movies.
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He revisited a topic he’d touched on years ago and turned it into a near 20-minute examination. Oliver scrutinized a new video by franchise creator Robert Vince and highlighted how small errors can balloon into strange claims.
- Oliver faulted the way Vince describes the series’ origins.
- He noted the oddity of calling the dog “Air Bud” when the canine’s name in the films is actually Buddy.
- He mocked the franchise’s endless sequels and the announcement of a fifteenth installment without a dog to cast.
Oliver’s approach felt like a high-level video essay. He paused on details, replayed moments, and pointed out that a single misstatement can change the story people believe.
At the heart of the critique was the claim that Vince “introduced America to a dog named Air Bud.” Oliver argued that historic credit is more complicated than that line suggests.
Why the missing dog matters
The most surprising reveal came when Oliver described the franchise’s next step: a planned fifteenth film that still hasn’t found its canine lead.
For Oliver, that gap turned the announcement into a comedy of errors. A movie without its central dog, he said, is basically just a title and nothing more.
Short week on late night: who stayed on and who took a break
Several late-night staples paused their shows, but a few hosts kept going.
- The Daily Show did not air new episodes last week.
- Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers were also off the schedule.
- Stephen Colbert continued to host new shows and welcomed notable guests.
This quieter schedule made individual appearances stand out more than usual.
Bette Midler sings a playful tribute to Stephen Colbert
Bette Midler stopped by The Late Show and offered an affectionate, musical moment for Colbert.
She began by thanking him for his voice in a confusing media era and then moved into a humorous performance.
Instead of the original lyrics of her 1988 hit, she rewrote lines to celebrate Colbert, comparing him to a beloved fictional hero in a wink-filled spoof.
The bit highlighted Midler’s long friendship with television and the odd role singers play in honoring talk-show hosts.
Roy Wood Jr.: memoirs, laughs, and a courtroom cameo story
Roy Wood Jr. joined Jimmy Kimmel to talk about his new memoir and current projects.
He’s moved from Daily Show correspondent to hosting roles and landed on CNN’s panel show Have I Got News for You.
A Hot Bench anecdote
Wood told a story about visiting a taping of the courtroom panel show Hot Bench.
- He scored a seat behind the plaintiffs during a filmed case.
- His presence in the background became a punchline on Kimmel’s show.
- The takeaway? If you loan someone a large sum, you need a promissory note.
The joke landed with the kind of dry-yet-relatable humor that defines Wood’s stage persona.
Maya Rudolph’s retro quote and fashion moment on Kimmel
Maya Rudolph wore a menswear suit and talked about her TV series Loot and being mistaken for a New Yorker.
The most delightful clip came when Kimmel’s team dug up a teenage interview she gave to the Los Angeles Times.
As a teen, Rudolph praised Madonna’s Blond Ambition Tour and designer Jean Paul Gaultier, calling them the essence of style.
She reacted with genuine surprise to the resurfaced quote, laughing at her teen self and calling that younger version “so rad.”
The exchange revealed how public figures evolve and how a single youthful line can feel both embarrassing and charming decades later.
