7 Reasons John Oliver Is Britain's Greatest Export

6. New York Stand-Up Show

Oliver was best known in the UK for his stand-up but after his move to America he had a whole new set of audiences to impress. After gigging in New York for a couple of years, he recorded a Comedy Central special in 2008. Following its success, Comedy Central offered him the chance to host a show on which he would both perform and showcase other comedians. It became John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show and it ran from 2010-2013 (yes, at the same time as The Daily Show. The man's a comedy machine). The show's pedigree was unbelievable. He featured comedians such as Maria Bamford, Hannibal Buress and Amy Schumer, before she was a household name. His Daily Show colleague Wyatt Cenac appeared, as did improv comedy legends like Paul F. Tompkins and James Adomian. In addition to American talent, Oliver had on some of his favourite acts from home, including his longtime collaborator Andy Zaltzman and Edinburgh Fringe mainstay David O'Doherty. Each episode would open with a set by Oliver himself, despite it seeming physically impossible to continually write new, fresh stand-up while also working for a nightly TV show (queue a sitcom headshake and "How does he do it?").