John Oliver has appeared in guest arcs on both General Hospital and Days of Our Lives this summer, playing a deep-state-coded security chief named Z and a 'chief water inspector' named Devlin St John, respectively. The stunt originated from an on-air challenge on Last Week Tonight in March, where Oliver offered to appear on any soap provided he got a ridiculous character name, a dramatic closeup, and some combination of murder, slapping or a long-lost relative reveal — driven partly by envy of ESPN's Stephen A. Smith's long-running General Hospital role.
Days executive producer Ken Corday said the show tapes nearly a year ahead of air but managed to fold Oliver's arc into already-completed episodes given his facility with dense, fast-changing scripts. Both appearances reportedly boosted ratings, with General Hospital posting its highest weekly audience in 15 weeks during Oliver's run.
Daytime soaps have shrunk from a 1970s peak of 19 shows to just five currently in production, with General Hospital and Days of Our Lives among the survivors alongside newer entry Beyond the Gates. Oliver's cameo arrives amid reported industry chatter, mostly from the Daily Mail, questioning his own show's future at HBO.
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