Real Time with Bill Maher

Watch Real Time with Bill Maher

  • TV-MA
  • 2003
  • 22 Seasons
  • 7.4  (14,470)

Many people believe that comedy and politics should not mix, but Bill Maher does not agree. Maher is well-known to comedy audiences as a stand-up comic who has been performing for several years, but he is also an outspoken advocate for a number of political issues. This makes him the ideal host for a show like Real Time with Bill Maher. Airing weekly on HBO, Real Time with Bill Maher is a program that revolves around its host and his political leanings, but it also includes discussion and debate from a panel of guests, many of whom come from different sides of the ideological divide. It is this mix of conservatives and liberals along with politicians and comedians that gives the show its spark, and Maher acts as the perfect moderator and ringleader.

Real Time with Bill Maher is an hour-long program that airs each Friday on HBO. One of the most interesting aspects of the program is that it airs live, meaning that anything can happen. This provides for some spirited debates given the show's unrehearsed and mostly unscripted nature. A typical episode will begin with a sketch or a satirical bit involving events which are currently in the news. This is followed by a monologue delivered by the host. Before the panel comes out to have its discussion, Maher usually interviews an important political or social figure either in the studio or via satellite.

After the one-on-one interview, Maher introduces the three guests who will appear on that episode's panel. The panel segment of the program is the centerpiece of each show, and it typically produces the most noteworthy segments. This is because the guests often enter into fiery arguments with one another. However, things are not allowed to spin out of control thanks to Maher's ability to reign discussions back in to the topics at hand. Maher is a master of this, and he does so with agile humor and charm. The panel discussion is usually followed by another comedy bit, another one-on-one interview with a guest and the famous New Rules segment in which Maher goes through a list of humorous suggestions for rules that society should follow.

Real Time with Bill Maher is a comedy show, but it also adds important discussions to the arena of politics. This makes the show very rare, and it is why so many people tune in each week. The show is live and includes language that is meant for adults, so it is not for everyone. However, people who want to laugh while staying engaged in the political discussion love receiving their weekly dose of Maher and his program.

Real Time with Bill Maher is a series that ran for 22 seasons (678 episodes) between February 21, 2003 and on HBO

Real Time with Bill Maher
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Seasons
Sep 27, 2024
29. Sep 27, 2024
September 27, 2024
Guests: An interview with Fran Lebowitz, author and social commentator who is on tour for "An Evening With Fran Lebowitz." This week's panel discussion includes Yuval Noah Harari, historian, philosopher, and bestselling author of "Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI"; and Ian Bremmer, president and founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media.
Bjørn Lomborg, Stephanie Ruhle, Bret Stephens
28. Bjørn Lomborg, Stephanie Ruhle, Bret Stephens
September 20, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Bjørn Lomborg, Danish political scientist, statistician, and author of "False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet." This week's panel discussion includes Stephanie Ruhle, senior business analyst for NBC and host of MSNBC's "The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle"; and New York Times columnist Bret Stephens.
Alex Karp, Kristen Soltis Anderson, Al Franken
27. Alex Karp, Kristen Soltis Anderson, Al Franken
September 13, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Alex Karp, co-founder and CEO of Palantir Technologies. This week's panel discussion includes Kristen Soltis Anderson, conservative pollster and CNN contributor; and Al Franken, writer, comedian, former Democratic senator from Minnesota, and host of "The Al Franken Podcast."
H.R. McMaster, Rich Lowry, John Avlon
26. H.R. McMaster, Rich Lowry, John Avlon
September 6, 2024
Guests: An interview with H.R. McMaster, retired lieutenant general, former White House National Security Advisor under President Trump, and author of "At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House." This week's panel discussion includes Rich Lowry, editor-in-chief of National Review and author of "The Case for Nationalism: How It Made Us Powerful, United, and Free;" and John Avlon, author and former CNN anchor who is now running for Congress in New York's first district.
Nancy Pelosi, Alyssa Farah Griffin, John McWhorter
25. Nancy Pelosi, Alyssa Farah Griffin, John McWhorter
August 30, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Democratic congresswoman from California, and author of the New York Times bestselling memoir "The Art of Power: My Story as America's First Woman Speaker of the House." This week's panel discussion includes Alyssa Farah Griffin, co-host of ABC's "The View" and CNN political commentator who previously served as the White House communications director under President Trump; and John McWhorter, professor of linguistics at Columbia University and opinion writer at The New York Times.
Kaitlan Collins, James Carville, Dan Crenshaw
24. Kaitlan Collins, James Carville, Dan Crenshaw
August 23, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Kaitlan Collins, former CNN Chief White House correspondent who now hosts the CNN primetime series "The Source with Kaitlan Collins."This week's panel discussion includes James Carville, Democratic strategist and a co-host of the podcast "Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt;"
Pete Buttigieg, Larry Wilmore, Rep. Byron Donalds
23. Pete Buttigieg, Larry Wilmore, Rep. Byron Donalds
July 19, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Pete Buttigieg, Democratic candidate in the 2020 presidential election and former lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve. This week's panel discussion includes Larry Wilmore, producer, comedian, writer, and host of the podcast "Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air"; and Rep. Byron Donalds, a two-term Republican congressman who represents Florida's 19th district.
Kevin McCarthy, Bakari Sellers, Ben Shapiro
22. Kevin McCarthy, Bakari Sellers, Ben Shapiro
July 12, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Kevin McCarthy, 55th Speaker of the House and former Republican congressman who represented California's 20th district. This week's panel discussion includes Bakari Sellers, former South Carolina state representative, podcast host, and author of "The Moment: Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn't and How We All Can Move Forward Now"; and Ben Shapiro, The Daily Wire co-founder, editor emeritus, and host of the syndicated radio show and daily podcast "The Ben Shapiro Show."
Ray Kurzweil, Chris Matthews, Tulsi Gabbard
21. Ray Kurzweil, Chris Matthews, Tulsi Gabbard
June 28, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Ray Kurzweil, inventor, futurist, and author of the New York Times bestseller "The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AI." This week's panel discussion includes Chris Matthews, longtime broadcaster, journalist, and author of "This Country: My Life in Politics and History;" and Tulsi Gabbard, four-term Hawaii congresswoman, 2020 presidential candidate, and author of "For Love Of Country: Leave the Democratic Party Behind."
Martin Short, Andrew Cuomo, Adam Kinzinger
20. Martin Short, Andrew Cuomo, Adam Kinzinger
June 21, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Martin Short (known as his fictional character Jiminy Glick) who will be interviewing Maher about his book "What This Comedian Said Will Shock You." This week's panel discussion includes Andrew Cuomo, former Democratic governor of New York; and Adam Kinzinger, former Republican congressman from Illinois, co-author of "Renegade: Defending Democracy and Liberty in Our Divided Country," and founder of the Country First PAC.
Charlamagne Tha God, Ana Navarro, Joel Stein
19. Charlamagne Tha God, Ana Navarro, Joel Stein
June 14, 2024
Guests: An interview with Charlamagne Tha God, co-host of the syndicated morning radio show "The Breakfast Club" on New Yorks Power 105.1 FM and author of "Get Honest or Die Lying: Why Small Talk Sucks." This week's panel discussion includes Ana Navarro, CNN contributor and co-host of "The View" on ABC; and Joel Stein, writer for the weekly column "The End of My Career with Joel Stein" on Substack and the author of "In Defense of Elitism: Why I'm Better Than You and You are Better Than Someone Who Didn't Buy This Book."
Sen. John Fetterman, Matt Welch, Abigail Shrier
18. Sen. John Fetterman, Matt Welch, Abigail Shrier
June 7, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with U.S. Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, Sen. John Fetterman. This week's panel discussion includes Matt Welch, editor-at-large of Reason Magazine and co-host of "The Fifth Column" podcast; and Abigail Shrier, journalist and author of the New York Times bestseller "Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up."
John Waters, David Axelrod, Ken Buck
17. John Waters, David Axelrod, Ken Buck
May 31, 2024
Guests: An interview with John Waters, writer, actor, and filmmaker of the 1990 classic musical film "Cry-Baby." This week's panel discussion includes David Axelrod, former senior advisor to President Obama, CNN political contributor, and host of the podcast "The Axe Files with David Axelrod"; and Ken Buck, former Republican congressman from Colorado.
Michael Eric Dyson, Nellie Bowles, Pamela Paul
16. Michael Eric Dyson, Nellie Bowles, Pamela Paul
May 17, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Michael Eric Dyson, a distinguished professor at Vanderbilt University and author of The New York Times best-selling book "Unequal: A Story of America." This week's panel discussion includes Nellie Bowles, author of the new book "Morning After the Revolution: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History" and a founder of The Free Press; and Pamela Paul, author and opinion columnist at The New York Times.
Eric Schlosser, Frank Bruni, Douglas Murray
15. Eric Schlosser, Frank Bruni, Douglas Murray
May 10, 2024
Guests: Eric Schlosser - investigative journalist, author of "Fast Food Nation"; Frank Bruni - contributing writer at The New York Times and author of "The Age of Grievance"; Douglas Murray - columnist for the New York Post and author.
Roger Daltrey, Kellyanne Conway, Joshua Green
14. Roger Daltrey, Kellyanne Conway, Joshua Green
May 3, 2024
Guests: Roger Daltrey, Kellyanne Conway, Joshua Green.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Scott Galloway, Don Lemon
13. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Scott Galloway, Don Lemon
April 26, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Independent candidate in the 2024 presidential election. This week's panel discussion includes Scott Galloway,Professor of Marketing at the NYU Stern School of Business, host of the podcast "The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway," co-host of the podcast "Pivot," and author of the new book "The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Financial Security"; and Don Lemon, award-winning journalist, founder of Lemon Media Network (LMN), and host of the podcast "The Don Lemon Show."
Jillian Michaels, Jon Meacham, Jane Ferguson
12. Jillian Michaels, Jon Meacham, Jane Ferguson
April 19, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Jillian Michaels, fitness, nutrition expert, and host of the podcast "Keeping It Real: Conversations with Jillian Michaels." This week's panel discussion includes Jon Meacham,Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author of "The Call to Serve: The Life of an American President, George Herbert Walker Bush"; and Jane Ferguson, award-winning foreign correspondent for PBS NewsHour, The New Yorker contributor, and author of "No Ordinary Assignment."
William Shatner, Piers Morgan, Gillian Tett
11. William Shatner, Piers Morgan, Gillian Tett
April 12, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with William Shatner, actor, subject of the new documentary "You Can Call Me Bill," and artist of the upcoming digital album "So Fragile, So Blue,"which he recorded live with the National Symphony Orchestra.This week's panel discussion includes Piers Morgan,New York Post columnist and host of the YouTube channel's "Piers Morgan Uncensored"; and Gillian Tett, provost of King's College, Cambridge, and columnist at the Financial Times.
Jonathan Haidt, Fareed Zakaria, Dr. Mark T. Esper
10. Jonathan Haidt, Fareed Zakaria, Dr. Mark T. Esper
March 29, 2024
Guests: An interview with Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist at the NYU Stern School of Business and author of "The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness." This week's panel discussion includes Fareed Zakaria,host of CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" and author of "Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present," and Dr. Mark T. Esper, former U.S. Secretary of Defense under President Trump and author of the memoir "A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times."
Kara Swisher, Beto O'Rourke, Sarah Isgur
9. Kara Swisher, Beto O'Rourke, Sarah Isgur
March 22, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Kara Swisher, host of the podcast "On with Kara Swisher," co-host of the podcast "Pivot," and author of "Burn Book: A Tech Love Story." This week's panel discussion includes Beto O'Rourke,former Democratic Congressman from Texas and founder of Powered by People; and Sarah Isgur, former lawyer at the US Department of Justice under President Trump, senior editor of The Dispatch, and host of its legal podcast "Advisory Opinions."
Eric Holder, Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ro Khanna
8. Eric Holder, Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ro Khanna
March 15, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Eric Holder, former attorney general under President Obama, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, and co-author of "Our Unfinished March: The Violent Past and Imperiled Future of the Vote-A History, a Crisis, a Plan."This week's panel discussion includes Rep. Nancy Mace,Republican Congresswoman from South Carolina who currently serves on the Armed Services and House Oversight committees; and Rep. Ro Khanna, Democratic Congressman who represents California's Silicon Valley and a member of President Biden's National Advisory Board.
Robert De Niro, Max Brooks, Tara Palmeri
7. Robert De Niro, Max Brooks, Tara Palmeri
March 8, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Robert De Niro, two-time Oscar®-winning actor and film producer who is currently nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Killers of the Flower Moon." This week's panel discussion includes Max Brooks,host of the YouTube show "Max Brooks Breaks Down" and New York Times best-selling author of "Minecraft: The Village"; and Tara Palmeri, senior political correspondent at Puck and host of The Ringer's "Somebody's Gotta Win with Tara Palmeri" podcast.
Dr. Phil McGraw, Michael Twitty
6. Dr. Phil McGraw, Michael Twitty
March 1, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Dr. Phil McGraw, author of the new book, "We've Got Issues: How You Can Stand Strong for America's Soul and Sanity," who will soon host "Dr. Phil Primetime" on his new cable network, Merit Street Media.
Dr. Jean Twenge, Van Jones, Ann Coulter
5. Dr. Jean Twenge, Van Jones, Ann Coulter
February 16, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Dr. Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of 'Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents―and What They Mean for America's Future.'This week's panel discussion includes Van Jones,CNN political commentator and host of the podcast "Uncommon Ground with Van Jones" and Ann Coulter, conservative political commentator, author of 13 New York Times bestselling books, who now writes the column 'Unsafe' on Substack.
Coleman Hughes, Bob Costas, Caitlin Flanagan
4. Coleman Hughes, Bob Costas, Caitlin Flanagan
February 9, 2024
This week features a one-on-one interview with Coleman Hughes, host of the 'Conversations With Coleman' podcast, contributor to The Free Press, and author of the new book 'The End of Race Politics: Arguments for a Colorblind America,' available this week.
Michael Render, Gov. Chris Sununu, Jessica Tarlov
3. Michael Render, Gov. Chris Sununu, Jessica Tarlov
February 2, 2024
Guests: Michael Render (aka Killer Mike) - entrepreneur, musician, and one-half of the group "Run the Jewels"; Gov. Chris Sununu - Republican Governor of New Hampshire; Jessica Tarlov - co-host of "The Five" on Fox News and Head of Research for Bustle.
Stephen A. Smith, Rep. Adam Schiff, Seth MacFarlane
2. Stephen A. Smith, Rep. Adam Schiff, Seth MacFarlane
January 26, 2024
This week features an interview with Stephen A. Smith, host of ESPN's "First Take" and the podcast "The Stephen A. Smith Show," both available on YouTube, and author of the new book "Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Take." This week's panel discussion includes Rep. Adam Schiff, Democratic Congressman representing California's 30th district who is a 2024 candidate to represent California in the US Senate; and Seth MacFarlane, actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer whose newest show "Ted" recently premiered January 11 on Peacock.
Andrew Sullivan, Alex Wagner, Gavin Newsom
1. Andrew Sullivan, Alex Wagner, Gavin Newsom
January 19, 2024
Guests: Gov. Gavin Newsom, Democratic Governor of California; Andrew Sullivan - columnist for Substack
Ep. 668 Overtime
2429. Ep. 668 Overtime
January 19, 2024
Bill and his guests continue their conversation after the show.
Description
Where to Watch Real Time with Bill Maher
Real Time with Bill Maher is available for streaming on the HBO website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Real Time with Bill Maher on demand at Max, Amazon Prime, Amazon, Hulu, HBO NOW, Sling and Apple TV.
  • Premiere Date
    February 21, 2003
  • IMDB Rating
    7.4  (14,470)