Bill Maher is gearing up to return to the small screen, and this time, he’s doing it without his team of writers.
The comedian took to social media on Wednesday to announce that “Real Time with Bill Maher” is making a comeback on HBO. The show is set to return with a fresh episode on Friday, September 22, at 10 pm.
Maher’s decision to return to the airwaves without his writing team is a notable one. While he becomes the first late-night host to make a comeback, other late-night hosts like Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, as evidenced by the Strike Force Five podcast, seem to be staying off the air for now.
The move is not without controversy, considering that Maher’s show relies on a team of late-night writers who are currently in their fourth month of strike action. Some other talk show hosts, such as Drew Barrymore, have already faced criticism from striking writers. Additionally, “The Talk” was picketed at CBS Radford as they conducted a run-through.
Last week, Maher stirred controversy when he expressed his views on the strike during his “Club Random” podcast. He described many of the writers’ demands as “kooky.”
“What I find objectionable about the philosophy of the strike [is] it seems to be, they have really morphed a long way from 2007’s strike, where they kind of believe that you’re owed a living as a writer, and you’re not. This is show business. This is the make-or-miss league,” Maher commented.
With no writers on board, “Real Time” will have to make some adjustments. Maher’s monologue, desk piece, and “New Rules” segment will be omitted, similar to the situation during the 2007/08 strike. Instead, the show will feature a panel discussion with Maher and guests.
“Real Time with Bill Maher,” renewed through 2024 by the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned network, boasts executive producers including Maher, Sheila Griffiths, Marc Gurvitz, Dean Johnsen, and Billy Martin. Chris Kelly serves as co-executive producer, Matt Wood as producer, and Paul Casey as director.
