Watch Real Time with Bill Maher

Name: Real Time with Bill Maher
Genre: Talk & Interview, Comedy
Released: 2003-02-21
Cast: Bill Maher

TV-MA
2003
22 Seasons
7.4 (14,544)

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 (693 episodes) between February 21, 2003 and on HBO

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