Real Time with Bill Maher

Real Time with Bill Maher
Presented by Bill Maher
Theme music composer Scott "Shavoni" Parker
Louis "Buster" Brown II[1]
Christopher "Kid" Reid
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 14
No. of episodes 377 (as of February 12, 2016) (list of episodes)
Production
Location(s) CBS Television City
Hollywood, California
Running time 60 minutes
Release
Original network HBO
Original release February 21, 2003 (2003-02-21) – present
Chronology
Related shows Politically Incorrect
External links
Website

Real Time with Bill Maher is a talk show that airs weekly on HBO, hosted by comedian and political satirist Bill Maher. Much like his previous series Politically Incorrect on ABC (and before that, on Comedy Central), Real Time features a panel of guests who discuss current events in politics and the media. Unlike the previous show, guests are usually more well-versed in the subject matter: more experts such as journalists, professors and politicians participate in the panel, and fewer actors and celebrities are included. Additionally, many guests appear via satellite. Also, Politically Incorrect was produced four days a week and was pre-recorded, while Real Time only produces one episode a week which is broadcast live.

Real Time is an hour-long program with a studio audience, airing live on Friday nights at 10:00 PM (ET). It originates from Studio 33 ("The Bob Barker Studio") at CBS Television City in Los Angeles. Prior to 2009, approximately 12 new weekly episodes aired from February to early May, followed by another such set of new episodes from late August to November. In 2009, the show began airing as one continuous season. Because of the live, current-events nature of the show, HBO does not re-air old episodes between breaks, though occasionally a repeat will be shown when the program takes a week off during the season. In late August 2012 the talk show peaked at 1.4 million viewers on Friday, marking the biggest audience for the show in almost eight years.[2]

In 2014, HBO renewed the show for a 13th season.[3]

Format

The format of the show usually features an opening current events or political skit, followed by the credits and a comedy monologue. Maher then interviews an important figure via satellite or in-studio before sitting down with three panel guests for an extensive debate. Halfway through the panel session, Maher does a comedy skit that usually satirizes current news items—one example includes possible titles of Sarah Palin's autobiography as written by different ghostwriters. Following the comedy bit, Maher interviews another figure via satellite or in-studio. The format varies, with two or three people on the interview panel. Maher explains that the format is not rigid and that they prefer live interviews to satellite interviews.[4] Near the end of every episode, Maher has a segment called "New Rules" which serves as a humorous editorial on popular culture and American politics.[5] The final "New Rule" segues into Maher's closing editorial monologue.

Since the show airs on HBO, the participants do not have to restrict their language to conform to the broadcast standards that existed on Politically Incorrect. Also, pictures shown on New Rules sometimes have nudity or other obscene images.

In the first season, Paul F. Tompkins was featured as a correspondent. Also, every episode would end with a performance by a stand-up comedian, none of which were political satirists. The segments featuring Tompkins and comedians were dropped after the tenth episode. Viewers were also able to call into the live show in the first season and ask questions over the air, but this was also dropped.

Starting with episode 67 in February 2006, audio-only episodes were made available as a free podcast via the iTunes Store[6] and as a raw RSS feed.[7] The podcasts also feature material cut from the show but taped during the studio rehearsal, including New Rules not aired in the final version.

During the fall of 2006, Maher began hosting a live chat (now called "Overtime") on HBO's website following each broadcast, usually including some of the show guests as well. Viewers are invited to submit questions prior to and during the original telecast for Maher and the guests to answer and discuss afterwards.[8]

The opening sequence begins with a spoken phrase from the (now defunct) Los Angeles speaking clock, featuring an (uncredited) Joanne Daniels as the time lady saying "Good Afternoon." The theme song is composed by Christopher "Kid" Reid and his voice is heard saying "Start the clock," "Real Time" and "Bill Maher". A montage of historical events from the beginning of time to election night on November 4, 2008 accompanies the music along with a crawl at the bottom listing the guests for that night's show.[9] According to HBO the talk show receives an average of 4 million viewers per week.[10]

Changes in 2008

The show returned on January 11, 2008 and began broadcasting in high-definition format. A slightly updated set was also introduced as well.

As a result of the writers' strike, the opening skit, the "New Rules" segment, and the closing monologue were eliminated for five episodes at the beginning of the year. The ice breaker used in the middle of the show (normally a fake products sketching tying into a current event) was also eliminated due to the strike. The announcement that Real Time would return without writers indicated that the opening monologue would also be cut, but every episode included a full monologue.

During the strike, the "Overtime" concept became part of the live show itself, through a new segment called "Blogga, Please!" Using HBO's website, viewers were able to leave comments or questions during the live show at 23:00 ET. Maher and the panel then responded to selected postings at the end of the show. The "Blogga, Please!" segment was discontinued, and New Rules brought back, on February 15 following the resolution of the strike. Additionally, during the strike, Maher aired pre-recorded interviews by himself with everyday people about the election and other issues after the opening monologue.

Established early on, the final New Rule served as a segue into the closing monologue. On the March 7 episode, the closing monologue returned to the format of the show. The opening skits have not reappeared, except for April 4 and 11, 2008.

Instead of doing a second satellite interview near the forty-minute mark, the January 11 episode also featured the debut of the "Real Time Real Reporter," a blogger or political pundit who is brought on midway through the show as an extra panelist to offer opinions on the latest election campaign happenings. Such correspondents have included Matt Taibbi, Frank Luntz, Amy Holmes, P. J. O'Rourke, and Dan Savage.

Changes in 2009

The 2009 premiere was on February 20 at the earlier time of 10:00 PM EST. Season seven also premiered on HBO Canada day-and-date with HBO in the U.S on February 20. The opening sequence was also slightly changed to include then President-Elect Barack Obama and his family waving to a crowd of supporters on election night in November 2008.

Also, the show aired one continuous season as opposed to airing episodes in the spring and fall with a summer break in between.

For a short time the Real Time panel was reduced from three panelists to two for the new season. Maher jokingly attributed the new panel line-up to the economic crisis, stating that it was a means of reining in spending for the HBO show; Maher later stated that there is no connection between the failing economy and the producers' decision to remove the third guest. During his show on March 13, 2009, Maher reacted to the confusion sparked by his remarks from his previous show regarding the panel stating, "I said as a joke that we had cut down the panel to two people because of economic times, and people took me seriously. No. It's just because I'm tired of talking to three people sometimes." The panel was once again at three panelists for the show one week later, on March 20. In addition to the panel reconfiguration, Maher has instituted a one-on-one in-studio interview segment in lieu of the past seasons' satellite interviews. The interview with James Carville on the May 8th show, however, was conducted via satellite.

Changes in 2012

HBO renewed the show on April 24, 2012, for two more seasons through 2013–14.[11] The first episode of Season 11 aired on January 18, 2013,[12] retaining its format of an initial monologue from Maher, a one-on-one interview with a guest, then turning to a discussion panel of three guests, and ending with "New Rules".

A new addition to the format is that of a fourth or "mid-guest", who comes in at approximately the halfway point of the show, bringing their own issue to the table and discussing it with the entire panel.[13]

Christine O'Donnell

On September 17, 2010, Maher aired a clip of Delaware Republican Senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell from the October 29, 1999 episode of his old show Politically Incorrect,[14] where she discussed that she had "dabbled in witchcraft." This was perhaps the most notable of numerous controversial statements by O'Donnell that made her the most covered candidate in the 2010 mid-term election cycle.[15] O'Donnell went on to film a rebuttal commercial claiming "I'm not a witch, I'm you." This ad inspired many video parodies[16][17][18] and O'Donnell later said that the ad backfired and focused attention on her decade-old statement.[19] O'Donnell lost to her Democratic opponent, Chris Coons, in the general election. On the September 7, 2012 episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, O'Donnell appeared on the show for the first time and resolved the issue with Maher, who apologized for the amount of publicity that the clip got. Maher said that he would not have aired the clip if he knew that it would have taken away from the message of her campaign.[20]

Episodes

Politics

Bill Maher in 2007

Maher was a critic of the Bush administration; however, his panel attempts to present a more diverse set of views. Frequently, it consists of a liberal commentator or political figure, a conservative commentator or political figure, and a third individual who does not have as clear an ideological label, or someone with moderate beliefs. This third individual is often an actor, comedian, musician or other entertainment figure, though many times the commentator is openly a liberal.

Maher's personal views have evolved over the course of his career. On his old show, Politically Incorrect, he used the word "libertarian" to describe his personal leanings, and on one episode said he believed in God but had little respect for organized religion. He now describes himself as a "rationalist", as someone "preaching the gospel of 'I don't know'".[21] Maher identifies himself as politically unaffiliated and disagrees with the Republican party on most issues, and with the Democratic Party on many of their party platform's planks. He endorsed the candidacy of Ralph Nader of the Green Party in the U.S. presidential campaign of 2000. After the 2000 election, Maher was among those who felt that votes cast by progressives for Nader possibly cost Democratic candidate Al Gore the election, and put George W. Bush in the White House. During an episode on which Nader and Michael Moore were guests, both Maher and Moore begged Nader not to run again in 2004 (season 2, episode 11).[22] He endorsed Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry leading up to the 2004 presidential election. In 2008, he endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and harshly criticized Republican candidate John McCain's policies. He also heavily criticized McCain's Vice Presidential pick, Sarah Palin, on her qualifications and intelligence. While critical of many Republicans, Maher interviewed then-presidential-candidate, Republican Ron Paul, giving him some positive air time. He often cites Paul's views in order to demonstrate the diversity of views on the right.

Maher has strong opinions on U.S. drug policy, advocating for the legalization of marijuana. He is against censorship, often citing his own dismissal from ABC and the backlash against the Dixie Chicks for their comments on the Iraq War. He is also against conservative attitudes towards sex and sexuality, mocking outrages over Bill Clinton's infidelity and Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction". He is also not shy about his anti-religious views and frequently reiterates his belief that religion is detrimental to society. He is widely known for his support of animal rights groups such as PETA. Hot-button political issues such as health care, corporate influence in government, illegal immigration, the environment, entitlement programs, and human service regulations are frequently discussed on the show.

Reviews

Larry King calls Real Time "one of the best shows on television."[23] Maher was a regular guest on Larry King Live as well as co-host at various times, and co-emcee of the final show, along with Ryan Seacrest.[24][25]

Common Sense Media's website says, "Comedian Bill Maher is very funny, very well-informed, and very insightful, but he's also very crass." It later says, "Maher also expects his audience to have plenty of tolerance for blue humor. His jokes are profane and riddled with explicit sexual references, and he often pokes fun at the use and abuse of alcohol and other intoxicants. It's funny, but it's very much aimed at adults." The site gives Real Time with Bill Maher an "overall quality" rating of 4 out of 5 stars.[26]

Ruthless Reviews was also positive, saying, "Maher's show is as good as ever, which means that the sacred and the profane continue to be discussed with intelligence, humor, and the occasional silliness" and that it "works so well because he selects provocative guests and I can't remember the panel ever having a dull conversation. Maher is smart and witty (and clearly in control), which means that he won't let his guests get away with bullshit."[27]

Books

Two books based on the show have been published, New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer, by Rodale Books in 2005 and The New New Rules: A Funny Look at How Everybody but Me Has Their Head Up Their Ass, by Blue Rider Press in 2011.

Award nominations

The show has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series every year from 2005 through 2014.

References

  1. ↑ "Shavoni and Buster Discography". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
  2. ↑ "'Real Time With Bill Maher' Nets Biggest Audience In 8 Years". Deadline.com. The Deadline team. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  3. ↑ "Breaking News - HBO Renews "Real Time with Bill Maher" for Its 13th Season". TheFutonCritic.com. 2014-01-15. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
  4. ↑ Sharon Waxman (2009-10-08). "Bill Maher: Grilled". Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  5. ↑ "Real Time with Bill Maher: Seasons: Episodes". HBO. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
  6. ↑ "Real Time with Bill Maher – Download free podcast episodes by HBO Podcasts on iTunes". Phobos.apple.com. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
  7. ↑ "Real Time with Bill Maher". Hbo.com. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
  8. ↑ HBO: Talk: Home
  9. ↑ "Broadcast Yourself". YouTube. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
  10. ↑ O'Connell, Michael (25 September 2014). "John Oliver's Talk Show Ratings Edging Out HBO Colleague Bill Maher". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  11. ↑ "Breaking News - HBO Renews "Real Time With Bill Maher" for Its 11th and 12th Seasons". TheFutonCritic.com. 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
  12. ↑ ""Real Time with Bill Maher" Episode #11.1 (TV episode 2013) - IMDb:". IMDb.com. Retrieved 27 Apr 2013.
  13. ↑ "HBO Real Time Guests: Friday Feb. 1, 2013". Facebook. 23 January 2013. Retrieved 27 Apr 2013.
  14. ↑ McGreal, Chris (2010-09-20). "Christine O'Donnell: I dabbled in witchcraft". The Guardian (London: Guardian News and Media Limited). Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  15. ↑ "The Midterms’ Media Mainstays". Project for Excellence in Journalism. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  16. ↑ McGlynn, Katia (2010-10-10). "'SNL' Does The Best Parody Of Christine O'Donnell's 'Not A Witch' Ad Yet". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
  17. ↑ "Elvira Spoofs Christine O'Donnell's 'I'm Not A Witch' Ad". Huffington Post. 2010-10-20. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
  18. ↑ Parker, Ashley (2010-10-26). ""I'm Not A Witch" — The Remix". The Ca10-2626-10. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
  19. ↑ Tom Diemer (2010-10-21). "Christine O'Donnell Regrets 'I'm Not a Witch' Ad". Politics Daily.
  20. ↑ "Bill Maher says sorry to ‘witch’ Christine O’Donnell - Kevin Cirilli". Politico.Com. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
  21. ↑ Religulous
  22. ↑ "Maher and Moore beg Nader not to run in '04". YouTube. 2006-11-30. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
  23. ↑ "CNN.com - Transcripts". Transcripts.cnn.com. 2004-11-23. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
  24. ↑ "Bill Maher helps Larry King say goodbye". Mediaite. Archived from the original on July 6, 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  25. ↑ Rowe, Douglas J. (December 16, 2010). "Surrounded by Famous Fans, Larry King Ends His 25-Year Run on CNN". TV Guide. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  26. ↑ "Real Time with Bill Maher - Television Review". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 27 Apr 2013.
  27. ↑ "Television Review of Real Time". RuthlessReviews.com (archived). 23 Nov 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-11-23. Retrieved 27 Apr 2013.

External links

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