Bill Maher on ‘Real Time’ Comeback: Never Mind
Bill Maher’s HBO talk show Real Time With Bill Maher will no longer resume filming, the host has revealed less than week after announcing its return. On Monday, Maher explained that his decision to bring the show back without writers as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike continues was made “when it seemed nothing was happening and there was no end in sight to this strike.”
He has now, seemingly, spotted a light at the end of the tunnel. “Now that both sides have agreed to go back to the negotiating table I’m going to delay the return of Real Time, for now, and hope they can finally get this done,” he continued in a post shared to X, formerly Twitter.
Last week, Maher shared a lengthy statement announcing the shows return, stating that while he sympathizes with the striking writers, “they are not the only people with issues, problems, and concerns.” The host made plans to bring the show back without the segments that crucially relied on the writers, like his monologue, desk piece, New Rules and editorial additions. In doing so, he hoped to allow other members of his staff to get back to work while the writers are unable to do so.
“I love my writers, I am one of them, but I’m not prepared to lose an entire year and see so many below-the-line people suffer so much,” he wrote. “I’ll say it upfront to the audience: The show I will be doing without my writers will not be as good as our normal show, full stop. But the heart of the show is an off-the-cuff panel discussion that aims to cut through the bullshit and predictable partisanship, and that will continue. The show will not disappoint.”
And now the show isn’t happening, full stop. “If he goes forward with his plan, he needs to honor more than ‘the spirit of the strike,’” the WGA shared in a statement regarding the return of Real Time prior to the delay. “As a WGA member, @BillMaher is obligated to follow the strike rules and not perform any writing services. It is difficult to imagine how @RealTimers can go forward without a violation of WGA strike rules taking place. WGA will be picketing this show.”
This same cycle of choosing to return to air mid-strike only to have to walk back the decision appeared over the weekend with the Drew Barrymore Show, the Jennifer Hudson Show, and the Talk.