Plot Synopsis

In this weekly, live, 60-minute program, Bill Maher offers his unique perspective on politics and current events through an opening monologue, one-on-one interviews, a roundtable debate with three panelists, his "New Rules" segment and a closing monologue.

HBO aired the Season 11 premiere of REAL TIME on Friday, January 18, 2013 at 10pm ET, featuring a panel that included: Journalist Michelle Caruso-Cabrera; former Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio); actor Martin Short; former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.); and journalist Rula Jebreal. Nearly ten months later, REAL TIME celebrated its 300th episode on Friday, November 8, 2013 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO, during which Maher interviewed Bill Binney, a former Technical Director and crypto-mathematician at the National Security Agency (NSA).

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER returned for its twelfth season on Friday, January 17, 2014 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO, with a season opener that featured these guests: journalist Glenn Greenwald; political consultant Mary Matalin; political commentator James Carville; former Governor Jennifer Granholm; and political analyst Steve Schmidt.

On Friday, January 9, 2015 at 10pm ET (live)/PT (tape), HBO premiered the 35-episode thirteenth season with Chris Hardwick as the top-of-show interview guest, comedian Jay Leno as the mid-show interview guest, and roundtable guests political commentator Paul Begala, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and author Salman Rushdie.

Season 15 of REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER premiered on Friday, January 20, 2017 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO. The season opener features Oscar winner Jane Fonda as the top-of-show interview guest, correspondent Keith Olbermann as the mid-show interview guest, and these roundtable guests: economic equality advocate Heather McGhee; presidential historian Jon Meacham; and former Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez.

The sixteenth season of REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER premiered on Friday, January 19, 2018 at 10pm ET (live)/PT (tape) on HBO. Author Michael Wolff is the top-of-show interview guest. Activist Saru Jayaraman is the mid-show interview guest. The roundtable guests are journalist Andrew Sullivan and comedian Larry Wilmore.

Season 17 of REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER premiered on Friday, January 18, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO. In the season opener, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich is the top-of-show interview guest. Athlete Marshawn Lynch is the mid-show interview guest. The roundtable guests are radio host Erick Erickson, former Mass. Rep. Barney Frank and columnist Catherine Rampell.

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER returned for its eighteenth season on Friday, January 17, 2020 at 10pm ET (live)/PT (tape) on HBO. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is the top-of-show interview guest. 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang is the mid-show interview guest. The roundtable guests are author and former Rep. Joe Walsh, journalist and co-founder of Recode Kara Swisher and author Jon Meacham.

Season 19 of REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER premiere on Friday, January 15, 2021 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO. This week features a one-on-one, in-studio interview with former Senior Counselor to President Trump, Kellyanne Conway. This week's in-studio panel discussion will include award-winning journalist and co-founder of Katie Couric Media, Katie Couric; and founder and host of "Kentucky Sports Radio" and the author of "Mitch, Please!," Matt Jones. The series is produced under COVID-19 guidelines without a studio audience.

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER returned for its 20th season on Friday, January 21, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO. Bill Maher continues to offer his unique perspective on contemporary issues, with each show including an opening monologue, roundtable discussions with panelists, and interviews with guests. The season opener features a one-on-one interview with professor of history at Yale University and author of "On Tyranny Graphic Edition: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century," Timothy Snyder. This week's panel discussion includes editor of the newsletter "Common Sense" on Substack and host of the podcast "Honestly," Bari Weiss; and Democratic Congressman representing New York's 15th district who, at 25 years old, became New York City's youngest elected official and the first Afro-Latino, LGBTQ member of Congress, Rep. Ritchie Torres.

Season 21 of REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER debuted on Friday, January 20, 2023 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO. This week features a one-on-one interview with William Barr, former Attorney General under Presidents George H. W. Bush and Donald Trump, and author of the New York Times bestselling book is "One Damn Thing After Another: Memoirs of an Attorney General." This week's panel discussion includes blogger of The Weekly Dish on Substack and author of "Out on a Limb: Selected Writing, 1989-2021," Andrew Sullivan; and Congresswoman representing South Carolina's 1st congressional district, Rep. Nancy Mace.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER returned for its 22nd season on Friday, January 19, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO. This week features a one-on-one interview with Gov. Gavin Newsom, Democratic Governor of California. This week's panel discussion includes Andrew Sullivan, columnist for Substack's "The Weekly Dish" and author of "Out on a Limb"; and Ari Melber, MSNBC's Chief Legal Correspondent and host of THE BEAT WITH ARI MELBER.