Bill Maher has made his return to HBO’s “Real Time” following recent controversy. Although he didn’t directly address the backlash he faced, he took a moment to express his gratitude for his staff, including both writers and non-writers, as well as the Writers Guild of America, during the Friday episode of his political talk show.
Maher began by saying, “First of all, I want to thank everybody who made this possible, to be back. You know, I’m talking about my brilliant staff, writers and non-writers, who scrambled the jets so we could be on in two days. And the union folks who expedited the paperwork so we could get back so quickly, so thank you.”
These comments were made just before the show transitioned into a panel discussion featuring Sam Harris, host of the Making Sense podcast, and Mary Katharine Ham, author and co-host of the Getting Hammered podcast.
The current 21st season of “Real Time” premiered in January but went on hiatus after the Writers Guild of America strike began in May. Typically, the show airs 35 weekly episodes and runs through the end of November.
However, in September, the 67-year-old host announced his decision to return to work and cease participating in the strike, stating, “Real Time is coming back, unfortunately, sans writers or writing.” He expressed his concern for the writers’ issues and hopes they are addressed satisfactorily but emphasized that other individuals working on the show also have their own problems and concerns. Maher stated, “I’m not prepared to lose an entire year and see so many below-the-line people suffer so much.