Real Time With Bill Maher season 21 release date, air time, and more

Season 21 of Real Time With Bill Maher will premiere on HBO on Friday, January 20, 2023, at 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT and will be replayed at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT.

HBO has had a busy month with the premieres of highly anticipated shows such as The Last of Us, starring Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, and Velma, starring Mindy Kaling.

Real Time With Bill Maher debuted on February 21, 2003, and has since aired for 20 seasons. The hour-long episode of the show features several celebrity guests discussing politics, American pop culture, and media events with its host Bill Maher.

Let's take a look at what we know so far about the show's upcoming season.

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Has Real Time With Bill Maher lost a massive chunk of its viewers?

Real Time With Bill Maher has seen a steady decline in viewership over the years, and the announcement of a new season only highlights this trend. Here is the trailer for the 21st season of the show.

The cause of the show's downfall could be due to the host's controversial statements and actions, the shift in the political climate, his obsession with certain topics, and his old-fashioned ideologies.

Some of Bill Maher's biggest detractors are his own fans, who have described him as a grouchy old man who always thinks he's right about everything. Some viewers of his show in 2017 called for his dismissal after he used a racial slur during a live broadcast. Unfortunately, the harm had already been done by the time he admitted fault and offered an apology.

Moreover, numbers taken from Parrot analytics show that on a 30-day average basis, the demand for Bill Maher has fallen (-)15.9%. Here is the official synopsis of the show, according to IMDb:

"Comedian and political satirist Bill Maher discusses topical events with guests from various backgrounds."

The Hollywood Reporter described the show as:

“Amid a bleak talk show landscape, Maher achieves the unthinkable: He consistently gets people talking.”

While many people are no longer interested in watching the show, Real Time with Bill Maher has been renewed for another season, extending the show's run until 2024.

The show is executive produced by Bill Maher, Sheila Griffiths, Marc Gurvitz, Dean Johnsen, and Billy Martin; co-executive produced by Chris Kelly; produced by Matt Wood and directed by Paul Casey.

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A brief look at the career of Bill Maher

Born on January 20, 1956, Bill Maher is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO. In 2022, he started the podcast Club Random.

As a political satirist, Maher has been seen discussing topics like religion, political correctness, and the mass media, which inspired his 2008 documentary Religulous. Maher is a supporter of animal rights and has been a member of PETA since 1997. He even supports the legalization of marijuana, serving on the advisory board of NORML.

In 2005, Maher was ranked number 38 in Comedy Central's 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time. He was honored with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2010 and a Primetime Emmy Award in 2014 for his work as an executive producer for Vice.

Maher has never been married or has any children.