Bill Maher Walks Back Plan to Cross WGA Picket Line ‘Now That Both Sides Have Agreed to Return to the Negotiating Table’

daniel.frankel@futurenet.com (Daniel Frankel) — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 20:42:14 +0000

Comedian Bill Maher has become the latest host of a WGA-signatory talk show to abandon plans to return to production amid the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike.

Maher said late last week that HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher would return to the studio, despite the strike. With the WGA and AMPTP resuming talks Wednesday, Maher in a tweet Monday, walked back the return-to-work plan.

My decision to return to work was made when it seemed nothing was happening and there was no end in sight to this strike. 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…September 18, 2023

Maher’s retreat follows that of Drew Barrymore. The first host to announce — then abandon — return-to-production plans, Barrymore issued a tearful video apology to the WGA over the weekend.

Maher, who has faced a steady barrage of criticism in recent history, particularly from the left, for hosting figures including billionaire provocateur Elon Musk, ultra-conservative influencer Ben Shapiro and Trump campaign advisor Roger Stone, faced a reinvigorated round of social-media barbs on Monday.

Honestly, sir, stop trying to both-sides this and pretend as if a decision to cross the pickets of 177,000 colleagues hangs on your personal view of how negotiations proceed. If the studios again use this moment to grandstand and declare a "final offer" will you scab some more? https://t.co/P2ZYzKpgS9September 18, 2023

Like everything else about him, this from @BillMaher is pure bullshitReduced from Scumbag SCAB but still Forever Scumbag pic.twitter.com/WBcWEBXJgOSeptember 18, 2023

I love that no one expects Bill Maher to do the right thing.September 17, 2023

TCA16: HBO Renews ‘Real Time With Bill Maher’ Through 2018

thomas.umstead@futurenet.com (R. Thomas Umstead) — Sat, 30 Jul 2016 16:00:00 +0000

HBO will bring back its talk series Real Time with Bill Maher for seasons 15 and 16, the network said Saturday.

The series, which will run through 2018, is currently averaging 4.4 million viewers in its 14th season – its most watched since show’s 2003 debut campaign, said the network.

“Bill Maher’s fearless and irreverent insights make him and important voice of common sense,” said Casey Bloys, president of HBO programming in a statement. “We are happy to extend our partnership and continue to provide him with the same uncensored forum that he’s enjoyed on the network since the late ‘80’s.”

Latest from Next TV in Bill-maher

Bill Maher Walks Back Plan to Cross WGA Picket Line ‘Now That Both Sides Have Agreed to Return to the Negotiating Table’

TCA16: HBO Renews ‘Real Time With Bill Maher’ Through 2018