Real Time host Bill Maher is defying the writers’ strike by bringing his long-running show back to HBO on September 22.
While he’s not violating any Writers Guild of America (WGA) rules, this is still a stick in the eye of the strikers. The fewer new products available to the studios, the stronger the negotiating position for the WGA.
Maher sought to justify this decision via X (NOTE: I’m done writing “formerly known as Twitter.” If y’all haven’t figured out what X is by now…):
“Real Time is coming back, unfortunately, sans writers or writing,” Maher explained. (For those of you who went to public schools, “sans” means “without”).
“It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work.”
“The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction,” Maher added, “but they are not the only people with issues, problems, and concerns. Despite some assistance from me, much of the staff is struggling mightily.”
The left-wing comedian went on to say, “We all were hopeful this would come to an end after Labor Day, but that day has come and gone, and there still seems to be nothing happening.”
“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.”
Maher promised not to do any written pieces on Real Time. There will be no monologue or New Rules or segments that require a script or any writing at all. The “heart of the show,” he said, “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.”
Real Time is coming back, unfortunately, sans writers or writing. It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work. The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction, but they are not the only people…
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) September 14, 2023
Maher isn’t the only talk show host sick of sitting around. Drew Barrymore announced this week her daytime show will return, sans writers, on September 18. She was hit with a fierce online backlash and had her studio picketed by the WGA. Lucky for her, what happens online and in front of TV studios has nothing to do with the real world.
The WGA has already promised to picket Maher. Oh, and Keith Olbermann, a small man desperate for the attention yelling about stuff gives him, stood on the front lawn of his Twitter account and screamed, “Fuck you, Bill, you selfish and unfunny scumbag.” He also called Maher a “SCAB.”
People who hate me are at war with people who hate me.
How does it get any better than this?
Let me tell you…
It doesn’t.
For the sake of protecting children from permanent sterilization and mutilation, I hope this strike lasts forever.
John Nolte’s best-selling debut novel Borrowed Time (Bombardier Books – Sept. 26) is available for pre-order, including Kindle and Audible.