Bill Maher often complains he’s been “canceled” for not aligning with the “woke” left, but he never seems to disappear from the airwaves.
The network announced that Real Time has been renewed for two more seasons, extending its run well beyond Netflix’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros.’ HBO and HBO Max content, studio, and streaming properties. That acquisition will be overseen by Donald Trump’s FTC Chairman, Andrew Ferguson.
Per HBO’s press release, “The multi-season renewal underscores the show’s continued audience growth and cultural relevance.”
With the renewal, Maher continues his long-running relationship with HBO, which began with the first of 13 specials for the network in 1989. His 2025 special Is Anyone Else Seeing This? is up for a Golden Globe this weekend.
Though Maher admitted nine months after the election that he had voted for Trump’s opponent in 2024, he has repeatedly hammered “the left,” which he told CNN he disagrees with on the issues of “gender, race, and free speech.” Maher also said that he makes fun of the left side of the aisle “more” than he used to because “the left has changed.”
He’s also stated that “the right is worse,” because they “don’t believe in democracy anymore” and “have thrown their lot in with a sociopath named Donald Trump, who only thinks elections count when we win.” But the bulk of his critical commentary is reserved for liberals, who he says have gone overboard with “cancel culture” and “the woke train.”
His laudatory comments about his White House visit with Trump last year drew him criticism from peers, such as Larry David, who likened the visit to Maher having dined with Hitler, and Marc Maron, who called Maher “desperate” for aligning with Trump to gain “relevance.”
Sound bites from the trailer to promote Real Time‘s upcoming season tout Maher’s show as a space for viewers on both ends of the political spectrum. “We don’t talk enough to people who disagree with us,” one guest says, as the clips tease interviews with Steve Bannon and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“I’m not intimidated by the FCC,” Maher says in the promo, alluding to his fellow late-night hosts’ clashes with the administration. “And if President Trump is watching, I have one thing to say to you: Have you lost weight? You look terrific!”
Solidifying a place for Maher’s “both sides” takes on HBO may help safeguard Netflix’s acquisition of HBO, which Trump’s Department of Justice will either challenge or allow to proceed.
