The Best Episodes of Real Time with Bill Maher
Every episode of Real Time with Bill Maher ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Real Time with Bill Maher!
Each week Bill Maher surrounds himself with a panel of guests which include politicians, actors, comedians, musicians and the like to discuss what's going on in the world.
Top Episode Ratings Summary
The best episode of "Real Time with Bill Maher" is "September 09, 2005", rated 8.1/10 from 25 user votes. It was directed by N/A and written by N/A. "September 09, 2005" aired on 9/9/2005 and is rated 0.0 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "October 08, 2010".
8.1/10 25 votes#1 - September 09, 2005
Season 3 Episode 16 - Aired 9/9/2005
Guests: Walter Maestri, Joe Scarborough, comedian George Carlin, Cynthia Tucker, conservative editorialist James K. Glassman, writer Kurt Vonnegut Topics: Michael D. Brown, US political system, on race, on the Administration
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8.1/10 23 votes#2 - October 08, 2010
Season 8 Episode 20 - Aired 10/8/2010
Guests: Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, conservative commentator S. E. Cupp, comedian P. J. O'Rourke, journalist Joshua Green Topics: Gene Cranick, zero-sum economic theory, Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), Christine O'Donnell, Rich Iott, climate change, religion
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8.1/10 27 votes#3 - January 21, 2011
Season 9 Episode 2 - Aired 1/21/2011
Guests: Journalist Michael Hastings, politician/businessman David Stockman, political commentator Rachel Maddow, economist Stephen Moore, entrepreneur Russell Simmons Topics: Keith Olbermann, Tunisian protests, health care, Ronald Reagan's legacy, gun control, Tucson shooting
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8.1/10 23 votes#4 - April 08, 2011
Season 9 Episode 12 - Aired 4/8/2011
Guests: Pilot Chesley Sullenberger, CNN host Eliot Spitzer, BBC anchor Katty Kay, Daily Beast blogger Andrew Sullivan, comedian Colin Quinn Topics: Government shutdown, Planned Parenthood, US Budget, Objectivism, Libya, reaction to Pastor Terry Jones, Donald Trump, Class conflict
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8.1/10 29 votes#5 - August 05, 2011
Season 9 Episode 26 - Aired 8/5/2011
Guests: Ex-Obama economy adviser Christina Romer, Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Salon editor-at-large Joan Walsh, Palin biography filmmaker Stephen K Bannon and chef Anthony Bourdain. Topics: US credit downgrade, debt ceiling deal, failure of the stimulus package, inability of Democrats to negotiate, 'job creators', defunding of science in America, Rick Perry's prayer festival, escaping poverty, would Hillary Clinton have been better, need for a left-wing tea party equivalent.
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8.0/10 23 votes#6 - June 05, 2009
Season 7 Episode 15 - Aired 6/5/2009
Guests: Actor and comedian D. L. Hughley, Council of Foreign Relations president Richard Haass, novelist Paula Froelich, journalist Jeremy Scahill, Fortune editor Matt Miller Topics: Obama's visit to the Middle East, terrorism, abortion debate and the murder of Dr. George Tiller, gay marriage, health care reform in the United States
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8.0/10 25 votes#7 - October 16, 2009
Season 7 Episode 31 - Aired 10/16/2009
Guests: Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) , Actor Alec Baldwin, comedian and actor Garry Shandling, Hardball host Chris Matthews, Maryland governor Martin O'Malley Topics: Balloon Boy incident, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, health care reform, H1N1 vaccination concerns, ongoing efforts to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, sexual harassment in the military, Rush Limbaugh's failed bid to buy the St. Louis Rams, steroid use in professional sports
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8.0/10 24 votes#8 - April 29, 2011
Season 9 Episode 14 - Aired 4/29/2011
Guests: Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA), journalist Laura Flanders, blogger Andrew Breitbart, author Mark McKinnon, director John Waters Topics: Birther and schooler conspiracy theories, labor union bill in Massachusetts, Romneycare, racism in the GOP, Donald Trump, gas prices, windfall profits tax, censorship on TV, Victory Day in Afghanistan, monarchy in the UK
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8.0/10 30 votes#9 - March 09, 2012
Season 10 Episode 8 - Aired 3/9/2012
Guests: Israeli ambassador Michael Oren, Ex SEIU head Andrew Stern, author Catherine Crier, Ex, RNC chair Michael Steele, "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm. Topics: Iran's nuclear program, Israel's conservative government, Super Tuesday results, a third political party in America, the price of freedom of speech, contraception and abortion, prejudice and voting against economic interest, home schooling.
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8.0/10 30 votes#10 - June 7, 2013
Season 11 Episode 18 - Aired 6/7/2013
Guests: Filmmaker & author Tom Shadyac; journalist & author George Packer; GOP strategist Ana Navarro; comedian Dana Gould; author Kevin Williamson.
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8.0/10 38 votes#11 - Episode 550
Season 18 Episode 35 - Aired 11/20/2020
For his final show of 2020, Bill interviews author Professor Michael Eric Dyson. On the panel, he is joined by contributing writer for 'The Atlantic' Alex Wagner and historian Jon Meacham.
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8.0/10 1 votes#12 - June 3, 2022: Eric Holder, Michael Shellenberger, Douglas Murray
Season 20 Episode 17 - Aired 6/3/2022
Eric Holder, former US Attorney General, is this week's opening interviewee. On the panel, Bill is joined by California gubernatorial candidate Michael Shellenberger and columnist Douglas Murray.
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7.9/10 20 votes#13 - March 12, 2004
Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 3/12/2004
Guests: Author John McWhorter, comedian George Carlin, former Canadian PM Kim Campbell, HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, NPR radio host Sandra Tsing Loh Topics: Religion, indecency in media, Madrid bombings
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7.9/10 25 votes#14 - October 01, 2004
Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 10/1/2004
Guests: Comedian George Carlin, correspondent Katty Kay, economist Stephen Moore, The Dixie Chicks, talk show host Tucker Carlson Topics: Presidential election debates, religion
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7.9/10 27 votes#15 - February 20, 2009
Season 7 Episode 1 - Aired 2/20/2009
Guests: Financial Times editor Chrystia Freeland, journalist Tina Brown, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA); via satellite, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), journalist Brigitte Gabriel Topics: The economy, President Obama's first month in office
Director: Hal Grant
Writer: N/A
7.9/10 25 votes#17 - May 08, 2009
Season 7 Episode 11 - Aired 5/8/2009
Guests: Democratic consultant James Carville, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, author Naomi Klein, journalist Matt Taibbi, author Reza Aslan Topics: Tax evasion by big companies, torture, Pakistan & Taliban, US military handing out bibles, gay marriage
Director: Hal Grant
Writer: N/A
7.9/10 27 votes#18 - February 19, 2010
Season 8 Episode 1 - Aired 2/19/2010
Guests: Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel Elizabeth Warren, comedienne Wanda Sykes, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane , former Governor Eliot Spitzer, and Norah O'Donnell Topics: Lack of action by government, bipartisanship, the filibuster, Obama's handling of terrorism, torture, controversy over Family Guy's Down's Syndrome episode, race and criticism of Obama, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Kevin Smith's airplane incident, obesity, Bill's tweet criticizing media coverage of Haiti
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7.9/10 29 votes#19 - February 18, 2011
Season 9 Episode 6 - Aired 2/18/2011
Guests: PBS host Tavis Smiley, director Kevin Smith, journalist John Heilemann, CNBC host Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, journalist Matt Taibbi Topics: Griftopia, budget cuts, Obama as a bad negotiator, trade unions for government employees, Tea Party Review magazine, Red State, treatment of women in Arab world, Natalie Munroe, Civil War reenactments
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7.9/10 27 votes#20 - June 03, 2011
Season 9 Episode 18 - Aired 6/3/2011
Guests: U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, professor Melissa Harris-Perry, former New York Rep. Rick Lazio, journalist Larry King, writer/director Adam McKay Topics: Mitt Romney's Presidential campaign, Republican hyperbolic rhetoric about Obama, Sarah Palin's bus tour, Rep. Anthony Weiner scandal, Lee Atwater, John Edwards scandal, the US budget deficit, link between cell phones and cancer, businessmen as politicians
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7.9/10 29 votes#21 - January 20, 2012
Season 10 Episode 2 - Aired 1/20/2012
Guests: Journalism legend Bill Moyers, journalist Matt Lewis, Former Governor Charles "Buddy" Roemer, Former Governor Jennifer Granholm, Sen. Bernie Sanders (Ind-VT). Topics: The Republican presidential primaries, Keystone oil pipeline and popular support for important legislation, Newt Gingrich's rise and possible racism, electoral disdain for Mitt Romney, SOPA and PIPA, Republicans' fictionalising president Obama, overcoming partisanship, Citizens United and corporate money in politics, venture capitalism.
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7.9/10 32 votes#22 - March 02, 2012
Season 10 Episode 7 - Aired 3/2/2012
Guests: Former Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), former Vice Chairman of General Motors Bob Lutz, Democratic strategist James Carville, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, journalist John Heilemann. Topics: Rush Limbaugh's 'slut' comments, campaign finance and Super PACs, Rick Santorum self destructing, 'Blunt' healthcare amendment, the highjacking of the Republican establishment, the auto bailout, climate change, the space program, the importance of scientific advancement, the liberal bubble and the 'joke candidate'.
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7.9/10 26 votes#23 - March 30, 2012
Season 10 Episode 11 - Aired 3/30/2012
Guests: Dr Ezekiel Emanuel, author Van Jones, columnist Rich Galen, blogger Elise Jordan, "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner. Topics: Healthcare reform and the Supreme Court, Trayvon Martin shooting, historical and contemporary America, green energy initiatives, gun control in America.
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7.9/10 26 votes#24 - September 7, 2012
Season 10 Episode 26 - Aired 9/7/2012
Guests: Steve Schmidt, Jim Vandehei, Katrina vanden Heuvel, Christine O'Donnell, & David Simon.
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7.9/10 28 votes#25 - March 1, 2013
Season 11 Episode 6 - Aired 3/1/2013
Cybersecurity expert James Lyne; musician Snoop Lion (formerly Snoop Dogg); finance expert Monica Mehta; Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA); political strategist Steve Schmidt.
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