Writers aren’t ‘only people with issues’
As the Hollywood writer’s strike war rages on, Bill Maher just wants to get his check.
The “Real Time with Bill Maher” host, 67, will return to HBO with his eponymous talk show without writers on Sept. 22.
He took to X (formerly known as Twitter) on Wednesday to announce that his show will be hitting TV screens next Friday.
“‘Real Time’ is coming back, unfortunately, sans writers or writing,” he began his lengthy tweet.
“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 with issues, problems, and concerns,” he went on.
The strike has been ongoing since May and the actor’s union SAG-AFTRA joined the protests in July.
The comedian explained that despite “some assistance” from himself, his staff is still “struggling mightily.”
“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,” he continued. “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 noted that he will “honor the spirit of the strike by not doing a monologue, desk piece, New Rules or editorial, the written pieces that I am so proud of on ‘Real Time.’”
He also plans to tell his audience at the top of each airing that he will be doing his show without his writers.
“But the heart of the show is an off-the-cuff panel discussion that aims to cut through the bulls–t and predictable partisanship, and that will continue. The show will not disappoint,” he concluded.
Several daytime talk shows have caused controversy in recent days over their decisions to return to work amid the strikes.
Drew Barrymore faced backlash from writers earlier this week when she opted to launch a new season of her syndicated chat series.
The 48-year-old defended her verdict in an Instagram post on Sunday.
“I own this choice,” she wrote. “We are in compliance with not discussing or promoting film and television that is struck of any kind. We launched live in a global pandemic. Our show was built for sensitive times and has only functioned through what the real world is going through in real time.”
CBS’ “The Talk” will also return for Season 14 on Sept. 18.
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