Is Real Time with Bill Maher New Tonight? This Week's Episode and the Skipped Fridays
Yes, Real Time with Bill Maher is listed as new on Friday, Oct. 23, at 10 p.m. ET on HBO. There was no episode on Friday, Oct. 16, because HBO's schedule skipped that night. The most recent episode aired on Friday, Oct. 9, and HBO hasn't announced the Oct. 23 guests.
Both The Futon Critic's HBO listings and TVmaze's Season 24 list show the same thing: Episode 30 on Oct. 9, nothing on Oct. 16, and Episode 31 on Oct. 23. We looked for an HBO statement about Oct. 16 and found none as of Monday, Oct. 19, so we give no reason for the gap.
Is Real Time with Bill Maher new tonight?
It depends on the Friday. The Oct. 23 episode carries a number in HBO's listings, which makes it the next confirmed slot. Oct. 30 also carries a number, but the three Fridays after that (Nov. 6, Nov. 13 and Nov. 20) are placeholders without one, so read those as HBO's plan, not a promise.
| Friday | New or off | Listed start (ET) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 2 | New | 10 p.m. | Aired |
| Oct. 9 | New (Episode 30) | 10 p.m. | Aired |
| Oct. 16 | No episode listed | No listing | Skipped |
| Oct. 23 | New (Episode 31) | 10 p.m. | Upcoming |
| Oct. 30 | Listed | 10 p.m. | Upcoming |
| Nov. 6 | Listed | 10 p.m. | Upcoming |
| Nov. 13 | Listed | 10 p.m. | Upcoming |
| Nov. 20 | Listed | 10 p.m. | Upcoming |
How often does Real Time skip a Friday?
We counted. From the Season 24 opener on Friday, Jan. 23, through Oct. 16 there were 39 Fridays. Thirty had a new episode and nine did not. The Futon Critic's numbering agrees: its first Season 24 row is #716 and the Oct. 9 row is #745, which is 30 episodes with nothing missing in between. The nine Fridays with no episode in either listing:
| Friday with no episode | What came before and after |
|---|---|
| Feb. 27 | Feb. 20, then Mar. 6 |
| Apr. 3 | Mar. 27, then Apr. 10 |
| May 22 | May 15, then May 29 |
| July 3, 10, 17 and 24 | June 26, then July 31 |
| Sept. 4 | Aug. 28, then Sept. 11 |
| Oct. 16 | Oct. 9, then Oct. 23 |
So a single skipped Friday is normal for this show, and the only long gap this year was the four July Fridays.
What time is Real Time with Bill Maher on?
Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO, per HBO's lineup release and the listings. Some listings drift a few minutes, and Oct. 9 read 10:02 p.m. Episodes also stream on HBO Max; HBO's release gives no time for that, so we don't either.
Short answers
Is Real Time on this Friday? Friday, Oct. 23 is listed as new at 10 p.m. ET.
Was Real Time on last Friday? No. Nothing was on HBO's schedule for Oct. 16.
Who is booked is on our Real Time guests page. HBO's Sunday show has its own new-or-off page, and Saturday's questions are answered on our SNL new-or-rerun page. Both listings have to show an episode before we call a Friday new; how we check is spelled out, and the about page has the address for corrections.
Sources · The Futon Critic — HBO listings for Real Time with Bill Maher · HBO — Real Time with Bill Maher · HBO release via WebWire — Oct. 9 episode lineup · Warner Bros. Discovery press release — Season 24 debut · Listings data via TVmaze (Real Time with Bill Maher)
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