HBO Renews ‘Real Time With Bill Maher’ For 13th Season

For those who were wondering what HBO‘s recent announcement of a new weekly show with The Daily Show‘s John Oliver would mean for incumbent Real Time With Bill Maher — HBO just extended the veteran talk show for a 35-episode 13th season to launch in January 2015. “Bill Maher has been a treasured member of the HBO family since the late ‘80s, and his irreverent wit and fearless insights make him the perfect observer for these unpredictable times,” HBO Programming president Michael Lombardo said. Added Maher, “It’s a pleasure to be returning for a 13th season on HBO. It’s something you rarely see in Hollywood: an on-again, on-again relationship.”

The renewal comes ahead of Real Time‘s 12th season debut this Friday. The program, which takes on politics and current events, averages a gross audience of 4.1 million viewers per show. Maher headlined his first special on HBO in 1989, starring in nine solo specials. In addition to Real Time, he is also an executive producer of the HBO news magazine show Vice, which returns for its second season March 14. The executive producers of Real Time are Maher, Scott Carter, Sheila Griffiths, Marc Gurvitz, Brad Grey and Billy Martin.