Real Time with Bill Maher returns Friday, October 9, with Michael Douglas joining Bill Maher for the one-on-one interview. Sen. Thom Tillis and CNBC’s Sara Eisen will take part in this week’s panel discussion.
The episode airs from 10:00–11:00 p.m. ET / 7:00–8:00 p.m. PT on HBO and will also be available to stream on HBO Max. The hour includes Maher’s opening monologue, guest conversations and signature “New Rules” segment.
Who Is on Real Time With Bill Maher This Week?
Michael Douglas is Friday’s one-on-one guest. The award-winning actor and producer joins Maher following the October 6 release of his memoir, One Helluva Ride.
Sen. Thom Tillis joins the panel. The Republican senator from North Carolina is the author of How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents: The Trouble with Sycophants, Courage Outsourcing, and Partisan Groupthink.
Sara Eisen rounds out the panel. She co-anchors CNBC’s Squawk on the Street and Money Movers.
| Air Date | Friday, October 9, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Time | 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT |
| Network | HBO |
| Streaming | HBO Max |
| One-on-One Guest | Michael Douglas |
| Panel Guests | Sen. Thom Tillis and Sara Eisen |
When Is Real Time With Bill Maher on This Week?
The October 9 episode of Real Time with Bill Maher airs Friday from 10:00–11:00 p.m. ET / 7:00–8:00 p.m. PT on HBO. It will also be available on HBO Max. The lineup appears on Bill Maher’s official site.
Last week, Malcolm Gladwell joined Maher for the one-on-one interview, while Fareed Zakaria and Anand Giridharadas took part in the panel. See Seat42F’s October 2 guest lineup for more.
In 2023, Mediaite named Bill Maher #6 on their list of the most influential names in news media and noted, “Each Friday, Maher is able to hit the right topic and right guests to dominate Saturday’s social media buzz, and the comments made by those guests follow them into Sunday interviews and the next week’s conversations in politics and culture.”
Maher headlined his first special on HBO in 1989 and has starred in 12 solo specials for the network to date including, “Bill Maher: Be More Cynical” (2000), “I’m Swiss” (2005), “Bill Maher… But I’m Not Wrong” (2010), “Bill Maher: Live from Oklahoma” (2018), and his most recent, “#Adulting” (2022).
First on “Politically Incorrect” and for more than twenty years on “Real Time,” Maher’s combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs have garnered him 41 Emmy nominations.
Maher’s 13th comedy special for the network “Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This?” debuted January 10 on HBO and is available to stream on Max.
The executive producers of REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER are Bill Maher, Sheila Griffiths, Marc Gurvitz, Dean Johnsen, Billy Martin; co-executive producer, Chris Kelly; producer, Matt Wood; director, Paul Casey.
Thomas Miller is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Seat42F, covering television, movies and streaming entertainment. He launched Seat42F in 2007 and has spent nearly two decades covering the entertainment industry.
