TV Series Ratings Analysis

Real Time with Bill Maher Episode Ratings Heatmap

2003 · 24 Seasons · 745 Episodes · Overall Score: 7.1/10 (449 rated)

Highest Rated Episode

10.0/10

S9E12: April 08, 2011 (1 votes)

View Episode →

Best Season

8.30/10

Season 13 holds the highest collective average score across the series.

Season 13 Details →

Most Consistent Season

Season 16

Lowest score variance (σ = 0.24), maintaining an average of 6.9.

Strongest Finale

10.0/10

Season 11 finale: "November 22, 2013"

Episode Recap →

Complete Episode Rating Matrix

Interactive score chart by season and episode number. Darker green indicates higher ratings; amber and red denote lower reception.

8.5+ (Outstanding) 7.5 – 8.4 (Great) 6.0 – 7.4 (Average) < 6.0 (Underwhelming) Few votes

Episode	Season 1	Season 2	Season 3	Season 4	Season 5	Season 6	Season 7	Season 8	Season 9	Season 10	Season 11	Season 12	Season 13	Season 14	Season 15	Season 16	Season 17	Season 18	Season 19	Season 20	Season 21	Season 22	Season 23	Season 24
Ep 1	8.0	–	–	–	–	–	–	8.0	7.7	8.0	8.0	9.0	8.0	9.0	7.0	7.0	–	8.0	1.0	–	–	1.0	–	4.3
Ep 2	7.0	–	–	–	–	–	–	6.5	8.0	8.0	9.0	8.0	8.0	8.0	8.0	7.0	–	7.0	5.3	–	–	5.0	–	4.0
Ep 3	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	8.0	7.0	7.5	8.0	9.0	9.0	8.0	6.5	7.0	8.0	9.0	8.0	–	–	1.0	–	1.0
Ep 4	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.5	7.5	7.5	8.0	9.0	8.0	7.0	8.0	7.0	8.0	10.0	5.0	–	–	1.0	–	1.0
Ep 5	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	8.0	9.0	7.5	8.0	9.0	9.0	8.0	8.5	7.0	8.0	7.0	4.0	–	–	1.0	–	1.0
Ep 6	–	–	–	–	–	–	8.0	8.0	7.7	7.0	9.0	8.0	8.0	9.0	8.0	7.0	8.0	7.0	5.3	–	–	1.0	–	1.0
Ep 7	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	–	9.0	8.0	8.0	9.0	8.0	8.0	7.7	6.0	8.0	7.0	5.3	–	–	5.0	–	–
Ep 8	–	–	–	–	–	–	6.0	7.5	7.5	8.0	8.0	7.0	8.0	8.0	7.7	7.0	7.0	7.0	6.0	–	–	1.0	–	–
Ep 9	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	7.0	9.0	7.0	7.0	9.0	9.0	8.0	8.0	7.0	8.0	7.0	4.5	–	–	1.0	–	–
Ep 10	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	–	8.0	7.5	9.0	–	9.0	8.0	7.5	7.0	8.0	7.0	–	–	–	5.0	1.0	–
Ep 11	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	–	7.0	8.0	9.0	–	9.0	8.0	7.5	7.0	7.0	–	7.0	–	–	4.0	3.5	–
Ep 12	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	–	10.0	8.0	7.0	–	8.0	7.0	7.0	7.0	7.0	5.0	8.0	–	–	4.0	–	–
Ep 13	–	–	–	7.0	–	–	7.0	–	8.0	7.5	8.0	8.0	9.0	8.0	6.0	7.0	–	8.0	8.0	–	–	2.5	–	–
Ep 14	–	–	–	7.0	–	–	7.0	9.0	9.0	7.5	7.0	8.0	9.0	8.0	7.0	–	9.0	8.0	9.0	–	–	1.0	2.0	–
Ep 15	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	–	7.5	–	8.0	8.0	–	7.0	7.5	7.0	–	8.0	8.0	–	–	6.0	1.0	–
Ep 16	–	–	9.0	–	–	–	8.0	–	7.5	7.0	9.0	9.0	8.0	9.0	8.0	7.0	–	6.0	–	–	–	5.5	1.0	–
Ep 17	–	–	–	–	–	–	8.0	9.0	8.0	9.0	8.0	8.0	7.0	8.0	6.5	7.0	8.0	8.0	9.0	8.0	–	5.7	1.0	–
Ep 18	–	–	7.0	–	–	–	–	–	8.0	7.0	7.5	9.0	8.0	8.0	5.0	–	8.0	7.0	8.0	–	–	6.3	1.0	–
Ep 19	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	7.0	7.0	9.0	7.0	7.5	8.0	8.0	8.0	7.0	–	7.0	7.0	9.0	–	–	4.7	1.0	9.0
Ep 20	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	–	8.0	7.0	7.0	7.0	7.0	8.0	7.5	–	9.0	6.0	9.0	–	–	6.7	1.0	–
Ep 21	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	8.0	7.0	8.0	7.0	8.0	9.0	7.0	–	8.0	8.0	7.0	–	–	3.5	1.0	–
Ep 22	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	8.0	8.0	7.5	9.0	7.0	9.0	8.0	7.5	–	8.0	7.0	–	–	–	4.7	4.5	–
Ep 23	–	–	–	–	–	–	6.5	–	8.0	8.0	7.5	7.0	8.0	8.0	4.0	–	8.0	8.0	8.0	–	–	5.0	4.5	–
Ep 24	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	–	8.0	8.0	8.0	7.5	9.0	9.0	5.0	–	7.0	7.0	7.0	–	–	4.0	1.0	–
Ep 25	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	8.0	9.0	7.5	9.0	9.0	9.0	4.0	–	9.0	8.0	9.0	–	–	4.0	4.5	–
Ep 26	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	–	8.5	7.5	8.0	8.0	–	9.0	7.0	–	8.0	8.0	8.0	–	–	1.0	6.0	–
Ep 27	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	8.0	8.0	–	9.0	8.0	9.0	7.0	–	8.0	8.0	8.0	7.0	–	4.5	1.0	10.0
Ep 28	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	–	8.5	9.0	–	8.0	8.0	9.0	8.0	–	8.0	8.0	9.0	–	–	–	4.5	–
Ep 29	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	–	7.5	8.0	9.0	9.0	8.0	8.0	–	–	8.0	7.0	8.0	–	–	–	1.0	–
Ep 30	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	–	7.5	9.0	9.0	8.0	8.0	9.0	7.0	–	9.0	–	10.0	–	–	–	5.7	–
Ep 31	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	–	7.5	9.0	8.0	9.0	8.0	9.0	7.0	–	7.0	8.0	8.0	–	–	4.5	1.0	–
Ep 32	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.5	7.5	8.0	9.0	8.0	7.0	7.0	–	8.0	–	–	–	–	5.0	4.5	–
Ep 33	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	8.0	9.0	9.0	8.0	9.0	7.0	–	–	10.0	10.0	–	–	–	1.0	4.5	–
Ep 34	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	8.0	9.0	8.0	8.0	9.0	6.5	7.0	–	7.0	9.0	–	–	–	4.5	5.3	–
Ep 35	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	8.0	10.0	9.0	8.0	7.5	–	7.0	7.0	8.0	–	–	–	–	1.0	–
Ep 36	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.5	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4.0	–	–
Ep 37	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Ep 38	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	7.0	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Season Avg	7.5	–	8.0	7.0	–	7.0	7.1	7.8	8.0	7.9	8.2	8.3	8.3	8.1	7.0	6.9	7.9	7.6	7.2	7.5	–	3.6	2.6	3.9

Ratings Analysis & Trajectory

Across 24 seasons and 745 episodes, Real Time with Bill Maher has earned an overall series rating of 7.1 out of 10. The series reached its critical peak early, showing a slight contraction in audience satisfaction in later chapters.

The single highest-rated hour of television in the series is Season 9, Episode 12 ("April 08, 2011"), rated at an extraordinary 10.0/10 with 1 ratings. Conversely, the lowest-rated installment is Season 24, Episode 6 ("March 6, 2026: Annabelle Gurwitch, Sen. Adam Schiff, Don Lemon"), landing at 1.0/10.

The most precipitous single-episode shift occurred in Season 23 between Episode 26 ("September 12, 2025: Charlie Sheen, Tim Alberta, Ben Shapiro", 6) and Episode 27 ("September 19, 2025: Tom Homan, Alex Wagner, Joe Manchin", 1), a swing of 5 points.

Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes of Real Time with Bill Maher

Rank	Episode	Title	Score	Votes	Air Date
#1	Season 9, Ep 12	April 08, 2011	10.0	1	Apr 8, 2011
#2	Season 11, Ep 35	November 22, 2013	10.0	1	Nov 22, 2013
#3	Season 17, Ep 33	Episode 513	10.0	1	Nov 1, 2019
#4	Season 18, Ep 4	Episode 519	10.0	1	Feb 7, 2020
#5	Season 18, Ep 33	Episode 548	10.0	1	Nov 6, 2020
#6	Season 19, Ep 30	Episode 580	10.0	1	Oct 8, 2021
#7	Season 24, Ep 27	September 18, 2026: Kevin Roose, Jessica Tarlov, Christopher Rufo	10.0	1	Sep 18, 2026
#8	Season 9, Ep 14	April 29, 2011	9.0	2	Apr 29, 2011
#9	Season 14, Ep 25	Episode 397: Convention Edition #2	9.0	2	Jul 21, 2016
#10	Season 14, Ep 26	Episode 398	9.0	2	Jul 22, 2016