Real Time with Bill Maher: Season 18
Season 18 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Real Time with Bill Maher Season 17.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 18 Progress Shield
Episode 516
Jan 17, 2020 · 60 min
First interview: Nancy Pelosi. On the panel: Kara Swisher, Joe Walsh, and Jon Meacham. Second interview: Andrew Yang.
Episode 517
Jan 24, 2020 · 60 min
First interview: Megyn Kelly. On the panel: Michael McFaul, Alex Wagner, and Erick Erickson. Second interview: Ingrid Newkirk.
Episode 518
Jan 31, 2020 · 60 min
First interview: Mayor Pete Buttigieg. On the panel: Rick Wilson, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, and Mitch Landrieu. Second interview: Michael Eric Dyson.
Episode 519
Feb 7, 2020 · 60 min
First interview: Steve Bannon. On the panel: Mayor Andrew Gillum, Sarah Isgur, and Ezra Klein. Second interview: Fareed Zakaria.
Episode 520
Feb 14, 2020 · 60 min
First interview: Senator Amy Klobuchar. On the panel: Katie Couric, Van Jones, and Bret Stephens. Second interview: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal.
Episode 521
Feb 28, 2020 · 60 min
First interview: Dr. Anne Rimoin. On the panel: EJ Dionne, Jane Kleeb, and Buck Sexton. Second interview: Nicholas Kristof.
Episode 522
Mar 6, 2020 · 60 min
First interview: Rachel Bitecofer. On the panel: Caitlin Flanagan, Ross Douthat, and Anthony Scaramucci. Second interview: Brian Cox.
Episode 523
Mar 13, 2020 · 60 min
First interview: David Ropeik. On the panel: Tim Miller, Lis Smith, and Edward Luce. Second interview: Andrew Zimmern
Episode 524
Apr 3, 2020 · 60 min
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bill hosts this week's Real Time from his backyard and features remote interviews with Senator Bernie Sanders, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, act
Episode 525
Apr 10, 2020 · 60 min
Once again hosting from his backyard, Bill's remote interviewees this week are: Former Vice President Al Gore, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio, political commentator Ian Bremmer
Episode 526
Apr 17, 2020 · 60 min
Joining Bill remotely this week for a chat are: journalist Fareed Zakaria, Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw, and political commentator Andrew Sullivan.
Episode 527
Apr 24, 2020 · 60 min
Bill's guests this week are Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, comedian Jay Leno, and preventive medicine and public health specialist Dr. David Katz.
Episode 528
May 1, 2020 · 60 min
Bill's guests this week are Attorney General Eric Holder, author Matt Taibbi, and journalist Bret Stephens.
Episode 529
May 8, 2020 · 60 min
Joining Bill remotely for a chat this week are: Representative for Michigan Justin Amash, columnist Dan Savage, and political commentator Amy Holmes.
Episode 530
May 22, 2020 · 60 min
This week, Bill speaks with NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman, LA Lakers' Science Consultant Dr Cate Shanahan, and film director Michael Moore.
Episode 531
May 29, 2020 · 60 min
The Real Time panel returns this week and joining Bill are: chef Tom Colicchio, journalist Soledad O'Brien, political scientist Ian Bremmer, and comedian Jay Leno.
Episode 532
Jun 5, 2020 · 60 min
Joining Bill this week are: rapper and activist Michael "Killer Mike" Render; former Assistant Director for Counterintelligence at the FBI, Frank Figliuzzi; Professor of Law and Po
Episode 533
Jun 12, 2020 · 60 min
This week, Bill interviews Radley Balko, an opinion journalist for The Washington Post, and Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and public health expert. Joining him for the pa
Episode 534
Jun 19, 2020 · 60 min
This week Bill interviews former US Ambassador to the UN who served as President Obama's National Security Advisor from 2013-2017, Susan Rice, and columnist for The Washington Post
Episode 535
Jun 26, 2020 · 60 min
This week, Bill interviews Former National Security Advisor John Bolton, and co-host of the award-winning podcast "Pivot" and New York Times columnist Kara Swisher. Plus, a virtual
Episode 536
Jul 31, 2020 · 60 min
Joining Bill for his first show back after his summer break are actress Kerry Washington, actor Jim Carrey, critic and author Thomas Chatterton Williams, and columnist Bari Weiss.
Episode 537
Aug 7, 2020 · 60 min
This week, Bill interviews former chief of staff to Colin Powell, Lawrence Wilkerson, and actor Chris Evans. Joining him for the panel discussion are former adviser to President Bi
Episode 538
Aug 14, 2020 · 60 min
This week, Bill interviews Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and sports anchor Colin Cowherd. For the panel discussion, he chats with former Democratic 2020 presidential candidate
Episode 539
Aug 21, 2020 · 60 min
This week, Bill interviews former Governor of Ohio John Kasich about his endorsement of Joe Biden and also lauded director Oliver Stone. For the panel discussion, author Thomas Fra
Episode 540
Aug 28, 2020 · 60 min
Bill returns to the studio for the first time since March and remote-interviews former federal prosecutor Trey Gowdy and musician Wynton Marsalis, while journalist Nina Burleigh an
Episode 541
Sep 11, 2020 · 60 min
This week, Bill interviews former FBI agent Pete Strzok and actor Ewan McGregor, and joining him in the studio for the panel discussion are journalists Jessica Yellin and Peter Ham
Episode 542
Sep 18, 2020 · 60 min
This week, Bill interviews actress and activist Jane Fonda and Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen. For the panel segment he's joined by writer Tim Miller and comedian Tra
Episode 543
Sep 25, 2020 · 60 min
Joining Bill this week are Senator Bernie Sanders, actor Jim Belushi, journalist Coleman Hughes, and Bakari Sellers former Representative for South Carolina.
Episode 544
Oct 9, 2020 · 60 min
This week, Bill interviews Congressman Adam Schiff and Former CIA Director John O. Brennan. Joining him for the panel discussion are conservative journalist Bret Stephens and write
Episode 545
Oct 16, 2020 · 60 min
Bill interviews political scientist Fareed Zakaria and actor John Leguizamo. For the panel discussion he's joined by John Avlon, CNN's Senior Political Analyst, and Noah Rothman, M
Episode 546
Oct 23, 2020 · 60 min
This week, Bill interviews actor Matthew McConaughey and author Ben Sheehan. Joining him for the panel discussion are Senator Heidi Heitkamp and Donald Trump's former Director of C
Episode 547
Oct 30, 2020 · 60 min
Bill interviews former Democratic U.S. Senator from Minnesota, Al Franken and New York Times national security correspondent, David E. Sanger. Joining him on the panel are MSNBC p
Episode 548
Nov 6, 2020 · 60 min
This week, Bill interviews former Google Design Ethicist, Tristan Harris. Joining him for the panel discussion are Counter-terrorism Intelligence Officer and MSNBC contributor, Mal
Episode 549
Nov 13, 2020 · 60 min
Following the election, Bill interviews constitutional law attorney and Senior Legal Adviser for the Trump 2020 campaign, Jenna Ellis. For the panel discussion, he is joined by wri
Episode 550
Nov 20, 2020 · 60 min
For his final show of 2020, Bill interviews author Professor Michael Eric Dyson. On the panel, he is joined by contributing writer for 'The Atlantic' Alex Wagner and historian Jon