Real Time with Bill Maher: Season 9
Season 9 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 8.
- 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 9 Progress Shield
January 14, 2011
Jan 14, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Assistant to the President Elizabeth Warren, actor Martin Short, political analyst James Carville, political consultant Mike Murphy, Editor-at-large of Reuters Chrystia Fre
January 21, 2011
Jan 21, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Journalist Michael Hastings, politician/businessman David Stockman, political commentator Rachel Maddow, economist Stephen Moore, entrepreneur Russell Simmons Topics: Keit
January 28, 2011
Jan 28, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele, NRO host Will Cain, former Canadian PM Kim Campbell, Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), comedian D. L. Hughley Topics: 2011 State of the Union
February 04, 2011
Feb 4, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Journalist Mona Eltahawy, director Charles H. Ferguson, conservative columnist John Fund, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson Topics: Egyptian p
February 11, 2011
Feb 11, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Syndicated columnist Arianna Huffington, philosopher Cornel West, journalist Hooman Majd, MSNBC host Norah O'Donnell, actor Matthew Perry Topics: AOL-HuffPo merger, Egypt
February 18, 2011
Feb 18, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: PBS host Tavis Smiley, director Kevin Smith, journalist John Heilemann, CNBC host Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, journalist Matt Taibbi Topics: Griftopia, budget cuts, Obama as
March 04, 2011
Mar 4, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Novelist T. Coraghessan Boyle, feminist icon Gloria Steinem, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), Washington Post reporter Ezra Klein, actress and comedianne Tracey Ull
March 11, 2011
Mar 11, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Rep. Keith Maurice Ellison (D-MN), director Bill T. Jones, Democratic strategist Paul Begala, co-founder of the St. Louis Tea Party Dana Loesch, former congressman Thomas M
March 18, 2011
Mar 18, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Actor Richard Belzer, Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren, columnist Dan Neil, author Annabelle Gurwitch, activist Erica Williams Topics: democracy in Arab countries, nuclear
March 25,2011
Mar 25, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill, Actress Ellen Page, columnist David Brooks, former Governor Ed Rendell (D-PA), Newsweek Editor-in-Chief Tina Brown Topics: Libya,
April 01, 2011
Apr 1, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Special Olympics chairman Tim Shriver, director Julian Schnabel, radio host Randy Cohen, commentator Doug Heye Topics: government shutdown,
April 08, 2011
Apr 8, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Pilot Chesley Sullenberger, CNN host Eliot Spitzer, BBC anchor Katty Kay, Daily Beast blogger Andrew Sullivan, comedian Colin Quinn Topics: Government shutdown, Planned Pa
April 15, 2011
Apr 15, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Theoretical Physicist Michio Kaku, MSNBC Ed Show host Ed Schultz, ex-RNC Head Michael Steele, ABC News Political Director Amy Walter, author Irshad Manji Topics: US Budget
April 29, 2011
Apr 29, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA), journalist Laura Flanders, blogger Andrew Breitbart, author Mark McKinnon, director John Waters Topics: Birther and schooler conspiracy theo
May 06, 2011
May 6, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Journalist Peter Bergen, author Michael Eric Dyson, investigative journalist and author Jeremy Scahill, ex-Bush speechwriter David Frum, author Irshad Manji Topics: Death
May 13, 2011
May 13, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Counter-terrorism expert Richard A. Clarke, author Andrew Ross Sorkin, columnist Reihan Salam, MSNBC analyst Michelle Bernard, actor Harry Shearer Topics: Osama Bin Laden'
May 20, 2011
May 20, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Actor Zach Galifianakis, MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan, journalist Gillian Tett, journalist Reza Aslan, author Amy Chua Topics: Republican 2010 Presidential nominees, health ca
June 03, 2011
Jun 3, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, professor Melissa Harris-Perry, former New York Rep. Rick Lazio, journalist Larry King, writer/director Adam
June 10, 2011
Jun 10, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Former Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-CA), comedienne Janeane Garofalo, columnist Joshua Green, journalist Sharon Waxman, actress Jane Lynch Topics: Tax cuts for the wealthy
June 17, 2011
Jun 17, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Ray Kurzweil, columnist Ross Douthat, Public Notice executive director Gretchen Hamel, pundit Chris Matthews, comedian Kevin Nealon Topics: Mitt Romney, FEMA, Tim Pawlenty
June 24, 2011
Jun 24, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Chief Foreign Correspondent for NBC News Richard Engel, columnist David Carr, columnist Michael Smerconish, Republican strategist Susan del Percio, filmmaker Alexandra Pelo
July 08, 2011
Jul 8, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Executive Director of Drug Policy Alliance Ethan Nadelmann, Ann Coulter, The Nation editor and MSNBC host Christopher Hayes, historian Amanda Foreman, Chaz Bono Topics: U.
July 15, 2011
Jul 15, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Sex columnist Dan Savage, Global Editor-at-Large of Reuters Chrystia Freeland, Dallas Mavericks owner and entrepreneur Mark Cuban, comedian Marc Maron Topics: American gre
July 22, 2011
Jul 22, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: John Fetterman, DNC Vice-Chair Donna Brazile, Reason.com editor Nick Gillespie, actor John Turturro Topics: Republican strategy of no, the US budget, financial services in
July 29, 2011
Jul 29, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Financial-fraud investigator Harry Markopolos, former New York governor Eliot Spitzer; political strategist Margaret Hoover; FreedomWorks president and CEO Matt Kibbe; and
August 05, 2011
Aug 5, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Ex-Obama economy adviser Christina Romer, Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Salon editor-at-large Joan Walsh, Palin biography filmmaker Stephen K Bannon and chef Anthony
September 16, 2011
Sep 16, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Host of Current TV’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” Keith Olbermann, Republican strategist Rich Galen, Fellow at the Eisenhower Institute Jennifer Donahue, author of "The
September 23, 2011
Sep 23, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Journalist Ron Suskind, musician and activist Tom Morello, co-editor of Deadline Artists: America’s Greatest Newspaper Columns John Avlon, former Representative and Directo
September 30, 2011
Sep 30, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Reporter Dana Priest, environmental advocate Van Jones, former Governer Jennifer Granholm (D-MI), Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, Author Salman Rushdie Topics: Anwar a
October 07, 2011
Oct 7, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Labor leader Richard Trumka, humorist P.J. O'Rourke, author Jonathan Franzen, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), political commentator Nicolle Wallace. Topics: Chris Christie and S
October 14, 2011
Oct 14, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Pastor and Romney critic Dr Robert Jeffress, Magician Penn Jillette, Progressive talk radio host Thom Hartmann, CNBC host Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, American Spectator senior
October 21, 2011
Oct 21, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: EPA Chief Lisa Jackson, novelist Touré, columnist Thomas Friedman, journalist Joshua Green, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow Topics: Attempts to dismantle the EPA, America falling
October 28, 2011
Oct 28, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Tax reform lobbyist Grover Norquist, journalist Michelle Goldberg, CNN foreign correspondent Michael Ware, philosopher Cornel West, Republican strategist Ron Christie. Top
November 04, 2011
Nov 4, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Delaware Atty. Gen. Beau Biden, former N.Y. gov. David Paterson, journalist Alex Wagner, Rep. Darrell Issa, comedian Bill Engvall. Topics: Herman Cain's popularity, the Un
November 11, 2011
Nov 11, 2011 · 60 min
Guests: Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), MSNBC host Chris Matthews, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), commentator Andrew Sullivan, artist Common. Topics: The Dodd-Frank financial reform, defeat