Who would've thought? Weeks after calling some of the striking Writers Guild of America (WGA) demands "kooky" and saying no one is "owed a living as a writer," Bill Maher has confirmed that Real Time will cross the picket line and return to TV without its writers.
The HBO series will be the first late-night talk show to not abide by the WGA strike, with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver banding together as "Strike Force Five" and becoming podcast guys to keep their staffs financially supported without breaking strike rules.
UPDATE (9/14, 1:08 p.m. ET): Sports commentator and writer Keith Olbermann has offered his commentary on the move from Maher going ahead with "the new weekly SCAB edition." Olbermann wrote, "As somebody who's known you since 1978: Fuck you, Bill, you selfish and unfunny scumbag."
The HBO series will be the first late-night talk show to not abide by the WGA strike, with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver banding together as "Strike Force Five" and becoming podcast guys to keep their staffs financially supported without breaking strike rules.
UPDATE (9/14, 1:08 p.m. ET): Sports commentator and writer Keith Olbermann has offered his commentary on the move from Maher going ahead with "the new weekly SCAB edition." Olbermann wrote, "As somebody who's known you since 1978: Fuck you, Bill, you selfish and unfunny scumbag."
Earlier this week, Drew Barrymore announced that her eponymous daytime show is coming back without writers, who are now picketing The Drew Barrymore Show. "I own this choice," the actor wrote at the time. In a similar move yesterday (September 13), Maher wrote on X that he is "not prepared to lose an entire year" after five months of striking.
"The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and [I] hope they are addressed to their satisfaction, but they are not the only people with issues, problems and concerns," he said. "Despite some assistance from me, much of the staff is struggling mightily."
Maher went on to explain that he will honour the "spirit" of the strike by not doing a monologue, desk piece, New Rules segment or editorial. "And I'll say it upfront to the audience: the show I will be doing without my writers will not be as good as our normal show, full stop," the host added, still claiming that the show "will not disappoint."
Real Time is coming back, unfortunately, sans writers or writing. It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work. The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction, but they are not the only people…
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) September 14, 2023