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Bill Maher sees MacFarlane, Klein, Aslan and James Carville this week

By April MacIntyre May 6, 2009, 16:41 GMT

Maher featured Fareed Zakaria and (D) Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts last week, and this week he sees writer Reza Aslan, activist Naomi Klein and journalist Matt Taibbi. Political strategist James Carville and “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane (pictured) are interview guests. © PRN / PR Photos

HBO's Bill Maher series continues to draw interesting guests who cut a wide swath of opinion and expertise.

"Real Time with Bill Maher" continues its seventh season Friday, May 8 (10:00-11:00 p.m. live ET/tape-delayed PT), exclusively on HBO, with an instant replay at 11:00 p.m., following the live presentation. 

Maher does not claim allegiance to either the Dems or the GOP, and routinely takes Americans to task for laziness in educating themselves about good health and diet.  The host is also an ardent animal rights proponent and underscores many of his interviews with his heartfelt belief that marijuana needs to be decriminalized, an idea California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger apparently agrees with. 

Schwarzenegger says he is open to debate the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in California, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Maher featured Fareed Zakaria and (D) Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts last week, and this week he sees writer Reza Aslan, activist Naomi Klein and journalist Matt Taibbi.  Political strategist James Carville and “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane are interview guests.

Other HBO playdates:  May 10 (noon, 1:55 a.m.), 11 (10:30 p.m.) and 13 (11:00 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates:  May 8 (2:30 a.m.), 9 (9:30 a.m., midnight), 10 (7:00 p.m.), 11 (8:00 p.m.) and 12 (10:30 p.m.)

Maher is a perennial favorite of HBO viewers since his first special on the network in 1989, Maher’s other HBO credits include six hour-long specials.

Maher also starred in the recent satirical feature film “Religulous.”