Smallscreen News

HBO Jan.14: Bill Maher, Ricky Gervais and Funny or Die all back

By April MacIntyre Dec 2, 2010, 20:41 GMT

10/02/2010 - Ricky Gervais - Comedy Central\'s Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Concert for Autism Education - Arrivals - Beacon Theater - New York, NY, USA © Debby Wong / PR Photos

The HBO comedy drought is officially over on Friday January 14, 2011.

The debut date for the new seasons of the HBO comedy series "The Ricky Gervais Show" and sketch comedy series "Funny or Die Presents" both kick off their second season on Friday, January 14.   Gervais' show airs at 9:00-9:30 pm ET/PT, followed later by "Funny or Die" at midnight-12:30 a.m.

One of the delicious by-products that Gervais' show has done is to take a Mancunian everyman named Karl Pilkington and catapult him to stardom across the pond.

Pilkington made his mark on the early UK renditions of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's early "Ricky Gervais Show" podcasts. He continues to be the breakout star of the show.

Pilkington told blogger Smithers of the CoventryTelegraph.net that he is okay with being the show's object of mirth: "It's only ever Ricky who calls me an idiot. The good thing is, most people who stop me in the street say they agree with most of what I say."

Fame has not gone to his head: "I wouldn't say I'm famous. I'm not driven about, or have people doing errands for me."

The same night "Real Time with Bill Maher" is back in its Friday night slot for a ninth season. (10:00-11:00 p.m. live ET/tape-delayed PT).

Maher blends atheists and faithful, and conservative, libertarian and liberal guests from a swath of politics, pop culture, the literary world who spitball the top stories of the moment. His patented "New Rules" neatly summarizes trends and topics that are bothering Maher.

Follow @AprilMac on Twitter and Monsters and Critics on Facebook for the latest movies, TV and celeb news