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Bill Maher's HBO 'Real Time' preview: Carville, Warren, Short and more January 14

By April MacIntyre Jan 12, 2011, 21:16 GMT

Interesting show for HBO- Bill Maher - Bill Maher Honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - Hollywood Walk of Fame - Hollywood, CA, USA © Bob Charlotte / PR Photos

Season number nine as Bill Maher brings his Friday night salon to HBO, with a new group to dissect the news, trends, societal oddities and political blunders making headlines.

Maher kicks off his ninth season Friday, January. 14 (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. 

Armed with his freedom loving Libertarian meets Left leanings,  Maher's perspective neither endorses Democrats or Republicans, and takes a hard look at the limitations and liabilities of both sides.

The series is structured with an opening monologue, roundtable discussions with panelists and interviews with in-studio and satellite guests.

Maher's guests this week are political strategist James Carville, editor Chrystia Freeland and political strategist Mike Murphy. 

Comedian-actor Martin Short and consumer financial protection advisor Elizabeth Warren are interview guests.

From HBO

Maher was the creator and host of “Politically Incorrect,” which was produced by HBO Downtown Productions and debuted on Comedy Central in 1993.  The series moved to ABC in 1997 and ran through 2002.

A favorite of subscribers since his first special on the network in 1989, Maher has starred in nine solo specials on HBO, including the hour-long presentations “Bill Maher…But I’m Not Wrong,” “The Decider” and “I’m Swiss” (both nominated for an Emmy® in the Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special category), “Victory Begins at Home,” “Be More Cynical,” “The Golden Goose Special” and “Stuff That Struck Me Funny,” and two half-hour stand-up specials, plus the HBO specials “30 Seconds Over Washington” and “Comic Relief VI™.”

His most recent book, “New Rules:  Polite Musings from a Timid Observer,” made the New York Times best seller list, as well as best seller lists across the country.  He is also author of the books “When You Ride Alone You Ride with Bin Laden:  What the Government Should Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on Terrorism,” “Does Anybody Have a Problem with That?  The Best of Politically Incorrect” and the novel “True Story.”  Maher also starred in the 2008 feature film “Religulous,” the seventh most successful documentary of all time.

                Other HBO playdates:  Jan. 16 (1:30 p.m., 1:30 a.m.), 17 (8:00 p.m.) and 19 (11:05 p.m.)

                HBO2 playdates:  Jan. 14 (2:50 a.m.), 15 (9:00 a.m., 12:15 a.m.), 16 (7:00 p.m.) and 18 (10:00 p.m.)