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Todd Buchholz, Thomas Frank, Chrystia Freeland, Ross Douthat on Maher's Real Time

By April MacIntyre Apr 18, 2012, 22:00 GMT

Bill Maher (L) and Chris Matthews - © Claudio Uema / PR Photos

Real Time with Bill Maher airs this Friday, April 20 (10:00-11:00 p.m. live ET/tape-delayed PT), exclusively on HBO.

The network airs an instant replay at 11:00 p.m. following the live presentation. 

The set up allows Maher to offer his unique perspective on contemporary issues, the show includes an opening monologue,roundtable discussions with panelists, and interviews with in-studio and satellite guests.

The salon this week will see economist Todd Buchholz, journalist Thomas Frank and editor Chrystia Freeland and columnist Ross Douthat is an interview guest.

Side note: Buchholz wrote an eye-opening op/ed for the New York Times titled the "Go Nowhere Generation"

Excerpt: "We are a nation of movers and shakers. Pilgrims leapt onto leaky boats to get here. The Lost Generation chased Hemingway and Gertrude Stein to Paris. The Greatest Generation signed up to ship out to fight Nazis in Germany or the Japanese imperial forces in the Pacific. The ’60s kids joined the Peace Corps.

But Generation Y has become Generation Why Bother. The Great Recession and the still weak economy make the trend toward risk aversion worse. Children raised during recessions ultimately take fewer risks with their investments and their jobs. Even when the recession passes, they don’t strive as hard to find new jobs, and they hang on to lousy jobs longer."  READ

Freeland also penned an excellent assessment of the new economy that sees the middle-class penalized by the "lovely and lousy" jobs that are left to pick over: READ

From HBO

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™.”

            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.

            His latest book, “The New New Rules:  A Funny Look at How Everybody but Me Has Their Head Up Their Ass,” was published in November and made the New York Times bestseller list.  Maher’s 2006 book, “New Rules:  Polite Musings from a Timid Observer,” also made the New York Times bestseller list, as well as bestseller 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 produced and starred in the 2008 feature film “Religulous,” the seventh most successful documentary of all time.

Other HBO playdates:  April 22 (12:30 p.m., 2:40 a.m.), 23 (8:00 p.m.) and 25 (11:00 p.m.)

            HBO2 playdates:  April 20 (2:00 a.m.), 21 (10:20 a.m., 12:05 a.m.), 22 (7:00 p.m.) and 24 (10:00 p.m.)