Political Humorist Bill Maher: Four More Years

Fresh Air | By Terry Gross

Published February 7, 2005 at 9:00 PM PST

The weekly HBO program Real Time with Bill Maher begins its new season Feb. 18. Previously, Bill Maher created and hosted the late night political round-table show Politically Incorrect.

That show ended in the wake of complaints over Maher's depiction of the terrorist attackers of Sept. 11, 2001. More recently, Maher has set his sights on the priorities of President Bush, the foibles of the Democratic Party, and two long-argued causes: personal responsibility and the war on drugs.

Terry Gross

Combine an intelligent interviewer with a roster of guests that, according to the Chicago Tribune, would be prized by any talk-show host, and you're bound to get an interesting conversation. Fresh Air interviews, though, are in a category by themselves, distinguished by the unique approach of host and executive producer Terry Gross. "A remarkable blend of empathy and warmth, genuine curiosity and sharp intelligence," says the San Francisco Chronicle.

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