The WORST episodes of Real Time with Bill Maher

Every episode of Real Time with Bill Maher ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Real Time with Bill Maher!

Each week Bill Maher surrounds himself with a panel of guests which include politicians, actors, comedians, musicians and the like to discuss what's going on in the world.

Last Updated: 2/9/2026Network: HBOStatus: Continuing
May 15, 2009
star
4.17
29 votes

#1 - May 15, 2009

Season 7 - Episode 12 - Aired 5/15/2009

Guests: Creator of The Wire David Simon, economist Elizabeth Warren, conservative commentator Amy Holmes, National Review's Richard Brookhiser, columnist Dan Savage Topics: Torture, climate change, gay marriage, War on Drugs

Directors: Hal Grant
Watch Now:Apple TV
April 03, 2009
star
4.17
29 votes

#2 - April 03, 2009

Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired 4/3/2009

Guests: Joe the Plumber, Journalist David Frum, comedian Carol Leifer, writer Reihan Salam, reporter Sam Donaldson Topics: 2009 G-20 London summit, tax cut, health care, Carbon tax, nuclear energy

Directors: Hal Grant
Watch Now:Apple TV
February 18, 2005
star
5.00
4 votes

#3 - February 18, 2005

Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/18/2005

Guests: Correspondent Lesley Stahl, actor Robin Williams, former HHS Sec. Tommy Thompson, Sen. Joe Biden, actor Don Cheadle Topics: On protecting sources, Jeff Gannon, on interrogating prisoners, Iraq elections, Darfur

February 28, 2003
star
5.00
11 votes

#4 - February 28, 2003

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/28/2003

Guests: Actor Larry Miller, conservative commentator Monica Crowley, comedian Eric Idle, musician Dave Matthews, author David Horowitz, columnist Ted Rall Topics: Possibility of war with Iraq, selection of the new World Trade Center designs

May 08, 2009
star
5.10
29 votes

#5 - May 08, 2009

Season 7 - Episode 11 - Aired 5/8/2009

Guests: Democratic consultant James Carville, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, author Naomi Klein, journalist Matt Taibbi, author Reza Aslan Topics: Tax evasion by big companies, torture, Pakistan & Taliban, US military handing out bibles, gay marriage

Directors: Hal Grant
March 06, 2009
star
5.10
29 votes

#6 - March 06, 2009

Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/6/2009

Guests: Businessman T. Boone Pickens; Mayor Cory Booker (D-Newark); news anchor Erin Burnett; author Peter Singer Topics: The economy, green energy, charity and philanthropy, socialism

Directors: Hal Grant
March 27, 2009
star
5.35
31 votes

#7 - March 27, 2009

Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired 3/27/2009

Guests: Senator Bill Bradley, author Christopher Hitchens, rapper Mos Def, author Salman Rushdie Topics: Banking crisis, Legalization of marijuana, Nuclear proliferation

Directors: Hal Grant
March 19, 2010
star
6.07
30 votes

#8 - March 19, 2010

Season 8 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/19/2010

Guests: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (D), economist Stephen Moore, PoliticsDaily.com editor-in-chief Melinda Henneberger and actor Emile Hirsch Topics: Health care, the economy, regulation of banking and insurance industries, the Congo, blood diamonds, "blood minerals" from the Congo (tantalum, tungsten, and tin), Oxfam, access to clean water in developing countries, campaign finance reform

July 22, 2011
star
6.07
57 votes

#9 - July 22, 2011

Season 9 - Episode 24 - Aired 7/22/2011

Guests: John Fetterman, DNC Vice-Chair Donna Brazile, Reason.com editor Nick Gillespie, actor John Turturro Topics: Republican strategy of no, the US budget, financial services industry, Marcus Bachmann, personal sacrifice in the US, independent voters, Michele Bachmann's migraines, political pledges

Watch Now:Apple TV
March 12, 2010
star
6.16
31 votes

#10 - March 12, 2010

Season 8 - Episode 4 - Aired 3/12/2010

Guests: Senator Michael Bennet, actor Hill Harper, former Governor Gary Johnson, Amy Holmes, journalist John Heilemann Topics: Health care, deficit spending and the national debt, climate change, marijuana legalization, race relations, Mitt Romney, No Apology: The Case for American Greatness, Eric Massa, Game Change, Liz Cheney, education, Jihad Jane

Directors: Hal Grant
March 05, 2010
star
6.16
31 votes

#11 - March 05, 2010

Season 8 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/5/2010

Guests: Actor Sean Penn, journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, co-founder of the Huffington Post Arianna Huffington, director Michael Moore Topics: Earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, Hugo Chávez, Economic activism, Health Care, the economy regulation of the financial industry, labor relations, the Oscars, Republican fundraising tactics, the Media

August 17, 2012
star
6.24
71 votes

#12 - August 17, 2012

Season 10 - Episode 23 - Aired 8/17/2012

Documentary film maker Peter Byck, talk show host Chelsea Handler, owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks' Mark Cuban, columnist Reihan Salam, journalist Alex Wagner

September 05, 2003
star
6.25
4 votes

#13 - September 05, 2003

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 9/5/2003

Guests: Comedian D. L. Hughley, Al Franken, William Kristol, Wolf Blitzer, Wesley Clark Topics: John Kerry, Osama Bin Laden, news media behaviour

May 05, 2006
star
6.33
3 votes

#14 - May 05, 2006

Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 5/5/2006

Guests: Actor Bradley Whitford, Fmr. PM of Canada Kim Campbell, fmr. Gov. Jim Gilmore, Gen. Wesley Clark, and Sen. Mel Martinez Topics: Democrats, terrorism, Federal Emergency Management Agency, immigration

August 08, 2003
star
6.33
3 votes

#15 - August 08, 2003

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 8/8/2003

Guests: Actress Janeane Garofalo, Rep. David Dreier, political strategist Donna Brazile, Gov. Gray Davis Topics: California recall vote, Arnold Schwarzenegger, airport security, Homeland Security budget, Kobe Bryant

July 25, 2003
star
6.33
3 votes

#16 - July 25, 2003

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 7/25/2003

Guests: Actor D. L. Hughley, cartoonist Aaron McGruder, former US treasurer Bay Buchanan, Rev. Al Sharpton, senator (presidential candidate) Bob Graham Topics: Congressional report on 9/11, Liberia, Kobe Bryant, banning ephedra

April 25, 2003
star
6.33
3 votes

#17 - April 25, 2003

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 4/25/2003

Guests: Author Ann Coulter, author Clive Barker, actor D. L. Hughley, economist Stephen Moore, musical guests The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show Topics: Santorum controversy, Iraq, rights of the unborn child

Directors: Keith Truesdell
Episode 662
star
6.44
45 votes

#18 - Episode 662

Season 22 - Episode 18 - Aired 6/7/2024

Guests: An interview with U.S. Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, Sen. John Fetterman. This week's panel discussion includes Matt Welch, editor-at-large of Reason Magazine and co-host of "The Fifth Column" podcast; and Abigail Shrier, journalist and author of the New York Times bestseller "Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up."

Episode 694
star
6.48
23 votes

#19 - Episode 694

Season 23 - Episode 14 - Aired 5/2/2025

Guests: An interview with Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, actors and comedic duo who are the subjects of the documentary "Cheech & Chong's Last Movie." This week's panel discussion includes Kara Swisher, co-host of the "Pivot" podcast, host of "On with Kara Swisher" podcast, and author of "Burn Book: A Tech Love Story"; and Kevin McCarthy, former Republican congressman who represented California's 20th district and served as the 55th Speaker of the House.

February 24, 2006
star
6.50
2 votes

#20 - February 24, 2006

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/24/2006

Guests: actor Danny Glover, fmr. Sen. Gary Hart, author Irshad Manji, Rep. Heather Wilson, and columnist Nicholas Kristof Topics: Dubai ports, the extreme Left, Iraq, religious use of hallucinogenic tea

September 24, 2004
star
6.50
2 votes

#21 - September 24, 2004

Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 9/24/2004

Guests: Screenwriter Larry Gelbart, columnist Maureen Dowd, comic strip artist Aaron McGruder, Rep. Charles Rangel, actress Drew Barrymore Topics: Dan Rather, Kerry campaign, tobacco lawsuit settlements

Watch Now:Apple TV
February 17, 2006
star
6.50
2 votes

#22 - February 17, 2006

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/17/2006

Guests: Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), commentator Fred Barnes, actor Eddie Griffin, reporter Helen Thomas, Iraq advisor Dan Senor Topics: Cheney shooting, on the Patriot Act, Bush, Mohammad cartoons

Directors: Hal Grant
November 04, 2005
star
6.50
2 votes

#23 - November 04, 2005

Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 11/4/2005

Guests: fmr Pres. Mary Robinson of Ireland, Joe Scarborough, John Waters, fmr. Sen. Tom Daschle, Dr. Sanjay Gupta Topics: Rosa Parks' funeral, national security leak

Watch Now:Apple TV
October 28, 2005
star
6.50
2 votes

#24 - October 28, 2005

Season 3 - Episode 22 - Aired 10/28/2005

Guests: Richard A. Clarke, reporter Helen Thomas, actor Billy Connolly, TV host Tony Snow, writer Nadira Hira Topics: Press Corps, Scooter Libby

October 21, 2005
star
6.50
2 votes

#25 - October 21, 2005

Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 10/21/2005

Guests: Arianna Huffington, Tucker Carlson, Michel Martin, Spike Lee, Chris Webber Topics: Valerie Plame, New York Times, health care, NBA dress code, governments response to Katrina, conspiracy in New Orleans