The 15th Anniversary Special

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Bill Maher, a fearless observer of current events and longtime HBO favorite takes a (brief) pause from the nonstop news cycle to look back on his groundbreaking career. This special looks back at highlights of Maher's irreverent run on TV, featuring archival footage from both "Real Time with Bill Maher" and "Politically Incorrect," as well as appearances by such notables as Salman Rushdie, Maureen Dowd, Billy Crystal, Larry David, Martin Short, Woody Harrelson and Barbra Streisand, among others, who offer observations on what has contributed to his success over the years and what continues to set him apart.

Airing Friday, October 19, 10 PM ET.

[b2H]

Well?  Anyone?  Bueller?  Bueller?.....

[Caseysgirl]

I enjoyed seeing the old clips, especially the ones from”Politically Incorrect”. I’m sure they cherry picked to find clips where Bill’s insightful comments became truth, but I’m pretty sure he’s been very wrong about many things. But, heck, it’s his show & I watch it religiously so I can’t complain.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I ??☺️?????? my ass off when they showed that clip of Bill demanding Drumph to produce his birth certificate  and saying that he wasn’t convinced that Drumph wasn’t a product of an Orangutan and that Drumph’s lawyer actually sent him a copy of the birth certificate stating, actually stating that his client was not the spawn of an Orangutan!!! Because that will  NEVER NOT be funny.

And because I can’t stand her, I loved the clip they showed of Paul Begala handing Meghan McCain’s ass to her from 2009.

But yeah, I did love the clips from Politically Incorrect. And the “We da rebels Now!” From a more recent New Rules.

I did yell at my screen telling Sippy Cup to STFU though.

Edited October 20, 2018 by GHScorpiosRule

[arachne]

I found the show to be mostly unobjectionable, except when it tried to make a virtue of Bill shouting at the audience for not laughing. Umm -- maybe the jokes aren't always funny, Bill? 

Edited October 20, 2018 by arachne

[cpcathy]

I loved it. I need Bill on my Friday nights in these difficult times.

[iMonrey]

A one hour tribute to Bill. On the one hand a 15-year run is an impressive accomplishment, no doubt. I just don't know that Bill's ego needs this kind of stroking. 

Interesting that Ann Coulter did not appear. Not that I wanted to see her, but Bill is largely responsible for her career and she knows it. She was a nobody before he started inviting her on P.I. 

[Robert Lynch]

No clip of the late George Carlin? Why? 

[ganesh]

4 hours ago, Caseysgirl said:

I enjoyed seeing the old clips, especially the ones from”Politically Incorrect”. 

I knew of the show but never really had a chance to watch since I was in college. I had known Bill from stand up mostly back then. 

I'm impressed how he's been friends with so many comics for so long. When you're association with people spans decades that's impressive. 

The joke about bringing the lawyer to confession killed me. 

I knew why PI got canceled but never saw the clip. I found it actually kind of tame. 

I was hoping they'd show Affleck making an idiot out of himself. 

Edited October 20, 2018 by ganesh

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, ganesh said:

I knew why PI got canceled but never saw the clip. I found it actually kind of tame. 

By today’s standards, yes. That said, they didn’t show the whole exchange where D’Souza went on and on about how the terrorists were warriors and inferring they should be commended. He clearly wasn’t reading the room or didn’t give a fuck. And Bill didn’t shut him down. Guess that ass was being “politically incorrect.”? This in light of Sikhs being murdered within days after 9/11 because people thought they were Muslims like Bin Laden. Because all hats and turbans are the same, don’tchaknow.

[atlantaloves]

Hi ScorpiosRule....yeah, I really got a kick out of them showing the famous Rich Bitch Meghan clip of her having her ass handed to her by Paul B. who I adore.  I actually enjoyed this clip show of Bill. Even though his show can make me so mad, I never miss it. 

[ganesh]

Sometimes I do forget, but doing a totally live basically unscripted 60 minutes of tv week in and week out is rather remarkable. 

I wish they had more behind the scenes information and basically zero Sippy Cupp. 

I was amazed to see Conway on PI. 

[HelenBaby]

2 hours ago, ganesh said:

Sometimes I do forget, but doing a totally live basically unscripted 60 minutes of tv week in and week out is rather remarkable. 

I wish they had more behind the scenes information and basically zero Sippy Cupp. 

I was amazed to see Conway on PI. 

He’s had Conway on back when she was still Fitzgerald. And they did show a brief shot of George Carlin but he wasn’t saying anything. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

2 hours ago, ganesh said:

 

 

I was amazed to see Conway on PI.

 

Bill always referred to her as “a friend of the show” and I thought it was just for this show. I had mercifully forgotten that she was on Politically Incorrect  until last night.

[ganesh]

I do agree with Bill's vision for what he wants to do as a satirist, and really, there's no Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, Full Frontal, without Bill's success; one has to wonder though, what hath though what hath thou wrought, with Conway and Coulter appearing so long ago and where they are now. 

[Victor the Crab]

The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, Full Frontal, etc. have far exceeded what Bill started in terms of being funny and getting their message across to its audience. Bill is being left behind because of his outdated viewpoint of areas, like political correctness.

[iMonrey]

12 hours ago, ganesh said:

I do agree with Bill's vision for what he wants to do as a satirist, and really, there's no Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, Full Frontal, without Bill's success; one has to wonder though, what hath though what hath thou wrought, with Conway and Coulter appearing so long ago and where they are now. 

It made me cringe to hear celebrities like Streisand praising Bill for inviting guests from both sides of the political spectrum onto his show, as though it's ingenious and all fair and balanced and blah blah blah. It really doesn't accomplish anything but give crackpots another platform to spew nonsense and lies. Now, I guess there's something to be said for shining a light on these people and exposing them for the frauds they are but they aren't really doing that. They go away and sell more books and their supporters are just as faithful as ever. All they're doing is wasting a lot of time in what could be a more intelligent conversation.

15 years on TV and Bill's never once changed anyone's mind.

[scrb]

So just a clips show, nothing to see here?

Have it on my DVR.

[GoldenGirl90]

3 hours ago, scrb said:

So just a clips show, nothing to see here?

Have it on my DVR.

"Nothing to see here" is about right.

I watched between flipping channels.

[opus]

4 hours ago, scrb said:

So just a clips show

And a bunch of various people proclaiming how great Bill is

[TVbitch]

I watched Bill's PI show when it first came on. I was a young lass in college and just enjoyed it as being more "real" than the trite and banal late night talk shows. It must be said that I didn't give a crap about anything going on in the world at that time except partying. That same year I went on a trip with friends to LA and we were walking down Venice beach and these sad looking young people were trying to force tickets onto people for the show. "Bill Maher!!!" they shouted and no one cared. I was like, "BILL MAHER?!" and I made our entire group go the taping. It was awesome and I have loved him ever since. I may not always agree with what he says, but he is smart and quick witted and I respect his willingness to go unscripted and put his opinions out there whatever the consequence. 

Yeah, the special was pretty self serving, but I think he's earned it.   

[crookedjackson44]

This show was insufferable; Bill is a genius, he predicts the future with Trump, he is fearless, he is "authentic," blah, blah, blah.  The fact that Bill Maher is and always has been an asshole is never addressed.  But I still remember him from Amazon Women and whatever and other such schlock.  I watch this show faithfully, but usually Maher's pieces are the worst part of the program.  If he is Liberalism in post-modern America, we are truly in trouble.

[formerlyfreedom]

This forum is here to discuss the show; there are many strong opinions about the topics covered and the show itself, as well as Bill. This all open for discussion.

Some posts have been removed; please be mindful of phrasing; Bill, the show, guests are fair game. Your fellow posters are not.

Please PM your forum mods with questions. Thank you!

[Tanichka]

On 23/10/2018 at 7:57 PM, crookedjackson44 said:

This show was insufferable; Bill is a genius, he predicts the future with Trump, he is fearless, he is "authentic," blah, blah, blah.  The fact that Bill Maher is and always has been an asshole is never addressed.  But I still remember him from Amazon Women and whatever and other such schlock.  I watch this show faithfully, but usually Maher's pieces are the worst part of the program.  If he is Liberalism in post-modern America, we are truly in trouble.

I don't mind his show.  Sometimes, he's on target.  I find him just a little too self-satisfied & self-righteous at times.  I don't think his show will address his assholery.  (snicker)