HBO to Premiere REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER: ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

Celebrating 25 years of pioneering political comedy talk shows on TV, including 15 years on his current weekly HBO series, REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER: ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL debuts this FRIDAY, OCT. 19 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. The 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.

"Real Time with Bill Maher" will return with a new weekly edition on FRIDAY, OCT. 26 (10:00-11:00 p.m.).

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER has been renewed through 2020.

Politico has hailed Maher as "a pugnacious debater and a healthy corrective to the claptrap of cable news," while Variety noted, "There may not be a more eclectic guest list on all of television."

Maher headlined his first special on the network in 1989 and has starred in 11 HBO solo specials to date, including the recent "Bill Maher Live from Oklahoma." He is also an executive producer of the innovative news magazine show "VICE," which is now in its sixth season on HBO.

The executive producers of REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER are Bill Maher, Scott Carter, Sheila Griffiths, Dean Johnsen, Billy Martin; co-executive producer, Chris Kelly; producer, Matt Wood; co-producer, TJ Baldino; associate producer, Miles Leicher; director, Paul Casey.