Is Real Time with Bill Maher new tonight, Sept. 20?

Should fans expect to see a brand new episode of Real Time with Bill Maher tonight on HBO?

Congressional testimony, whistleblowers, and bombings have made it an interesting week to say the least. And when weeks like this happen, late night fans turn to Real Time with Bill Maher.

Season 17 of Real Time only has a couple months left before Bill Maher takes a break. Of course, the news doesn’t take a break and the past week has featured enough stories to fill a month of Real Time episodes.

President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski answered questions from the House Judiciary Committee, tensions with Iran have increased, and there is some movement among Democratic presidential candidates.

It certainly would be bad timing for Bill Maher to take a week off from the show. Thankfully, fans don’t have to worry. There will be a new episode of Real Time with Bill Maher tonight. Here’s a breakdown of the guests.

Top-of-show

The top-of-show interview will be with a first time guest of Real Time. Bill Maher will interview Samantha Power, the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

Power holds degrees from Yale and Harvard, served as a war correspondent, is a published author, and was a foreign policy adviser for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.

After serving as U.N. Ambassador until 2017, Power has become an academic while remaining involved and outspoken on foreign policy issues. Real Time viewers will see a well-rounded, intelligent, and experienced guest tonight who is sure to comment on the situation between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Mid-show interview

The mid-show interview will also feature a first-time appearance for the guest. Political activist Sarah Haider will join the show.

Haider is Pakistani-American and the founder of Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA), an advocacy group dedicated to helping Muslims leave their religion via support networks.

Haider is active in Washington, D.C. where she works with other advocacy groups and continues efforts to expand the reach of EXMNA. She is an atheist, a topic that is sure to come up again when she sits down to talk with Bill Maher.

The panel

The panel, as always, will feature a diverse group of individuals. This week, Real Time welcomes back two returning guests and one rookie.

Heather McGhee is the former president of the progressive think tank Demos. She is known for her advocacy for social and economic equality. Those are two areas that will play a major role in the 2020 election so look for McGhee to offer her insight.

Tim Naftali is a historian, professor, and author who has been seen regularly on CNN. He has specialized on U.S. counterterrorism policies and was also the director of the Richard Nixon presidential library where he developed an objective view of the Watergate scandal. Terrorism and presidential corruption are two subjects that very well could come up on Real Time tonight.

Andrew Sullivan is a blogger, author, and political commentator with a long history on Real Time with Bill Maher. Sullivan calls himself conservative and has demonstrated support for many libertarian views. His perspective should balance out those of the other two panel guests.

Who are you looking forward to seeing on the show tonight? Let us know in the comment section below. Real Time with Bill Maher airs at 10:00 PM ET on HBO.