Real Time with Bill Maher is latest late-night show to leave home

Real Time with Bill Maher returned to its studio for last night’s show

In the world of late-night television, things took one more step towards normal last night. Real Time with Bill Maher became the latest show to leave home and return to its studio.

The novel coronavirus pandemic affected all aspects of life around the world. In the entertainment industry, lockdown, social distancing, and quarantine protocols put a halt to production. After taking the time to assess the situation, late-night television figured out a creative way forward.

Fans were invited in the homes and backyards of hosts like Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Conan O’Brien, and Bill Maher. Many viewers appreciated the stripped-down versions of the show and felt a sense of intimacy not typically found in late-night.

And while the country is far from out of the woods when it comes to the pandemic, there are small signs that things are turning around. Fans who tuned in to Real Time with Bill Maher were treated to a familiar sight and one they haven’t seen since March:

With Real Time with Bill Maher, nearly all of late-night has returned to the studio

Real Time with Bill Maher has remained fairly consistent in its appearance and delivery over its 18 seasons on HBO. So to see the late-night show broadcast from Bill Maher’s backyard with no audience and remote interviews was a bit strange.

Last night, Maher appeared to be a bit more comfortable back in the studio and on the Real Time set. It’s still a little disorienting to listen to his monologue without the reaction of a live audience but we’re taking baby steps here.

Conan was the first late-night show to get the ball rolling when it came to leaving the house. The TBS show aired weeks of shows from the Largo Theater in Los Angeles.

Next was The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon returning to 30 Rock. The CBS combination of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Late Late Show with James Corden followed by returning to their respective studios in New York City and Los Angeles. Late Night with Seth Meyers will be back on its normal set when it returns with new shows in two weeks.

As with Real Time, all of these shows have gone without a studio audience. Unfortunately, it still feels as if we are months away from that becoming a reality. In the meantime, the shows are relying on laughter from crew and staff members to make things a little more normal for the viewers at home.

Bill Maher and the other late-night hosts and crews deserve a lot of credit for keeping things going during these uncertain times. Millions of people have been stuck at home or forced to work from home. Maybe just seeing late-night TV airing from an actual studio and set can be enough to elevate the collective mood of audiences.

Are you glad that Real Time with Bill Maher is back in the studio? What did you think of the at-home episodes? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.