EMMY(R)-NOMINATED HBO SERIES REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER RETURNS FROM HIATUS SEPT. 17

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER resumes its eighth season FRIDAY, SEPT. 17 (10:00-11:00 p.m. live ET/tape-delayed PT), exclusively on HBO, and will debut new weekly editions into November.

On hiatus since the June 4 show, REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER was recently nominated for two Emmys(R) - Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series - and has already been renewed for its ninth season, which will kick off in early 2011.

Allowing Maher to offer his unique perspective on contemporary issues, the show includes an opening monologue, roundtable discussions with panelists, and interviews with in-studio and satellite guests.

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER was hailed as "hands down the funniest show on TV" in Rolling Stone by "Family Guy" creator Seth McFarlane, who added, "It surprises me more than any other show I watch."

A favorite of subscribers since his first special on the network in 1989, Maher has starred in nine solo specials on HBO, including the hour-long presentations "Bill Maher�But I'm Not Wrong" (which debuted in February), "The Decider" and "I'm Swiss" (both nominated for an Emmy(R) in the Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special category), "Victory Begins at Home," "Be More Cynical," "The Golden Goose Special" and "Stuff That Struck Me Funny," and two half-hour stand-up specials, plus the HBO specials "30 Seconds Over Washington" and "Comic Relief VI�."

Maher was the creator and host of "Politically Incorrect," which was produced by HBO Downtown Productions and debuted on Comedy Central in 1993. The series moved to ABC in 1997 and ran through 2002.

His most recent book, "New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer," made the New York Times best seller list, as well as best seller lists across the country. He is also author of the books cptfc "When You Ride Alone You Ride with Bin Laden: What the Government Should Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on Terrorism," "Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? The Best of Politically Incorrect" and the novel "True Story." Maher also starred in the 2008 feature film "Religulous," the seventh most successful documentary of all time.

The executive producers of REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER are Bill Maher, Scott Carter, Sheila Griffiths, Brad Grey, Marc Gurvitz and Billy Martin; produced by Dean E. Johnsen; directed by Hal Grant.