Abbey Road

I’ve been a huge fan of the outrageous Bill Maher for many years. For the most part, his guests are inciteful - and inciting - and usually lean pretty left of center. As best a guy on HBO can though, I think Maher has tried to have conservatives on board to attempt to present another side of the story.

If it weren’t for Maher’s show, in fact, I would never have discovered Andrew Sullivan, a guy with a philosophically conservative focus who I truly enjoy hearing and it’s not only because Sullivan thinks George Bush is deranged.

Like a lot of other TV people this season, Maher is struggling with the affects of the writer’s strike. For whatever reason - probably some severe shoving from HBO - Maher has gone on the air sans writers in an attempt deliver his regular show.

But it’s not working. The last two shows have been flat, partially because the list of guests available willing to cross the writer’s picket line is small.

But Maher is off on his game too.

He’s stiff and seems nervous which is odd for a guy who has spent so much of his time in front of an audience. Maybe he really doesn’t want to be on the air right now, but something is definitely wrong.

For some stupid reason too, he’s begun wearing a tie which has only made him look stiffer than normal.

He got into an argument last night with a guest - Newsweek International’s editor Fareed Zakaria.  This wasn’t a standard Real Time debate though when Maher poked at Zakaria for some silly reason that seemed to have nothing to do with the show. To his credit Zakaria would have none of it and shot back at Maher with a few well placed words.

Bill … go back to the drawing board. If you don’t want to do the show right now, stick up for yourself.

You’re killing the rest of us out here. We’re not laughing with you, we’re laughing at you.

Warmest regards … really.

Technorati tags: Bill Maher, Real Time with Bill Maher, Andrew Sullivan, The Atlantic, Newsweek International, Fareed Zakaria, Politics, Hollywood Writer Strike