There is a small faction of my generation who grew up watching Chris Matthews and Hayes. Can't forget Rachel Maddow. Hearing your story, going to college for 8 years and constantly watching your show. It continues to be refreshing.The hysteria the hysteria. Gun violence and terrorism can be triggered by a text message from a big fish upstairs who got an email. Hysteria is manufactured and timed. But not on this show. Serious issues get a block. But so does everything else. Smart people also get a chance to explain themselves in paragraphs, usually without being yelled at by an @Orielly character.Mainstream media spews the same footage in loops -or from such a distance that it doesn't matter unless something horrendous happens. When I turn on this show I laugh and then engage in the political thought process. Can't wait for reruns on VICE.P.S. This show, is what political discourse should look like, probably what it used to look like.

Last week Bill Maher said that if Obama is elected America wins and if Romney is elected comedy wins. Well Obama was elected and America won, but comedy is still alive and well on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher." The episode airing on 11/09/2012, episode 266, had lots of great comedy moments. I'm going to name this episode "It's Odd." Read on, and you'll see why.Bill began with a funny monologue. (Actually doesn't everything seem funnier now that the pall of a Republican win no longer hovers over us?) Bill said "Mormon has broken and we are black in the saddle again." Puns may be the lowest form of humor, but this one rocked. ...Buh Buh bye, Romney. I hope he finally disappears from public life--maybe goes to live with his money in the Cayman Islands--so I never have to look at his ugly face again. Yes, I know, he has movie-star good-looks, but he has an ugly soul. Somewhere, in an attic someplace, a Dorian Gray-like portrait shows him looking like something from "The Crypt." ...The above are excepts from my review of episode 266 of Real Time with Bill Maher on my blog "Premium Cable Reviews." Go to the blog for my recap, review and commentary.

Bill Maher is an annoying character. You can appreciate his humour, his political views and his humanity but his smirk irks. That smart ass grin he gets when he tells a gag, especially a controversial one, takes the shine off an otherwise great performance. Maybe it's just me. I'm an Australian. I live in Australia and visit the US about once a year for business. I find watching Real Time and Jon Stewart's The Daily Show all I need to keep up with what is happening in that country. I get that education in an entertaining way. I don't agree with everything Maher espouses (smoking pot is dumb - period) his views sit well with a right wing Aussie. It amazes me that a right wing Aussie is about level with an extreme left wing American. Our countries are similar but so different. The show starts with a short Johnny Carson style monologue - and Maher should either refresh his writers or look at his delivery style as it isn't as great as it could or should be. A few chuckles on the events of the week but nothing you want to remember for the water cooler Monday. We then go into an interview with a weekly guest. Maher brings in some interesting guests, some of which I would normally go out of my way to avoid, but he manages to extrude interesting television from each and every one of them. I remember he once brought in a rapper I'd never heard of and had my finger poised on the fast forward button. To my amazement the interview finished before it got pressed. We then get into the panel where three guests discuss and debate issues. This is where the show gets into its own space. The conversation bubbles along with a rapid pace and humorous tone. Maher chips in with his two cents worth which is normally death to a chat show host - there's an unwritten rule that the moderator sits in the middle and steer the conversation, not get involved in it. Maher somehow gets away with it most of the time. We wrap up with New Rules where his writers earn the money. This is regularly the funniest part of the show making fun of everything from teenagers cell phone addiction to the president. New Rules finishes with a semi-serious dig and social commentary which proves to be Maher's issue of the week. All in all, a reasonably entertaining show considering it's subject matter. Not as funny as Jon Stewart but Maher goes a bit deeper in his hour than Stewart can.

Bill Maher and Henry Rollins have similar talk shows, but Henry seems to bring up new and important topics while Bill sort of runs over the same news that everybody else is talking about. Don't get me wrong, Bill Maher is hilarious, but Henry has better guests and live music on his show which kicks butt. Bill was a guest on Henry's show and it was cool to see them talk. Bill's show is on HBO and Henry's show is on IFC.The Henry Rollins Show and Real Time are still really good television. We need to have more conversations in the news right now like they have on their shows. CNN seems to be this big commercial hub now and Anderson Cooper is a gimmick and a bad one.