Bill Maher has decided to bring back his HBO talk show, "Real Time with Bill Maher," despite the ongoing writers' strike. In a social media announcement, Maher expressed sympathy for the striking writers and their important issues but emphasized that it's time to bring others back to work after five months of strike. While Maher is a writer himself and supports the strike's goals, he also acknowledged the struggles faced by much of the show's staff.

The comedian had hoped that the strike would end after Labor Day, but with no resolution in sight, he made the decision to return without his usual team of writers. However, he made it clear that the show's format would be different, with no written monologue, desk piece, editorial, or New Rules segment that relied on the writers.

Maher assured his audience that while the show might not be as good as usual without the writers, its core element—an off-the-cuff panel discussion aimed at cutting through partisan rhetoric—would continue.

His decision to return to the airwaves during the strike is likely to draw attention and reaction from writers' guilds, as some have labeled other hosts like Drew Barrymore as "scabs" for returning to work amid the strike.