• Is it age appropriate?

  About our ratings

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  Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 16.

• Is it any good?

  4.0

• Common Sense says

  Mature, profane political comedy for grown-ups.

Why We Rated This for Ages 16–18

The good stuff

• Messages:

  The entire show is based on the idea of questioning authority. Sometimes Maher just goes for a cheap laugh at the expense of a politician's ridiculous policy, and sometimes he and his guests have a thoughtful discussion on the merits or failings of specific proposals ... and then go for the laugh. Either way, he manages to shed light on the democratic process, for good or for ill. It's an excellent argument in favor of the First Amendment.

What to watch out for

• Violence:

  Not an issue.
• Sex:

  No sex or nudity, but Maher and his guests frequently discuss or make references to sex, often using explicit language, innuendo, or hand gestures.
• Language:

  Maher peppers his monologues and interviews with words like "f--k," "s--t," "d--k," and more (all of which are unbleeped, since this is pay cable). He also makes frequent references to sex, using both innuendo and less-subtle phrases, and he sometimes uses suggestive hand gestures to make sure the audience gets the point.
• Consumerism:

  Many guests are authors and journalists, and the show repeatedly mentions the media outlets where they work and promotes their recent books, which are displayed on screen.
• Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

  No drinking or drug use shown, but many references to both.

What Parents Need to Know

About Real Time with Bill Maher

Families Can Talk About