Real Time with Bill Maher: Season 12

Interviewee: John Ridley ("12 Years a Slave" screenwriter) Panelists: Chrystia Freeland (Canadian Member of Parliament), Ronan Farrow (MSNBC host), Darrell Issa (R-CA) Panel Guest: Stephen Merchant (writer/actor "Hello Ladies") Topics: Solomon Northup and slavery, 2014 State of the Union Address, minimum wage in the United States, income inequality, demographics of the top 1%, Gerrymandering, differences between UK and US politics, stand-your-ground laws and African Americans, gun politics, Michael Grimm threatening a reporter, Flip a District, puritanism.

Interviewee: Charlie Crist Panelists: Tom Colicchio, Alicia Menendez, S. E. Cupp Panel Guest: P. J. O'Rourke Topics: Independents in US politics, Cuban embargo, immigration reform, executive orders, Congressional Budget Office's report on Obamacare's effect on jobs, lowest abortion rates in 30 years, Russia and communism, heroin and prescription drugs, United States Department of State's report on the Keystone Pipeline, federal spending for children vs. for senior citizens.

Interviewee: Jeremy Scahill ("Dirty Wars" Docu-maker) Panelists: Andrew Sullivan ("Daily Dish" blogger), Mayim Bialik ("Big Bang Theory" star and vegan author), Eric Klinenberg ("Going Solo" author) Panel Guest: Bill Nye Topics: Creationism vs. science, Comcast–Time Warner Cable merger, net neutrality, drop in infrastructure spending, targeted killings of US citizens who plot against other Americans, veganism, attachment parenting, World Health Organization's warning about cancer, Philip Seymour Hoffman's published diaries, Edward Snowden praising Russia.

Interviewee: Michelle Alexander Panelists: Charles Cooke, Jane Harman, Rachel Maddow Panel Guest: Steve Coogan Topics: The New Jim Crow, incarceration in the US, human rights in North Korea, MSNBC's overcoverage of the Chris Christie scandal, BYU's anti-masturbation campaign, Philomena, forced adoptions in the Catholic Church, Pat McCrory blocking lawsuits against Duke Energy, drought in California and regulations, John Kerry's statement about climate change.

Interviewee: Christopher Leonard (author "The Meat Racket") Panelists: Austan Goolsbee, Margaret Hoover, William Kristol Panel Guest: Bruce Dern Topics: The Meat industry's secretiveness, Obama's failed efforts to reform corporate agribusiness, azodicarbonamide in Subway bread, Tea Party movement and bailouts, military budget of the United States, intervention vs. diplomacy, poverty in the Midwest, WhatsApp acquired by Facebook, homophobia in the bible, victim playing by the 1 percent.

Interviewee: Alan Weisman (author of "Countdown") Panelists: Andrew Sullivan, Salman Rushdie, Amy Chua Panel Guest: Seth MacFarlane Topics: Environmentalism and overpopulation, family planning in Iran, 2014 Crimean crisis, Rand Paul winning the 2014 CPAC straw poll, paid time off in the United States and Europe, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, Rush Limbaugh's comment on 12 Years a Slave winning the Academy Award for Best Picture, SAT changes for 2016, random religious rules.

Interviewee: Errol Morris (author of "The Unknown Known") Panelists: Keith Ellison, Sheila Bair, Simon Schama Panel Guest: Shane Smith (host of Vice) Topics: The Unknown Known, Donald Rumsfeld & the Iraq War, 2014 midterm elections, Democrats & gun politics, Flip a District candidates: Michael Grimm & Blake Farenthold, Greenland & climate change in the Arctic, CNN & quality of journalism in the 24-hour news cycle, 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine, relationship between Pakistan & bin Laden.

Interviewee: Jimmy Carter (former U.S. President) Panelists: W. Kamau Bell, Neera Tanden, Rick Lazio Panel Guest: Josh Gad Topics: A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power, treatment of women in various countries, militarized police force, GM's recall of vehicles & corporations' liability, Paul Ryan's statements about inner cities compared to Michelle Obama's, Erdoğan banning Twitter and YouTube, Frozen & gay conspiracy theory, Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby, marine pollution.

Interviewees: Paul Watson (Captain) Panelists: Alex Wagner (MSNBC host), Tom Davis (R-VA), and Carrie Sheffield (Forbes columnist) Panel Guest: Nas (Hip Hop icon) Topics: Marine pollution, Obamacare reaching its target number of enrollees, Flip a District candidates: Kerry Bentivolio & Scott Garrett, gerrymandering, McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission & unlimited campaign contributions, 2014 Fort Hood shooting & PTSD, United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's report on torture.

Interviewees: Maria Alyokhina & Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (members of Pussy Riot) Panelists: Rob Lowe, Duncan D. Hunter, Ana Marie Cox Panel Guest: Matt Taibbi Topics:

Interviewee: Tom Steyer (Hedge Fund Manager & Philanthropist) Panelists: John Avlon ("Daily Beast" Editor), Charles Murray ("Curmudgeon" author), and Christine Quinn (Ex-NYC Councilwoman) Panel Guest: Annabelle Gurwitch (Comedian) Topics:

Musician Ziggy Marley, Ex-NBA Player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), "Blood Will Out" Author Walter Kirn, and Financial Consultant Monica Mehta.

Interviewee: Sister Simone Campbell ("Nun on a Bus") Panelists: Matt Welch ("Reason" magazine Editor-in-Chief), Baratunde Thurston (Author and Comic), Arianna Huffington ("Thrive" Scribe and HuffPost Founder) Panel Guest: Dinesh D'Souza (Conservative Film-maker) Topics:

Comedian and Actor Kevin Nealon, Ex-Governor Brian Schweitzer (D-MN), from "Fed Up" Dr. Robert Lustig, GOP Pollster Kellyanne Conway and Author of "Every Nation for Itself" Ian Bremmer.

Jose Antonio Vargas, Anna Deavere Smith, Michael Smerconish, David Frum and Sarah Silverman.

John Waters, Anthony Weiner, Ralph E. Reed, Jr., Nicolle Wallace and Jim Geraghty

EPA Head Gina McCarthy, MSNBC Co-Host Krystal Ball, Novelist Richard Clarke, Comedian Carol Leifer and Conservative Blogger Tom Rogan.

"No Place to Hide" Author Glenn Greenwald, Linkin Park's Michael Shinoda, Atlantic Journalist Ta-Nehisa Coates, I.A.V.A. Founder Paul Rieckhoff, and Conservative Pollster Kristen Soltis.

Bill's guests are: Martin Blaser, Max Brooks, Bobby Ghosh, Andy Litinsky, and Joy-Ann Reid.

Author Sandra Tsing-Loh, Pulitzer prize-winner Ron Suskind, Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD), and National Review's Reihan Salam.

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, president of North Carolina NAACP; actor George Takei; former Rep. Jane Harman (D- Calif.); statistician Nate Silver; editor Jamie Weinstein.

"Cosmos" star Neil deGrasse Tyson, Democracy Now's Amy Goodman, Freedomworks' Matt Kibbe, GOP Strategist Hogan Gidley.

Political activist Ralph Nader; author Douglas Brinkley; deputy chief of staff to the House Majority Leader, Doug Heye; Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.).

Live from Washington D.C. Guests include comedy legend Jerry Seinfeld, Ex-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) followed by a live stand-up special.

Former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell; political activist Matthew Segal; Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.); editor Katrina vanden Heuvel; actor Wendell Pierce.

Social activist Naomi Klein; filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi; journalist Charles M. Blow; journalist John Feehery; Gen. Anthony Zinni.

This weeks guests include Oscar winner Ben Affleck, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), New York Times Op-Editor Nicholas Kristoff, Ex-RNC Chair Michael Steele, and "Waking Up" author Sam Harris.

This weeks guests include Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA), Ex-British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, and "Atlantic" Senior Editor David Frum.

"Black Prophetic Fire" Author Cornel West, Conservative Commentator Mary Matalin, "Daily Beast" Editor-In-Chief John Avlon.

Actress and "Food Chain" EP Eva Longoria, Author and General (Ret.) Wesley Clark, Senator Angus King (I-ME), and Journalist Rula Jebreal.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), "Comeback" star Lisa Kudrow, Washington Post's Robert Costa, Daily Beast's Kristen Soltis Anderson.

Rep. Rand Paul (R-KY), Comedy Legend Martin Short, Founding Editor of "The Dish" Andrew Sullivan, CNN Political Contributor Margaret Hoover, and Investigative Journalist Jeremy Scahill.

Season Finale. "The Interview" star Seth Rogen, MSNBC "Hardball" host Chris Matthews, Monty Python Alum & "So Anyway..." author John Cleese, Canadian MP Chrystia Freeland and "News One Now" host Roland Martin.