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Bill Maher, whose Real Time With Bill Maher on HBO has been doing well for nearly a decade with politically-based content and humor, is going to be heralding the launch of a new comedy channel on Yahoo with a February stand-up special.
Maher (who I happen to be a massive fan of and have not missed a single episode of Real Time since it started airing) may seem like an odd choice of ambassador for the search engine given the notorious right-wing slant of its users and commenters compared to other sites. But Maher is excited about the opportunity to bring his somewhat-controversial but always hilarious slant to a new medium. He says:
“I’m not out there to beat Carlin’s [14 stand up shows for HBO] record… although it’d be a lovely record to have. Why not do something different?”
The New York Times points out that fellow comedian Louis CK is using web distribution to get around cable stand-up specials, but that Maher thinks the two outlets can be a part of his robust portfolio. Maher adds:’
“I’m on HBO 35 weeks a year. I thought: ‘Give them a break. They’re probably sick of me over there.’”
Demand for tickets also spurred Maher’s web initiative. He adds:
“I did the Beacon Theater in New York last month. It sold out really quickly, people were asking me for tickets, I couldn’t get them. I want to do my act so that millions of people, and not just thousands at a time, can see it.”
“CrazyStupidPolitics: Bill Maher Live From Silicon Valley” airs free on Yahoo on February 23rd.
