The Decider

Bill Maher treats the late-Bush era as a massive, slow-moving target. Performing when his disdain for the 43rd president was at its peak, he spends the set tearing into the rationale behind the Iraq War and the strange cultural dominance of pharmaceutical advertising. A standout stretch on Cialis commercials highlights his talent for pulling apart media messaging, while his extended material on religion previews the arguments he would later expand into his documentary film Religulous. He paces the stage with exasperated energy, delivering structured arguments as much as punchlines.

Filmed at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston in 2007, this was his eighth special for HBO. He was four years into hosting Real Time and fully settled into his rhythm of blending monologue mechanics with long-form commentary.

The broadcast earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special.