Maher vows he won't 'dumb down' for ABC

January 16, 1997
Web posted at: 5:15 a.m. EST

From Correspondent Sherri Sylvester

HOLLYWOOD (CNN) -- Bill Maher fires off the kind of .22-caliber questions that incite his guests to shoot back.

Maher's raucous give-and-take style made his "Politically Incorrect" a major hit on cable's Comedy Central, and now he hopes to duplicate that success at the talk show's new home, ABC-TV.

"I thought at the time when we started it that we would eventually run out of topics because people would come to their senses and stop being politically correct, which I would define as the elevation of sensitivity over truth," Maher said. "But the truth is, I think it's gotten worse."

Maher built the comedy talk show as an all-out assault on sensitivity, the evil root of political correctness. Some fans worry that "Politically Incorrect's" move to traditionally more conservative network TV will dull its sharp edge.

Fear not, says Maher. Certainly, network niceties were not in evidence when he harangued Disney, ABC's owner, for changing the name of its Pirates of the Caribbean ride in the name of political correctness.

Despite being seen by an audience 25 times the size of his cable crowd, the sharp-tongued Maher promises he won't "dumb down" the show.

Good guests, good timing

Networks have always underestimated their audiences, both in what they want and what they will accept, he says. ABC is quickly finding out that "Politically Incorrect" is something the people crave. (536K/25 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

A key appeal of the show is its eclectic lineup of guests. Maher says the show works best when his panel includes people who would never ordinarily get together, even for the most hellish poker game.

Maher and "Politically Incorrect" also have the advantage of following ABC's long-running success story "Nightline." Network executives see the two as a perfect tandem for issues-oriented people tired of mainstream news' objectivity.

In most cities, Maher's program goes up against Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" and David Letterman at midnight. So how's it doing? It took just two outings for "Politically Incorrect" to beat both late-night heavyweights in the ratings.

Related sites:

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• Politically Incorrect on ABC
• InDecision '96 Election Year in Review - Pollitically Incorrect at Comedy Central

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