Maher in town for HBO special

Boston Globe - United States - Bill Maher is no stranger to live television. As host of "Real Time With Bill Maher," which returns to HBO Aug. 24, he tackles the latest headlines every week in his monologue and with his guests. So if something significant should happen between the time this paper hits stands and the time he takes the stage tomorrow night for "The Decider," his new HBO special broadcast live from the Berklee Performance Center, he won't be reluctant to talk about it -- if, he says, "it was a big story and it was relevant."

Maher can make it up on the fly. "I've been doing this a long time," he explains "I think I can almost guess what will work and what won't."

Of course Maher, who will also play a show tonight at Berklee, always has something to say. He wouldn't be much of a political satirist if he didn't. He drew the ire of the Bush administration for comments he made on his ABC show "Politically Incorrect" in 2001, and he made waves again in March for comments on "Real Time" regarding Dick Cheney. He's working on a documentary about religion with "Borat" director Larry Charles, due out next year.