Screenwriters return to work for first time in nearly five months while actor await new negotiations

With a statue of a cameraman in the foreground, SAG-AFTRA picketers carrying signs cross a street near the gates of Warner Bros. studios in Burbank, Calif., Tuesday, Sep. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Hours after Hollywood’s writers strike officially ended, Bill Maher led the charge back to work by announcing early Wednesday that his HBO show “Real Time with Bill Maher” would be back on the air Friday.

“My writers and ‘Real Time’ are back! See you Friday night!” he posted on social media.

On Tuesday night, board members from the writers union approved a contract agreement with studios, bringing the industry at least partly back from a historic halt in production that stretched nearly five months.