This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Late-night talk show legend Jimmy Kimmel‘s return to late night has been celebrated by other talk show hosts, despite remaining obstacles. Jimmy Kimmel Live! was pulled from the air “indefinitely” following comments Kimmel made in the wake of the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk on September 10.
The decision was met with controversy, as critics argued that it threatened free speech, and many prominent figures called for Disney to reinstate Kimmel. Following a week of controversy, the late-night star looks set for a return, which has been praised by other late-night talk show hosts, amid further obstacles relating to a major broadcaster.
Sinclair Broadcast Group revealed it is refusing to broadcast Kimmel on its ABC affiliate stations. The company released a statement saying that they were preempting Kimmel’s show in favor of the news, while discussions with ABC remain ongoing about the show’s return.
Meanwhile, Kimmel’s contemporaries Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert took the opportunity to aim a dig at President Trump, as well as heaping praise on Kimmel while celebrating his return to screens. Check out their comments below:
Stewart began The Daily Show with a monologue that contained a swipe at Trump, before acknowledging Kimmel’s return.
“Young Jimmy Kimmel is coming back to television! I’ll tell you, Jimmy Kimmel is flying high like Advil today. Acetaminophen is like boom, Advil’s like, ‘What’s up, motherf***ers? You got a headache, where are you going to turn?’”
He then turned his attentions to Disney, having a dig at the company who suspended Kimmel.
“Wasn’t it interesting, to try and figure out all the tentacles Disney has in your daily life? It’s one thing to swear off cruises, but the Avengers? Nah. How is it possible that by getting rid of one company, I can’t watch Winnie the Pooh or Monday Night Football? Or listen to early Hilary Duff?”
Meanwhile, Colbert, who appears to be the only long-lasting casualty of the current attack on late-night, announced Kimmel’s return to the air on Monday’s edition of The Late Show.
“Just a few hours before we taped this broadcast, we got word that our long, national late-nightmare is over. Because Disney announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to air on ABC tomorrow, Tuesday night. Come on!”
He praised the news, and his friend Kimmel, before reminding viewers that now Kimmel is back, Colbert can go back to enjoying his recent Emmy win.
“This is wonderful news for my dear friend Jimmy and his amazing staff. Now that Jimmy’s not being canceled, I get to enjoy this again!”
He closed with a swipe at CBS, and quipped about how he is the “only martyr in late nights.“
“Once more, I’m the only martyr in late nights. Unless, CBS, you want to announce anything? Still no? Right, because of the money thing, I forgot.”
What This Means For Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Kimmel’s return looks to be confirmed now, but there are no guarantees that Sinclair is going to change their stance any time soon, and it might be a while before things return to a degree of normalcy for Kimmel. Clearly, his fellow talk show hosts are pleased that he will be back on screens in some capacity, and this is a win for free speech.
Kimmel has hosted a late-night talk show longer than any other current late-night talk show host.
However, longer term, questions remain about the future of the show, and Kimmel’s place on the late-night TV circuit. Colbert’s The Late Show was the first late-night TV casualty of the year, but the sector is far from in the clear, and given previous comments Trump has made, there is a chance Kimmel could be in danger of future cancellation too.
More to follow…
