Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air with his late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live! After almost a week-long freeze, this was a solid move from ABC to help trademark this uneasy situation in the country. Following months of contentious negotiation between the media conglomerate Nexstar and Kimmel, the show returns on Tuesday. This decision arrives during extreme public outcries over Kimmel’s previous comments on the murder of traditional activist Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel got the ball rolling to a large extent by providing an impassioned 15-minute monologue. He once passionately defended free speech during the pandemic, denouncing FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s comments as “un-American” censorship. His remarks fired up immediate outrage, including organized efforts to have him removed from the show itself.
“It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” Kimmel stated during his monologue. He further emphasized, “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.” In his acceptance speech, Kimmel thanked his supporters and his competition among late-night television. He even cited praise from conservative stars such as Ben Shapiro and Ted Cruz for defending free expression.
They ultimately chose to preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” because they were afraid of what Kimmel might say. These comments were made during an especially charged period of our national dialogue. Nexstar, which owns half a dozen big-market ABC affiliates, issued a statement saying it had entered into “thoughtful discussions” with Kimmel during the hiatus. In a statement, Nexstar affirmed its commitment to fostering respectful dialogue and noted that Kimmel’s show would be available nationwide on Disney-owned streaming platforms, including Hulu and Disney+.
Not less than 24 hours after the preemption, Sinclair Broadcasting announced plans to fill the void of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” with local news programming — effective Tuesday evening. They said that talks with ABC over Kimmel’s possible return were continuing.
In a statement responding to Kimmel’s comeback, former President Donald Trump wished “ABC luck with their racist dimwitted puppet,” referring to Kimmel. Trump tweeted his outrage, “I can’t believe ABC Fake News has allowed him to have his job back.” He continued, going on to ask, “Why would they ever bring back somebody who’s that bad and not funny?”
Even with the negative response, Kimmel doubled down on the value of free speech in his opening monologue. He touched on the importance of this issue when he challenged audiences to take home a message of positive conversation. “What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this,” Kimmel said.
As the fallout from Kimmel’s comments continues, Brendan Carr recently pointed out some possible regulatory remedies related to the explicit content of the show. Carr tweeted that Americans were demanding Kimmel’s dismissal. He even suggested that suspension was an appropriate punishment.
Kimmel’s criticism of Carr’s stance is just a glimpse into the larger ongoing discourse and tension between censorship and free expression through media. The late-night comedian has come under fire not just from the right, but from all sides of the emerging media battleground.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! streams the next morning on Hulu and Disney+. Sign up now so you never miss an episode! Clips are available through platforms like Hulu + Live TV. The show’s return marks a significant moment in the ongoing dialogue about free speech, media responsibility, and the role of late-night television in contemporary discourse.
