After six days off air, Jimmy Kimmel’s eponymous show returned to late-night television in the United States on Tuesday, September 23, with a no-holds-barred message on free speech and a lineup of new guests.
The comeback episode began with news clips on the suspension and subsequent return of “Jimmy Kimmy Live!”, followed by a 28-minute monologue during which the comedian thanked people who stood up for him and addressed his controversial remarks on the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
According to Nielsen figures, the episode reached a record 6.26 million late-night viewers.
It has also become the show’s most-watched monologue on social media with more than 26 million views.
Comeback monologue
Kimmel said in his monologue that it was never his intention to make light of the murder of a young man or “blame any specific group for the actions of what … was obviously a deeply disturbed individual.”
“But I understand that to some that felt either ill-timed or unclear or maybe both. And for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset.”
“If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way,” he added.
The 57-year-old also stressed the importance of upholding the right to free speech, adding that it is “anti-American to silence a comedian the president doesn’t like”.
“Let’s stop letting these politicians tell us what they want and tell them what we want,” he said.
Kimmel then praised Kirk’s widow, Erika, for forgiving the man who shot her husband.
“That is an example we should follow… A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow,” he said.
Tuesday’s episode featured actor Glen Powell and singer Sarah McLachlan as special guests.
Other guests appearing this week are Ethan Hawke, Lisa Ann Walter, and Oscar Nuñez, National Football League star Peyton Manning, as well as musicians Yungblud and Alex G.
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Why was ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ suspended?
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was placed under an “indefinite” suspension by the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on September 17 after two network affiliate stations – Nexstar and Sinclair – took the show off air over comments made by the veteran host about Kirk’s assassination.
In his September 15 monologue, Kimmel said: “The MAGA gang [is] desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
The monologue earned the ire of US conservatives, with some suggesting Kimmel insinuated that Kirk’s alleged shooter was a supporter of US President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement.
Trump himself criticised Kimmel for saying a “horrible thing” to Kirk.
Kimmel’s fellow late-night hosts rallied behind him following his suspension, with Stephen Colbert describing the move as a “blatant assault on freedom of speech”, and David Letterman calling Trump’s presidency an “authoritarian criminal administration”.
What happened next?
Disney lifted the suspension on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Monday, September 22, after having “thoughtful conversations” with the host in the past few days.
ABC’s parent company said it decided to suspend the show last week “to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.”
Although many in Hollywood welcomed Kimmel’s return, Trump was apparently not impressed.
Before Tuesday’s episode was aired, Trump said he intends to sue ABC for bringing back Kimmel’s show.
“I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. … Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars,” the president wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Then what?
While “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is now back on air, Nexstar and Sinclair – two of the country’s largest broadcasters – will not be screening the show and will replace it with news programming.
Nexstar said it is continuing to evaluate the status of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on its ABC-affiliated stations, while Sinclair discussions with ABC “were ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return”.
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