Back in September 2025, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was at the center of a controversy due to a comment the titular host made in regard to the death of political activist Charlie Kirk. It was eventually decided that Kimmel’s show would be suspended indefinitely, and then-acting Disney CEO Bob Iger was involved with the decision-making. At that time, some speculated whether that move was politically motivated, as U.S. President Trump was among those unhappy with Kimmel. Now, Iger is providing clarity on the rationale behind the choice.

During a broadcast, Kimmel said the public had hit “new lows” over the past weekend due to “MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr subsequently seemed to suggest that ABC’s broadcast license could be revoked due to the comments. It was shortly after that Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group pulled Kimmel from its ABC affiliates.

Kimmel’s suspension came down on September 17, with Iger and then-Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden (who’s since become the company’s president and CCO) making the call. Iger, who stepped down to make way for new CEO Josh D’Amaro earlier this year, spoke to The Financial Times and reflected on the Jimmy Kimmel situation. The businessman denied that politics played a role in the course of action he and Walden took and noted that it was spurred by something else:

It was alleged around that time that execs at Disney weren’t pleased with Iger’s decision to pull the talk show. Some higher-ups allegedly tried to advise Iger of other courses of action to take and, an insider claimed that after he opted for a suspension, some execs saw that as a “betrayal.” Nevertheless, internal conversations with Kimmel were simultaneously underway, and the goal was for all parties involved to find an ideal way to move forward. Eventually, the suspension was lifted on September 22, with the show resuming production the 23rd.

After returning to the air, Jimmy Kimmel said he was surprised his show was suspended at all. The veteran late-night host explained that he “saw it as distortion on the part of some of the right-wing media networks, and [he] aimed to correct it.” Kimmel has also since shed light on some of the discussions he had with network executives while he was off the air. While the Man Show alum admitted he could be “reactionary” at times, he said he also found it “helpful” to have discussions with Walden and others to hear their perspectives.

Mor Kimmel has been involved in another situation involving politics. In April, Kimmel made jokes ahead of the White House Correspondents' Dinner, including a barb about First Lady Melania Trump. Kimmel quipped that Trump had “a glow like an expectant widow.” Those jokes notably came ahead of the reported assassination attempt on POTUS’ life during the aforementioned dinner, and Kimmel received backlash after the fact. But he defended his joke, saying it was “not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination.”

Jimmy Kimmel Live! is in the midst of its summer stretch of episodes, and guest hosts will take to the desk while Kimmel goes on vacation. As for the controversies that have surrounded the show as of late, it seems the dust has settled. However, it’ll admittedly be hard to forget that suspension saga.

The 2026 TV schedule is going to look a little different this summer when it comes to late-night. After Stephen Colbert wrapped The Late Show in May, Jimmy Kimmel is going to take a break. However, there's no reason to worry about him, as he explained why he's doing this and what's going to happen while he's away.

It’s not unusual for Kimmel to take some time off for the summer holiday. And considering what he went through last year with his brief suspension, he definitely deserves to take some actual time off. During June 18th's Jimmy Kimmel Live! episode (parts of which are on YouTube), the late-night host explained just how long he’d be gone and what would happen with his show while he's away:

Kimmel’s summer break and his rotating guest hosts have definitely become a tradition, and that isn’t stopping this year it seems. This time, we'll get see Tiffany Haddish, Jelly Roll, Anthony Anderson, Ike Barinholtz, Colman Domingo, and Rosie O’Donnell sit in for Kimmel. Overall, it should be fun to see how these folks lead the show while Kimmel takes a little break before coming back to TV.

At the moment, the talk show is airing reruns through the Fourth of July. Then, Haddish will host the week of July 6, according to Variety. It was also reported that Domingo would lead Jimmy Kimmel Live the week of July 20. Dates for the other stars were not specified; however, I know I can't wait to see them each sit behind that desk.

Jimmy Kimmel notably started using guest hosts during the summer of 2020. So, this little summer hiatus for him was likely expected by loyal viewers. In fact, Anthony Anderson has hosted 24 episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live over the years, Jelly Roll hosted two episodes in July 2025, and Haddish headlined one last year too. So, this time around, we'll get a nice mix of returning guest hosts and new faces this summer.

Ironically, by the time Kimmel returns near the end of the summer, someone else from Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be spending some time away from the show. Kimmel’s longtime sidekick, Guillermo, will be on Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars, and several pros are already fighting over who gets to be his partner. Unfortunately, that likely won’t be revealed until September, but I wouldn't be surprised if Kimmel were to eventually share his thoughts on who his buddy gets paired with.

So, all around, there's no reason to fret about Jimmy Kimmel and the fate of his show. Any initial concerns are understandable due to Kimmel's previous suspension and the cancellation of The Late Show. If anything, I'm hoping Kimmel enjoys his time off and keeps us abreast of what he's up to via social media. In the meantime, though, let's savor the talents of the hosts that'll be sitting at that desk in the weeks to come.

To see these guest hosts in action, be sure to watch Jimmy Kimmel Live! weeknights on ABC at 11:35 p.m ET.

I was overjoyed when I learned that Jimmy Kimmel Live’s Guillermo Rodriguez would be dancing around the ballroom when Dancing with the Stars returns on the 2026 TV schedule. However, what made it even better was how hyped the pros were about this announcement. They were so excited, in fact, that a few of them are already trying to call dibs on Jimmy Kimmel’s beloved sidekick.

So far, the Season 35 DWTS cast will include Maura Higgins, who really wants to be partnered with her co-star from The Traitors, Mark Ballas, Summer House’s Ciara Miller and the Savannah Bananas’ Jackson Olson. Now, Guillermo has joined the mix, and when the show announced his casting on Instagram, a few of the pros were in the comments and making it clear that they want to dance with him:

• Pasha Pashkov: Can you pleeaaasseee be my partner Guillermo?!?🙏😭
• Ezra Sosa: I call dibs 😙👍

Now, in the past, there has been a same-sex partnership on DWTS, as Jojo Siwa and Jenna Johnson danced together during Season 30. Plus, Derek Hough and Mark Ballas went viral for doing an Argentine Tango together on the show back in Season 33. So, it’s not impossible for a pairing made up of a male star and a pro.

However, it does feel unlikely. Plus, there’s one long-time pro who feels like a shoo-in for this, and she also commented on the post. I’m, of course, talking about Emma Slater, who famously had quite the run with Andy Richter last season. Over in the comments on Guillermo’s casting announcement, she wrote:

Emma Slater certainly does know the power of being partnered with a funny man. She and Richter’s hilarious videos went viral week after week, and people were utterly charmed by their dances. While they weren’t the leaders on the scoreboard, they certainly won over America’s hearts, as Conan O’Brien’s longtime sidekick ended up placing seventh in Season 34.

So, yeah, I think Emma Slater would be the perfect partner for the beloved member of Jimmy Kimmel’s crew. I can already picture their fun dances and hilarious TikToks.

However, I’m getting ahead of myself. We will most likely find out who Guillermo Rodriguez is partnered with when the rest of the cast is revealed much closer to Dancing with the Stars’ premiere date.

Now, along with the pros who were making their cases in the comments to be paired with Guillermo, many others showed their excitement too. This included Daniella Karagach and Brandon Armstrong, as well as DWTS co-host Julianne Hough:

• Brandon Armstrong: I’m a fangirl 🤷🏽‍♂️
• Daniella Karagach: OH MY GOD🙌🙌🙌🙌
• Julianne Hough: Can’t WAIT to have you on the show Guillermo 🔥🔥🔥

Based on the moves Guillermo showed off when his casting was revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live, as well as his hilarious history with that talk show, I think all this excitement is very warranted. He’s bound to be a hoot on DWTS, and I cannot wait to see him “set the world of dance on fire.”

Look at those moves! He’s so ready for this, and I love how excited Jimmy Kimmel is about it too.

Clearly, the pros are also thrilled about this development, which only makes his casting even better. Now, to see who Guillermo gets partnered with and how he performs on Dancing with the Stars, you’ll be able to watch the show this fall either on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription.

There’s been a considerable amount of excitement since the New York Knicks won the 2026 NBA Finals and brought home their first championship title since 1973. Not only have fans been expressing their elation, but celebrity fans as well. Timothée Chalamet has been living it up, and Jennifer Lopez has been pumped as well. Given all this positive energy around the Big Apple, I’m sad The Late Show isn’t still on so Stephen Colbert can get in on the fun. But, in the late-night realm, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon have been holding it down with that.

Over a year ago, The Late Show was formally canceled by CBS, which cited financial reasons for pulling the plug on the series. The final episode aired on May 21, with Colbert officially signing off after 11 seasons. In hindsight, it's a somewhat cruel irony that the New York-based talk show would end shortly before the Knicks hoisted that Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. Considering Colbert’s own sports fandom and athletics-centric segments he’s had, I think he very well would’ve found a way to hype up the Knicks’ win.

I truly wish Colbert would’ve had the opportunity to honor the beloved Knickerbockers in his own unique way, but there’s definitely a silver lining in that his peers haven’t dropped the ball (no pun intended). Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon hyped up the Knicks throughout their playoff run and even attended games. Before the team’s series with the San Antonio Spurs ended, the topic even prompted Fallon to make some Trump jokes. More recently, though, Fallon welcomed the entire team to the show, and it was fantastic:

Seeing so many audience members sporting Knicks gear is great, but the icing on the cake is the presence of filmmaker Spike Lee, a New York native who’s long rooted for the NBA team. Fallon and co. choosing to invite the whole team and coach Mike Brown instead of just a handful of players is also particularly admirable. Even as a Boston Celtics fan, I can more than admit these guys all deserve their time in the sun, and they’ve certainly been getting it.

With that thought in mind, Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s titular host celebrated the Knicks’ victory and poked fun at some of the chaos that ensued in N.Y. after it happened. Kimmel, who lived in Brooklyn as a kid, shared footage of people in the city getting a bit overzealous with public property. Not only that, but the quippy host also shared a video from a tourist, whose first day in the United States coincided with the Game 5 win. Check it all out in the Instagram post:

I’d expect nothing less from Kimmel, who’s known for having a twisted sense of humor. Overall, though, his comments and Fallon’s big to-do represent the unique ways in which talk show hosts can get in on the fun that coincides with a professional sports team winning a championship. So, given all that, it’s hard not to consider what kind of fun segments Colbert and his since-moved-out staff would’ve come up with.

Since The Late Show’s cancellation, the late-night landscape has changed, and that’s benefitted the Jimmys in a way. Both of their respective shows have seen gains when it comes to ratings, which seemingly indicates that viewers have been gravitating towards other talk shows in recent weeks. I could imagine that being bittersweet for Kimmel and Fallon, though, considering they’re both friendly with Colbert and were classy with him up through the end of his show.

There’s a firm chance we’ll never know how Stephen Colbert and co. would’ve commemorated the New York Knicks’ championship run. At present, though, let’s just appreciate that there are still some talk show personalities who are still in the position to celebrate this piece of sports history that now marks the 2026 TV schedule.

Jimmy Kimmel would never say The Late Show’s cancellation by CBS was a good thing — quite the opposite, actually, as he has been outspoken in support of Stephen Colbert and proclaimed late-night is “being poisoned” — but the numbers don’t lie. Both Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC and Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show on NBC have seen their ratings increase since Colbert took his final bow. The Eye Network’s ratings battle with its fellow broadcasting giants doesn’t end there, though, with CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil seeing some interesting trends in the latest numbers.

This year has been quite a tumultuous one for CBS so far under new leadership, from the cancellation of two scripted series to a daytime staffing shakeup and the recent firings from 60 Minutes’ staff. So it was probably something of a relief to see some upward trends in the ratings. Tony Dokoupil’s CBS Evening News finished the week of June 1 with 3.8 million total viewers — 560,000 in the coveted 25-54 demographic, according to AdWeek (via TV Insider). That’s an increase over the previous week of 1 percent in total viewers and 14 percent in the demo.

That’s good news, to be sure, for CBS, but there’s a catch — CBS Evening News still fell in a distant third place behind its competition, with ABC’s World News Tonight, hosted by David Muir, taking the top spot. Here’s how last week's numbers broke down:

Compared to a week earlier, ABC was down 2 percent in total viewers but increased in the demo by 1 percent, while NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas closed the gap with ABC by increasing 6 percent in overall viewership, 12 percent in the demo.

Year-over-year numbers showed CBS’ evening news program falling 2 percent overall but increasing 8 percent in the demo, while ABC and NBC saw larger gains from 2025 — World News Tonight is up 9 percent overall, 7 percent in the demo, and Nightly News is up 16 percent in both total viewers and the 25-54 demographic (where the majority of advertisements are targeted).

Ratings are particularly important for CBS News right now amidst all of its staffing changes and rumors surrounding new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, but it’s not just the CBS evening program that’s keeping a close watch. The morning shows on ABC and NBC have been back and forth, with Good Morning America and The Today Show jockeying for the No. 1 spot. (CBS Mornings remains in a distant third place.)

Today has led more than not, due in part to the ratings boost it got in February in the days after Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother went missing. However, the morning show did not get the bump it expected when Guthrie returned to The Today Show in April, allowing Good Morning America to close the gap.

As for CBS Evening News, we’ll have to see if these latest numbers indicate an upward trend for Tony Dokoupil, after some backlash over the ouster of previous anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois (Stephen Colbert showed his feelings about it with his middle finger).

You can catch the evening news program at 6:30 p.m. ET weeknights on CBS.

Jimmy Kimmel has found himself in hot water over a monologue again. This week he took aim at Spencer Pratt, the reality-star-turned politician who made a bid for Mayor of Los Angeles this year. Pratt’s been in the news for claiming he’d leave LA if he lost, and lost he did. Nithya Raman secured the second Democratic spot and will face Karen Bass in the election. Kimmel then took him to task on late night, and now even Meghan McCain is weighing in. Here’s what’s happening in Tinseltown.

First, for context, you need to know that Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue earlier this week took aim at Pratt’s claims he’d leave LA if he lost the race. Here’s what Kimmel said specifically on late night:

Adding insult, Kimmel even rented the reality star a U-haul to get the heck out of dodge, which some took offense too, given Pratt was running on a platform asking for change after he lost everything in the LA fires last year.

Meghan McCain saw the clip a few hours later and she did not hold back, taking to X with her own response:

Now, it’s not really off-brand for Meghan McCain to weigh in on something she’s not directly involved in. She recently took a dig at daytime TV after Kelly Clarkson decided to exit (though indirectly she definitely has some feelings about daytime programs after her contentious run on The View). She also has taken shots at Gwyneth Paltrow’s frankness over her sex life, and even once bashed And Just Like That, leading the stars to respond. In this case, though, I don’t think Spencer Pratt needed her help.

Pratt Handled The Barb From Kimmel Without McCain’s Help

It's also not off-brand for Jimmy Kimmel to use late night to weigh in on politics. Though it doesn't seem like Spencer Pratt needed McCain's help to respond.

The former The Hills star ran on a Republican platform that focused on issues like crime and emergency management, the latter he felt deeply tied to given he and wife Heidi Montag lost their home in the Pacific Palisades fires in 2025. When Kimmel made his comments on ABC’s late night program, he didn’t sit on his hindquarters. Instead, he responded on social media, bringing up the fire and the loss he’d faced:

He also shared footage of the fire that devastated his home at the beginning of 2025.

Jimmy Kimmel has been more and more in the spotlight over political takes, particularly after his comments on the assassination of Charlie Kirk led to a brief suspension by ABC and a bunch of discourse over what free speech means in a broadcast context. He's caught President Donald Trump's ire in several posts, including one where Trump called him "no way funny as attested in the television ratings." (Editor Note: Kimmel is way up in the ratings since Colbert's cancelation.)

Though Kimmel is not the only late night host to earn this sort of attention, as NBC's Seth Meyers and more have taken flak from our President. Now, it seems he's caught the attention of other outspoken public figures like Meghan McCain. We'll have to wait and see if this story continues or if Pratt's own comeback is the end of the matter.

The late night landscape is rapidly changing. Actually, if you were to ask Jimmy Kimmel, he’d say it’s “being poisoned” and he’s starting to feel “defeated” about his long-term prospects. However, while it was a sad day when Stephen Colbert officially said goodbye to The Late Show on the 2026 TV schedule, it’s actually been pretty good news for the Jimmys, AKA Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.

In fact, Colbert’s axing has been good news for both late night hosts. The numbers for the first week of the 11:35 timeslot after The Late Show ended are finally in. Both Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon are up in the ratings, and for one of those shows, the increase has been pretty significant.

It looks like a lot of viewers who were still tuning in for The Late Show did shift to Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week. Ratings reports indicate ABC’s late night show last Monday nabbed 2.185 total viewers. That’s a 53% increase from the same show in the same time period a year ago. (It’s worth noting though that numbers for late night are down a bit during the summer and Kimmel’s show averaged 2.56 million total viewers in Q1 this year.)

More intriguingly, Kimmel also saw 295,000 viewers in the 18-49 advertising demo, which marked an increase of 178%, per TV Insider. That's a huge number, percentage-wise.

Fallon also saw an uptick in numbers during last Monday’s airing, hitting 1.3 million total viewers. That’s up 10% over the same time last year. At 194,000 he also saw a 14% increase in the advertising demo.

It honestly checks out that Kimmel’s numbers would have increased compared to Fallon’s. Kimmel has been critical of the administration and very political in a way Fallon has said he will never be on his show. While Stephen Colbert felt a bit more measured in his late night efforts, what Kimmel is bringing to the table is discourse in a way that Fallon’s fun celebrity games will never be. It makes sense if there is a natural shift to Kimmel after Colbert's exit.

What Is Good News For ABC And NBC Is Less So For CBS

Before the show ended, Stephen Colbert’s Late Night was comfortably beating the competition in the 11.35 slot, though Kimmel had been seeing gains over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen is not carrying those numbers yet. The final episode of The Late Show landed 6.7 million total viewers – the highest numbers since Colbert was given the post Super Bowl slot way back in 2016.

Obviously, Comics Unleashed was not expected to hit those great heights. In fact, I don’t think anyone expected it would even bring in The Late Show’s Q1 2026 average, which was 2.7 million total viewers an episode earlier in the year. So, what did it bring in? Monday’s episode landed Byron Allen’s show 628,000 total viewers. That means the timeslot was down 65% in viewers.

Obviously, CBS had to know the numbers would drop after it switched formats, but as the network itself has told us, the powers that be don’t really care. Byron Allen’s show is actually paying the Eye Network for the timeslot, and has to fill its own ads. This gives Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen more control, while CBS no longer has a behemoth of a series to contend with.

Given The Late Show had a big staff and was a large production, in the end it was allegedly costing the network $40 million in losses a year. On the other hand, Allen taking care of business will net the network $15 million a year. CBS sees it as “a $55 million swing” when it comes to profit; Allen himself told CBS Mornings that number is more like $150 million all in.

Still, while I’m happy for the Jimmys and hope Allen and co. find a way to turn a profit, I do think it’s worth noting that for now it does seem like not all viewers are sticking with the late night scene in Colbert’s absence. Still, any numbers that are going upward and not downward when it comes to TV ratings is a huge win, and it's particularly a big deal given neither Live! nor The Tonight Show had to do anything to earn them.

The fact that we had to sadly say goodbye to Stephen Colbert a couple of weeks ago continues to cast a dark cloud over what the future of late night might look like, we mustn’t forget that Jimmy Kimmel was suspended by ABC eight months ago. And here he is on the 2026 TV schedule on weeknights and expected to be on the air at least until May 2027 following a recent contract extension. Kimmel recently got real honest about his attitude about being “micromanaged” by his network and discussed a previous incident you might not remember.

Kimmel Makes New Comments On Suspension

In Jimmy Kimmel’s new profile with Vulture, the late night host got honest about one of his stipulations for coming back to Jimmy Kimmel Live! after famously being pulled off the air last year. In September 2025, he was suspended “indefinitely” when he made comments about the late Charlie Kirk that were deemed offensive by some. After a ton of Hollywood reactions against the move and tons of people cancelling their Disney+ subscriptions as a boycott, Kimmel returned. But it wasn’t without some discussion with ABC. As Kimmel shared:

Previously Kimmel has said he can sometimes be “reactionary”, “aggressive” and “unpleasant”. And per this new interview, he doesn’t think he can maintain his role as a late night host if he was always hovered over by the higher ups.

The Previous Jimmy Kimmel Live Joke That Led ABC To Intervene

While Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension ultimately only lasted a few days, did you know there was a previous incident back in 2013 the show was under hot water for? During a broadcast in October of that year, there was a segment with a panel of children (around 5 to 6 years old) where he asked them questions pertaining to the government.

At one point, when asked how the U.S. should handle its debt to China, one child suggested they “kill everyone in China”. Kimmel played along and leaned into it as a joke asking the rest of the table “Should we allow the Chinese to live?”. Many of the kids shouted “Yes!”, while one child went against the grain saying, “No!”. The segment prompted a ton of backlash and protests.

While Kimmel and ABC issued apologies at the time, now the late night host apparently “regrets” apologizing for the joke, saying this:

At the time of the controversy, Kimmel said he “did not mean to upset” people and felt it was a “mistake putting it on the air” – clarifying that their “objective is to entertain” and would “never purposefully broadcast anything to upset the Chinese community, Asian community, anyone of Chinese descent or any community at large.”

As Jimmy Kimmel continues to have the microphone on weeknights on ABC, we’ll have to see how he continues to toe the line between making bold jokes and not getting in trouble.

It’s become apparent that the late-night TV industry has seen some massive changes, and that point became even clearer when CBS canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Plenty of talk show hosts have weighed in since then, and the conversation continues in the aftermath of Colbert’s sign-off. Jimmy Kimmel has been particularly vocal about the state of the industry, and he’s acknowledged that a transition is occurring naturally. However, he’s also sharing why he believes the medium is “being poisoned” in a way.

The Late Show’s cancellation was announced in July 2025, at which point CBS’ execs claimed the decision was made due to financial considerations. However, some have theorized that the axe came down due to Colbert openly speaking out against the network’s 60 Minutes lawsuit settlement with U.S. President Trump (which was apparently standing in the way of parent company Paramount’s merger with Skydance). Regardless of the reason for the show being canceled, Kimmel admits to being hurt by it:

Kimmel – who was honored with a Peabody Award this past weekend – previously called out execs over the end of The Late Show. He’s been open about his belief that reports of Colbert’s show losing tens of millions of dollars are untrue. Kimmel has also discussed the elephant in the (green) room, which is the looming possibility of late-night TV drying up for good. However, he still tells Vulture that he thinks talk shows are finding success amid a sea of supposed statistical misinformation:

While illustrating his point, Kimmel references CBS’ decision to renew Colbert’s contract back in 2023, with the host inking a five-year deal. Kimmel questions why the powers that be would even agree to that multi-year extension if Colbert’s show had actually been losing the media conglomerate revenue:

Kimmel’s doubts aside, his assertion that he’s now looking at his own future as a result of The Late Show’s fate suggests that there’s certainly an existential element of this for him. The Man Show alum has been candid about his own late-night future and, even back in 2022, he expressed uncertainty about how long he’d stick with his show. In December 2025, Kimmel did agree to extend his deal to May 2027 yet, even if he were open to re-upping his deal next year, there’s still the question of how ABC would feel about that in this changing market.

As of this writing, though, the Alphabet Network hasn’t given any indication that Jimmy Kimmel Live! isn’t profitable. I’m still intrigued as to what lies ahead for Jimmy Kimmel – as well as fellow hosts like Seth Meyers and John Oliver – in this new era of late-night TV. With The Late Show having reached its conclusion, it’s fair to have genuine concerns about the medium moving forward.

Right now, though, Jimmy Kimmel Live! continues to air weeknights on ABC at 11:35 p.m ET alongside other talk shows amid the 2026 TV schedule.

Ever since it was revealed that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was canceled, Jimmy Kimmel has been a very loud and passionate supporter of the host. Now, as we approach the final episode of Colbert’s program, the Jimmy Kimmel Live host has shared a heartfelt tribute about his pal and longtime colleague.

During Kimmel’s May 20 monologue, he began with a “programming note” about how his show will be going dark on May 21, “out of respect for our colleague and friend Stephen Colbert.” He then gave a heartfelt tribute to his friend and The Late Show, saying:

Kimmel went on to reflect on the state of late-night television and how the current hosts are all very supportive of one another. Unlike “the old days of late night,” Kimmel, Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers are not competitive. In fact, Kimmel, Meyers, Fallon and John Oliver all appeared on The Late Show recently to support Colbert (you can stream that episode with a Paramount+ subscription). Speaking to that point, the Jimmy Kimmel Live host said:

I feel like it’s worth noting that this message was placed right at the start of Kimmel’s monologue. He made it clear that his show would be off the air for Colbert’s last episode on the 2026 TV schedule, and he spoke for a while about why this was an important and emotional moment. He also criticized CBS and its choice to cancel The Late Show while doing this, saying:

He then transitioned into his political comedy for the episode by joking that they needed to talk about the people who “forced" The Late Show "off the air.”

Overall, this is another example of how Jimmy Kimmel has been an outspoken supporter of Stephen Colbert. He was quick to share his thoughts on the cancellation right when it happened, he’s appeared on The Late Show in the months since the news broke more than once, and he even put up a billboard telling Emmy voters to vote for Colbert’s show instead of his.

Now, we’ve reached the very end of Stephen Colbert’s run, and Jimmy Kimmel is continuing to support him. The other hosts are too, as The Tonight Show is also going dark alongside Jimmy Kimmel Live to give the 11:30 p.m. slot fully over to The Late Show.

So, to watch Stephen Colbert’s last episode of The Late Show, make sure to tune in to CBS tonight, May 21, at 11:35 p.m. ET.

Stephen Colbert has received a lot of support from his fellow late-night hosts amidst the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, both publicly and privately. We all saw how Jimmy Kimmel and more sounded off against CBS in the aftermath, and Colbert has more recently revealed the funny texts he, Kimmel and Jon Stewart exchanged after the news broke. As The Late Show’s final episode approaches, Kimmel is making another classy gesture as a show of respect to Colbert.

The final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is set to air on the 2026 TV schedule on Thursday, May 21, on CBS, and when it does, it will not be competing with Jimmy Kimmel Live! for viewers. Jimmy Kimmel confirmed to LateNighter that he will not air a new episode of his ABC late-night show next Thursday in deference to Stephen Colbert.

Kimmel reportedly did the same thing back in 2015, when David Letterman signed off for the last time from the CBS series, saying at the time that he had too much respect for Letterman to do anything that might pull people away from his swan song.

Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel have formed quite the bromance, as months after The Late Show’s surprising cancellation announcement, Jimmy Kimmel was suspended for comments he made on his show in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death. The hosts have since foregone any essence of competition that they might have from being on opposing networks, appearing as guests on each other’s shows.

While CBS has maintained that the decision to end The Late Show was purely financial, many think politics are at play, as the cancellation came just days after Stephen Colbert criticized CBS for settling a lawsuit with Donald Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris.

Jimmy Kimmel himself has spoken out about the supposed $40 million loss Stephen Colbert’s talk show accrued, saying that number is “beyond nonsensical.”

Kimmel also showed his support for the CBS host ahead of the Emmy Awards, where they were both nominated for Outstanding Talk Series. The ABC host took out a billboard to throw his support behind The Late Show, writing, “I’m voting for Stephen.” Incidentally, Colbert did win his first Emmy after that, and he gave a sob-worthy acceptance speech about love and loss.

Jimmy Kimmel may be the most vocal of Stephen Colbert’s supporters, but he’s not the only one of their peers who’s stepped up. Conan O’Brien spoke out about silencing the late-night hosts. Jimmy Fallon expressed shock over The Late Show’s cancellation and joined Jon Stewart, John Oliver and more in a great sketch on The Late Show to raise fans’ moods:

I love how much these guys all band together, despite some of their shows airing on competing networks. It’s a remarkable show of respect that Jimmy Kimmel would intentionally step aside so that Stephen Colbert and The Late Show can have the biggest audience possible for their final farewell.

If you want to tune in, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s finale will air at 11:35 p.m. ET Thursday, May 21, on CBS.

Sometimes comedy is the best medicine and a great coping mechanism. That seemed to be in play as some of Stephen Colbert’s fellow hosts reached out to him in the immediate aftermath of The Late Show’s cancellation. I write that because the host revealed the texts Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart sent him right after he learned that his show would be ending, and the conversations are surprisingly funny.

In the months since Colbert’s cancellation, the other late-night hosts have been advocates and allies for him. Right after it was announced that his show would end on the 2026 TV schedule, Jon Stewart went on a heated rant on The Daily Show, and in the weeks following the news, Jimmy Kimmel called out claims about why The Late Show was canceled.

It turns out, those two also personally texted Colbert right after they learned about his program’s fate. After being asked about talking with “Seth Meyers and the Jimmys” about what happened during an interview with THR, Colbert recalled the text he got from Kimmel:

Well, that’s hilarious, and it turned out to be true. Stephen Colbert won his first Emmy in the wake of his cancellation, and Jimmy Kimmel wanted that to happen. In fact, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host had a billboard made that said: “I’m voting for Stephen.” After that happened, Colbert promised to “pay him back next year” and do the same thing for Kimmel.

So, while the text Kimmel sent Colbert right when the cancellation happened could feel a bit morbid, it’s also funny, and it turned out to be accurate in a way.

Now, on to Jon Stewart. When Colbert announced that The Late Show would be ending, The Daily Show host texted a one-word question to his friend and former colleague. Here’s how that conversation went:

It’s not funny-funny, it’s more like sad-funny. However, overall, it was nice to hear how Colbert’s fellow hosts were reaching out right after this shocking news broke. I would assume that other hosts, as well as notable celebrities, reached out to him as well. However, as Colbert noted, after those two texts came through, he handed his phone over to his wife and didn’t look at it for a while.

This all happened in the immediate aftermath of the cancellation news, and now, sadly, we are approaching the final episode of The Late Show. The show is ending this month, but have no fear, Colbert has a stacked lineup of guests for his last episodes, including Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, Seth Meyers and David Letterman (and I wouldn’t be shocked if Stewart showed up at some point too).

The final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will air on Thursday, May 21, at 11:35 p.m. on CBS, and I can only imagine the texts (both funny and heartfelt) the host will receive after he says his last goodbye to late-night.

As of late, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been embroiled in yet another situation involving the U.S. government. Kimmel received backlash from President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump after he made comments on air about the latter looking like an “expectant widow.” Those comments were made during a monologue that aired ahead of the reported White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting situation. Kimmel has since defended his comments and, now, media pundit Megyn Kelly is weighing in on the controversy.

Kelly discussed the Kimmel situation during a recent episode of her eponymous show (which was posted to YouTube). It was during that same installment that Kelly invited comedian Adam Carolla, who notably defended Kimmel’s remarks on a separate occasion. While diving into the topic, Kelly noted the fact that President Trump was calling for Kimmel to be fired from his late-night post amid the 2026 TV schedule. From there, the former Fox News pundit said this while addressing Carolla:

Jimmy Kimmel made his comment during a faux White House Correspondents' Dinner roast featured during the opening monologue of his April 23rd broadcast. While the segment didn’t initially seem to garner much attention, the backlash ensued after a man subsequently appeared at the real Correspondents’ Dinner with multiple guns and allegedly sought to kill the president. Since then, Donald Trump and others have been adamant about ABC and Disney firing Kimmel.

Eventually, the Federal Communications Commission – or FCC – issued some advice for Disney. Commission chairman Brendan Carr specifically suggested that the House of Mouse take steps to apply for broadcast licences for the eight ABC stations it currently owns. This request is related to an investigation involving ABC and Disney’s alleged violations of the government’s new DEI regulations. Now, given the FCC’s move, the renewal deadline has been set at May 28, which marks an early renewal benchmark, as 2028 was previously the earliest point at which those processes would be necessary.

As previously alluded to, this isn’t the first time Jimmy Kimmel has drawn the ire of President Trump or a response from Brendan Carr. All of them were tied within the same headlines last fall when Kimmel’s show was suspended indefinitely due to comments he made that were related to the death of political pundit Charlie Kirk. Said suspension also came down after Carr suggested that ABC’s broadcast licence could be revoked as a result of the comments. While Trump also called for Kimmel’s firing, the host’s show was eventually reinstated.

Jimmy Kimmel received support during that first broadcast brouhaha, with some right-leaning media personalities even backing him as well. What’s particularly notable about Megyn Kelly’s support this time around is that she called for Kimmel’s firing during the first situation. Kelly has also notably called out Kimmel and other hosts for the way in which they convey their political opinions on air. Still, Kelly’s recent comments suggest she’s in Kimmel’s corner this time, and time will tell how others might weigh in as well.

New episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! air weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.

Just when you think any amount of dust has settled regarding Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the U.S. government, the air once again becomes thick with contention. First it was Melania and Donald Trump railing on Kimmel for his pre-weekend joke describing the First Lady as an “expectant widow,” followed by the POTUS calling on ABC to cut ties with the longtime host. Kimmel has since defended himself, but then the FCC got involved…but not really.

The FCC Is Ordering Disney To Go Through Early Licensing Renewals For ABC

Earlier on Tuesday, FCC chairman Brendan Carr — the same guy who previously attempted to enforce an ages-old equal partisan stipulation for late night and daytime TV — ordered Disney to go through the process of applying for broadcast licences for the eight ABC stations that the corporation owns, making May 28 the new deadline. For context, Variety reports that 2028 was previously the earliest year when the renewals were required, and some weren't necessary to get into until 2031.

The reason Carr and the FCC provided for the out-of-nowhere demand is tied to a probe into Disney and ABC over alleged violations of the government's revised take on DEI practices. But without citing any recent incidents that would have directly sparked such action being taken. Here's some of what the order stated:

Disney later shared a response statement that also avoided any mention of Jimmy Kimmel and his controversial comments, while sticking to the belief that the probe will come up empty.

The eight Disney-owned ABC stations are located across the country in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Fresno, San Francisco and Raleigh-Durham.

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez Tells Disney To "Stand Firm"

Despite working for the agency that set up the demands, FCC commissioner Anna Gomez called the licensing demands out as being motiviated by politics, with an aim to unlawfully silence a TV host. As she put it (via Deadline):

Jimmy Kimmel previously caused ire for the President and others in 2025, when he was suspended over comments made in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's shooting death. That move was widely condemned as being unconstitutional, and the FCC reportedly fielded more complaints about the suspension than the comment that caused it.

To that end, Gomez continued her condemnation and voiced the idea that the only response is to hold strong, saying:

It's possible that there will be another half-dozen updates in this story by the time the next episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! hits the 2026 TV schedule, so stay tuned.

Just hours after both President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump called for his firing, Jimmy Kimmel responded during his opening monologue on last night’s show. He defended the joke they were both incensed about and said it wasn’t a call to violence but instead a “light roast” that was about the age difference between the first couple.

Last week on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host held a fake White House Correspondents Dinner, a few days ahead of the real White House Correspondents Dinner. He included footage of President Trump, Melania Trump, their family, members of the President’s Cabinet and various celebrities. During the bit, he said Melania had “a glow like an expectant widow.” The shot didn’t attract much attention at the time, as Kimmel is frequently critical of The Trumps on his late night show, but after a man broke into the White House Correspondents Dinner with multiple guns, allegedly attempting to kill the President, the joke started circulating.

On Monday, both President Trump and Melania Trump put out social media posts calling on Disney and ABC to do something about Kimmel’s behavior. The President directly called for him to be fired, while Melania more broadly told the network to “take a stand.” She also called him a “coward,” while the President took shots at his “terrible television ratings.”

During Kimmel’s response, which lasted more than ten minutes, he went over the timeline of what happened. He was, at times, empathetic to The Trumps and everyone who was at the White House Correspondents Dinner for going through such a traumatic event. He reiterated his stance against gun violence and agreed that the temperature of the political rhetoric needs to be lowered, before pointing the finger at the President himself and implying he’s the one who has turned up the volume. He also defended the joke and said it wasn’t a call for violence but instead supposed to be a shot at the age gap in the relationship. Here’s a portion of his quote…

This isn’t the first time Kimmel has found himself at the center of controversy over remarks he made on his show. Last year, he was taken off the air in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk assassination. He accused Trump’s supporters of trying to use the political commentator’s murder to score points by “trying to characterize” the killer as “anything other than one of them.”

Exactly what he meant by the comments and whether he was trying to imply Kirk was shot by one of his own followers became the subject of a loud political debate. After the two companies that own the majority of local affiliate stations said they wouldn’t carry his show, Kimmel was suspended by ABC, though he was eventually reinstated.

Over the last decade, American late night shows have become increasingly political and in the eyes of many, divisive. Kimmel’s chief rival, Stephen Colbert, will be finishing up later this year, and many believe the decision to end his show was related to how political he’s become. Kimmel too has gotten louder and louder in recent years, though ABC has remained supportive, at least apart from his suspension last year, which is notable given larger issues that are also happening with late night in general.

It's unclear how ABC executives might feel about this latest Kimmel controversy or the way he addressed it, but it's worth noting his entire monologue has been made available to watch on YouTube. You can check it out below...

Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs on weeknights at 11:35 ET. Right now, the assumption from fans is that he'll be on again this evening, despite the President's calls for his termination. My guess is he won't directly address this controversy again, as everyone involved is likely eager to move on, but if the President drops additional statements today or the network gets involved, then the host may have no choice but to talk about it again.

It would be an understatement to say that the late-night TV landscape has evolved considerably in recent years, and that’s become harder to ignore. Veteran host Jimmy Kimmel is fully cognizant of those changes and, with that, he hasn’t held back in sharing his thoughts. Kimmel has been candid about late night’s future, opining that the medium, as the public knows it, probably won’t last too much longer. With that said, Kimmel recently revealed one reason he still has hope for new talent hoping to break into show business.

What Have Jimmy Kimmel And Others Said About The Future Of Late-Night TV?

Kimmel has discussed the future of late-night TV a few times in recent years and, during an interview from 2024, he got real about addressing the “elephant in the room.” At that point, Kimmel admitted he wasn’t sure if there would be any late-night talk shows on network TV in a decade, citing the changes in viewer preferences as a key reason for that. Late Night host Seth Meyers was also cautiously optimistic about what might lie ahead for the medium in the years to come.

Meanwhile, Conan O’Brien got honest about the future of television, noting that there were people who were scared of what might happen in the years to come. O’Brien said he was still planning to remain upbeat for several reasons, though. As the former Conan host put it, “streaming changes the pipeline, but the connection, the talent, the ideas that come into our homes,” remains the same.

Still, it’s hard not to take notice of the changing dynamics, considering the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show, which will be signing off this coming May. All in all, we can’t say exactly what the talk show landscape will look like but, Jimmy Kimmel is looking forward to at least one thing in the near future.

Why Jimmy Kimmel Is (Still) Excited For What Lies Ahead, Despite The Late Night Landscape

Kimmel is of the same generation of talk-show hosts that includes the likes of Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Conan O’Brien, and they found TV success by traveling down different avenues within the comedy sphere. Of course, the dynamics are quite different now for myriad reasons.

In short, it’s now become harder for comics or other prospective hosts to get their foot in the door, so to speak. Kimmel recently brought up a great point about up-and-comers while appearing on IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson:

The Internet – specifically social media – has indeed opened the floodgates for comedic talent to find more unique ways of jumping into the entertainment business. In many ways, gone are the days of hopeful hosts and writers going the route of landing gigs at radio or TV stations and working their way up. That was key for the talk show host pipeline, and it produced some talented stars. While Kimmel knows some people are wary of how the web is changing the comedy game, he’s down for it:

So, given the uncertainty involving late night, young comics can indeed find a niche in other ways, and that could lead to a fresh assortment of content down the road. Still, it’s hard not to think about the direction that the talk show business is heading in as a whole. We'll have to wait and see when late night wraps this TV season, then returns to the 2026 TV schedule this fall.

One thing I will say about a monumental show ending is that I’ve been paying a heckuva lot more attention than I normally would. I’ve always been a viewer of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but more of the casual variety, popping in when he’d have on a-listers like Emma Stone and more. Now CBS has cancelled the series, however, I have been watching a whole lot more frequently, and I have to say Colbert has really been taking this ending with good cheer.

Colbert's Final Guests Continue To Roll Out

It probably helps he’s landing some great guests. This week, he talked with Don Cheadle (and worked in a funny out of work joke). More info about Colbert’s final guests also came down the pipeline this week, and it’s just going to be a murderer’s row of talent. Anne Hathaway is on tonight. Bryan Cranston is on next Monday. Then we have Anderson Cooper, Keanu Reeves, Andy Serkis, Meryl Streep, Mayor Pete, and more. On the music side, it’s guests like Jack Black and R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe also popping in. (Stipe is set to be interviewed, too.)

Which brings me to Barack Obama, who is also on the docket. Last night, Colbert also announced that on Tuesday, May 5th, he’ll be sitting down with the former President of the United States from the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, IL.

As I said, it’s going to be a run of heavy hitters before The Late Show makes its last appearance on the 2026 TV schedule on May 21st.

Colbert Is (Amusingly) Giving Away His Jokes To Jimmy Kimmel As Part Of His Exit

Colbert’s also been on a tear with jokes about The Late Show ending. Some of these have been emotionally devastating, and some have put a smile on my face, such as when Oprah took over The Late Show desk. This week Colbert pulled out a box of jokes he’d like to give fellow late night host Jimmy Kimmel. The box read “Iran War Jokes.” He went on to address it on air, writing on the box and telling the audience:

He was teasing, here, of course, but Kimmel will be taking up their shared bent on his own once Colbert is off the air. While Jimmy Fallon has stayed out of politics, the other two late night hosts have gotten more political in recent years on their respective networks. I certainly don’t fault Fallon for doing what he’s good at, but there is something about passing the torch that I found fitting about this bit. Kimmel and Colbert are a bit of kindred spirits, with the former defending the latter after CBS claimed The Late Show was losing $40 million per year.

If you are wondering how Stephen Colbert will ultimately say goodbye to the Eye Network, a former Daily Show writer has some thoughts about how he thinks the last episode will play out. Calling Colbert ‘classy,’ he also said the late night host got to go out on his own terms despite the series getting canceled. The final episode will doubtless reflect that. From all of us here at CinemaBlend, we wish Colbert “good night, and good luck.”

Mike Rowe has made a name for himself, in part, by highlighting professions that require hard work (and can include some messy situations). That was especially true of Rowe’s long-running Discovery Channel series, Dirty Jobs, on which he got a taste of different careers, from sewer inspector to animal control specialist. Rowe also tried his hand at plumbing on an episode, and he recently took issue with plumber-related comments Jimmy Kimmel made during episodes of his show.

During the March 24th broadcast of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host commented on former Oklahoma senator Markwayne Mullin, who was recently named the Secretary of Homeland Security. Kimmel mentioned that Mullin used to be a “low-level MMA fighter and a plumber” and mused that “we have a plumber protecting us from terrorism.” On the March 26th episode, Kimmel said he wasn’t criticizing plumbers and added, “I wouldn't put a plumber in charge of homeland security for the same reason I wouldn't call a five star general to pull a rat out of my toilet.”

Rowe shared his response to Kimmel’s remarks on X, where he also included a photo of himself in front of a clogged toilet. Via his lengthy response, the media personality reflected on Kimmel’s comments and the backlash the host received for them. From there, Rowe talked about a person being able to choose whether they were “offended” and questioned whether people could be given the space to grow:

Also, in that message, Rowe seemed to agree with the “skill” aspect of Kimmel’s assessment. However, the Somebody’s Gotta Do It star also made an analogy to illustrate another point:

Rowe has long spoken out in support of those who participate in craftsmen-based positions and, through his shows, he has highlighted essential workers. While Rowe has been real about some of the worst gigs he had on Dirty Jobs (which aired 10 seasons between 2013 and 2023), he seems to appreciate those experiences. He previously used the military to illustrate his love for the show, saying that he appreciates that the people who work those tough jobs typically have a “band of brother mentality” while at work.

As of this writing, Jimmy Kimmel has not responded to Mike Rowe’s social media post. Time will tell if Kimmel will address his plumber comments again on air, as the latest season of his show continues amid the 2026 TV schedule. When it comes to whether Rowe would be open to a dialogue, that remains to be seen, as he said at the end of his message that “I’d love to chat but I’ve gotta pull a rat out of my toilet…”

Yes, Harrison Ford was asked if he had ever “made love to the soundtrack” of his own films. The question alone was shocking; however, it was even more surprising that the Indiana Jones star answered it. Now, after that whole interaction went viral, Ford’s Blade Runner 2049 co-star Ryan Gosling was asked about this situation while promoting his latest project on the 2026 movie schedule. As expected, the Project Hail Mary star had an A+ reaction.

What Harrison Ford Said When He Was Asked If He’s Had Sex To His Own Films’ Soundtracks

OK, this all happened because Harrison Ford was asked about singing the Indiana Jones theme on Shrinking (which you can see with an Apple TV subscription). During his interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the actor claimed that he didn’t remember if that bit was his idea or not. So, as a follow-up, Jimmy Kimmel asked:

Well, that was certainly a turn. However, Ford took it all in stride and with his signature dry sense of humor. In response, the Star Wars actor simply (and hilariously) said:

There was no follow-up, ellaboration or explanation; the guys moved on to talk more about Shrinking, seeing as it's currently airing on the 2026 TV schedule. However, the short response did go viral.

So, naturally, as Ryan Gosling has been promoting the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation of Project Hail Mary, he got asked the same question his Blade Runner 2049 co-star got on the talk show.

How Ryan Gosling Reacted To That Question And Harrison Ford’s Answer

Now, you might be wondering how all this came up with Ryan Gosling. Well, when he appeared on New Heights, Jason Kelce asked him about his co-star's viral moment during their segment called “We Gotta Ask.” The older Kelce brother laid out that Ford had said he had sex to his own films’ soundtracks, and then he asked Gosling if he had made love to his own movies’ music. In response, the Barbie actor said:

Jason Kelce, Travis Kelce and Gosling all laughed at that answer as well as Ford’s initial response. However, the Crazy Stupid Love star wasn’t done talking about it yet. After confirming that he has not made love to songs like “City of Stars” or “I’m Just Ken,” the Oscar nominee noted that it actually makes sense that the Shrinking actor said he has had sex to his projects' music, explaining:

Harrison Ford really is that guy, and he’s known for blunt and occasionally wild statements. There’s also a bunch of stories about him that add to his ever-expanding and entertaining lore.

For example, right after Gosling confirmed that he had not had sex to his own movies’ music, he told the story of the time Ford punched him while they were working on Blade Runner 2049. He also explained that as the crew was trying to get him ice for his wound, his co-star took his ice away and said, “I forgive you.” Yet again, an iconic one-liner from the movie star that is equal parts unexpected and hilarious. Now, the punch isn’t in Blade Runner 2049; however, the funny story has lived on.

I expect this odd conversation about music in the bedroom to live on, too. Overall, I can’t get over that Ryan Gosling was asked about Harrison Ford’s viral claim. I also love that he didn’t just answer the question for himself; he also explained why his colleague's response was so on brand.

Now, if you want to see this sense of humor from Ford on screen, you can catch new episodes of Shrinking on Apple TV every Wednesday. Meanwhile, if you want to see Gosling in his latest movie and hear its brilliant score (which the actor will almost certainly not be listening to in the bedroom), you can catch Project Hail Mary in theaters starting March 20.

According to some, late-night television is losing money hand over fist, and yet, it feels like we’re talking about late-night television now more than we have in years. Between the abrupt departure announcement of Stephen Colbert to the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, there are a lot of strong opinions about what’s going on in the late-night space, as demonstrated by the fact that more than 1600 people wrote letters to the FCC following Kimmel’s suspension.

Thanks to a Freedom of Information Act Request The Hill has obtained every letter written to the Federal Communications Comission following the monologue that resulted in Jimmel Kimmel being suspended by ABC, and the suspension itself, there were apparently more than 1,645 letters written intotal, and while three were approximately 30 complaints sent in regarding what Kimmel said, the rest were critical of what ABC did in response.

A Few Complained About Jimmy Kimmel To The FCC

On September 15, 2025, Jimmy Kimmel made comments regarding the death of political commentator Charlie Kirk on his show Jimmy Kimmel Live! Some viewed the jokes as making light of a tragic event, and Chairman of the FCC Brendan Carr made comments suggesting that ABC’s affiliates refuse to carry the program in response. Following those comments, major affiliate groups Nexstar and Sinclair did exactly that, leading ABC to suspend Kimmel indefinitely.

In the days following Kimmel’s comments, some took issue with what Kimmel said. One letter highlighted by The Hill accused Kimmel of distorting the truth about the murder of Kirk and also said…

It’s clear that there were people who were upset enough by Kimmel’s comments to inform the FCC. However, the vast majority of associated complaints were targeted at the FCC, as well as ABC.

Far More Complained About Kimmel's Suspension

While a few asked the FCC to take action against Kimmel, many more complained about the action that had been taken. Hundreds of people complained about Kimmel being suspended for his comments, and many took aim at the FCC itself and the comments made by Carr, which many felt had instigated the entire thing. One comment from Tennessee said…

While many spoke directly to the FCC, others seemingly expressed their frustration with ABC’s owner, Disney. Cancellations of Disney+ and Hulu reportedly spiked following Kimmel’s suspension, a fact that Kimmel himself joked bout when he eventually returned to his show about a week later.

Clearly, of the people who felt strongly enough to write to the FCC, they felt the reaction was worse than the issue that caused it. This likely won't be the last time that's the case, though it will be interesting to see if the reaction changes the way incidents like this are handled in the future.

For myriad reasons, it feels like the late-night landscape is changing. From Stephen Colbert’s show getting canceled and Jimmy Kimmel’s program being taken off the air last year to a slew of online creators becoming prominent in the interview space, it feels like we’re in a major moment of evolution. Now, Bowen Yang, who left Saturday Night Live partway through Season 51 and hosts a very successful podcast with Matt Rogers, has made it clear that he does not want late-night to die.

For years, Yang and his friend and fellow comedian Matt Rogers have hosted a successful podcast called Las Culturistas. They’ve interviewed A-listers like Tina Fey, Chappell Roan, Jennifer Lawrence and many more, and they hosted their own award show on Bravo last year. Along with all that, they were featured in a Vanity Fair article about the rise of digital creators who are “shattering the talk show format” and creating a “new late night.”

However, while they’re making waves with their own podcast, Yang made it clear that he is still a big supporter of classic late-night shows, saying:

There’s no question that what happened to these two late-night hosts was unexpected, and it feels like a sign that things are changing. Yang believes that, too, because when Colbert got canceled, he reacted, explaining that it was “tragic” and “a really dark day” for late-night television. Following the news that The Late Show would air its final episodes on the 2026 TV schedule, the comedian also wondered how SNL could be impacted by big changes like this.

Obviously, Jimmy Kimmel Live! getting suspended last fall after FCC chairman Brendan Carr threatened ABC, also created questions about the future of late-night television. While Kimmel did return to the air, his show's suspension due to comments he made on air about Charlie Kirk left many concerned about the ripple effects a move like this could have.

So, considering all of that, Yang ended his comment by saying:

Overall, there are a lot of factors that play into the future of late-night. Colbert and Kimmel’s situations emphasized them too, as they’ve pointed out financial and potential political challenges that are being presented.

Meanwhile, a new crop of creators, like Yang, Hot Ones’ Sean Evans, Royal Court’s Brittany Broski, Therapuss’ Jake Shane and more are making waves through their interviews, creating a new generation of personalities who conduct work that is redefining the interview game.

Bowen Yang is one of said creators. He left Saturday Night Live mid-way through Season 51, and while he has a flourishing film and TV career, his impact on the internet cannot be denied. His and Matt Rogers podcast is a big deal, and they get major guests (like late-night hosts do). However, he’s also still a fierce ally of late-night TV and wants to see it protected at all costs.

Bill Maher is no stranger to ruffling feathers, and he hasn’t been shy about sharing his opinion on how Jimmy Kimmel and others use political humor on their late-night talk shows. And while HBO’s Real Time host likely doesn’t apologize very often for his views, he did express regret for offending Kimmel and acknowledged that they “may never talk again” over things he’s said. Still, Maher told Adam Carolla, he still doesn’t think Kimmel is an “a--hole.”

On Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast, Jimmy Kimmel’s name came up as Maher welcomed Adam Carolla as his guest. Carolla is a longtime friend of Kimmel’s, as they used to co-host The Man Show on Comedy Central, and Maher acknowledged his supposed feud with Kimmel, telling his guest:

Bill Maher and Adam Carolla had started to butt heads during a conversation about white privilege, and the podcast host used that to bolster his argument that some people were willing to talk through issues they disagreed about, while he suggested Jimmy Kimmel was the type of person to reject anyone who wasn’t exactly aligned with him. Maher continued:

Bill Maher admitted he “did a mea culpa” with Jimmy Kimmel over email, not over what Kimmel was upset about, Maher said, but about how he’s “a little brash” in his hosting style compared to Kimmel and the other current late night hosts. He said:

As for what that “latest thing” was that made Jimmy Kimmel upset, Bill Maher didn’t specify, though Adam Carolla admitted he had heard about it, presumably from his Man Show co-host.

Back in September when Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended by ABC for some of the host’s comments, Bill Maher said he was “forthright” in his support for Jimmy Kimmel, despite not agreeing with his sentiment. When Kimmel returned, he thanked a number of his fellow hosts, including some right-wing pundits who had spoken in his defense. Maher, however, was not mentioned.

In November of what was all-around a tumultuous year for Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Maher also called out the late-night host’s wife Molly McNearney for saying on a podcast that she’s lost relationships with family members over their support of Trump. On his show, Maher said at the time (via EW):

It’s certainly a touchy situation when you involve someone’s wife in your political commentary, regardless of how much you might align on other issues. Of course, we don’t know if it was Bill Maher’s reaction to Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC suspension that offended him, Maher’s comments about his wife or something else entirely. Either way, it doesn’t sound like these two will be making appearances on each other’s shows anytime soon.

You can stream Real Time with Bill Maher each Friday with an HBO Max subscription, or catch Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35 p.m. ET weeknights on ABC.

With Stephen Colbert set to visit Seth Meyers’ Late Night for the first time in over a decade, we’re as far away as can be from the talk show was of yesteryear. Only now, instead of infighting amongst hosts, it’s the U.S. government stoking ire via the FCC and chairman Brendan Carr. The agency once again took aim at the talk show circuit with a recent announcement, giving Colbert a rare moment to actually celebrate the fact that CBS already canceled The Late Show, and that he only has four months left to go.

The FCC announced its intention to begin reinforcing the 98-year-old Communications Act, which was first crafted to address the rise of television programming. In modern times, the core part of the regulations that remains arguably relevant is the section speaking to non-news programming allowing equal opportunity for political partisans to appear. So if a Democratic candidate gets an invite, a similar invite needs to be given to someone equally qualified on the opposite side of the aisle.

The rule went under the radar for years due to a “bona fide” exception granted to programs qualified as “news,” and only now is Brendan Carr making a fuss to declare that late night and daytime TV talk shows (such as The View) do not factor in as news fare. This could totally change the way late night shows play out across the 2026 TV schedule, but Stephen Colbert was only too happy to point out that he won’t be around for that long haul, saying in a Late Show segment:

Obviously, Stephen Colbert isn't sincerely enthused about losing his job in four months, and his dismay over it never seems to be far from the surface. But considering just how many politically charged issues have sprouted up for CBS and Paramount over the past year, I imagine he might have found fewer and fewer reasons to enjoy going in to work each day. Jimmy Kimmel can speak to some of that, having faced a temporary suspenion in 2025 over comments made in relation to Charlie Kirk's shooter.

Colbert's late night bromance with Jimmy Kimmel has grown quite a bit over the years, and 2025 was something of a banner year between the latter's suspension and the former's cancellation. So it definitely makes sense that Colbert would call his ABC buddy out, knowing Kimmel would still be suffering the revived Communications Act until the rest of his own contract runs out.

Speaking to the idea that the FCC is re-imposing this rule to stop late night or daytime TV from providing an optimal political advantage, Colbert pointed to that argument's logical fallacy, saying:

Whatever ends up happening with the FCC's new push for equal opps for political rivals for TV chats, I can only hope that the Late Show's joke about the long-dormant talk show Cthulhu Tonight gets turned into reality in one way or another. Honestly, I just want to see how the Great Old One drinks from that mug.

With around four months left to go, barring any last-minute changes from CBS' brass, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET, and streams the next day via Paramount+ subscription.

There’s no question that President Donald Trump has taken aim at late night television, while many of the hosts on late night television have thrown jabs at everything from the current administration to even those White House Ballroom changes. Surprisingly, former late night host Conan O’Brien recently explained why he feels “getting so angry” over politics while onstage can take over one’s personality and can be a dangerous game to play. This in turn, prompted Megyn Kelly to weigh in on Conan’s thoughts, but also late night TV in general.

What Did Conan O’Brien Say About ‘F–k Donald Trump’

You may have seen the headlines already. A few days ago, Conan O’Brien spoke at an event for Oxford Union where the TV and Internet personality declared it’s a bit dangerous to devote one’s entire personality to “f–k Donald Trump.”

He said it’s the job of a comedian to channel that anger into something that’s a little more thought-provoking and edgy or you are in danger of simply not being funny anymore.

Conan doesn’t feel it’s the job of a comedian to be so serious, but lots of people on the Internet are now taking his comments and weighing in, tying them to late night hosts like Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel in particular. Megyn Kelly's the latest example, and she recently spoke out on her own platform The Megyn Kelly Show.

How Megyn Kelly Feels About Late Night (And Conan O’Brien’s Opinions)

Megyn Kelly told podcaster Link Lauren that when she was watching Conan’s comments, she felt it was clear he was taking aim at the three late night hosts: Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.

Jimmy Fallon largely escapes Ms. Kelly’s wrath unscathed. While he occasionally does make a Trump joke, tonally Fallon isn’t interested in getting political on his late night show outside of the occasional monologue dig. He’s better known for playing silly games with celebrities than making pointed statements, and he's been open about why The Tonight Show doesn't get political in the past.

However, Kelly went hard on her critique of some of the other late night hosts. Yet back in 2011, she actually appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and told a gracious story about being invited to the White House to meet with then President Obama and his wife Michelle.

More than a decade later, she's less civil about the late night host after he compared his viral suspension from ABC to a "near death experience." She spent another chunk of her show calling Jimmy Kimmel “this multimillionaire privileged asshole” who was “off the air” for all of “five days,” but was complaining nonetheless. This comes after she commented on his return to late night in September, saying at that time she felt that because of Kimmel's politics, he got reinstated rather than "cancelled."

This isn't the only time the host has been on a tear against Tinseltown, recently complaining about Bruce Willis and other Hollywood celebs she had negative interactions with. She said here it's become a "Trump bashing session" with the entertainment crowd, and this seems to be her way of responding.

Meanwhile, while Kelly seemed to identify Conan O'Brien as talking about late night hosts, O'Brien is a former late night host himself, and even recently gave Stephen Colbert advice about what's next after ending his show.

2025 was quite the memorable year for Jimmy Kimmel and his dedicated late night crew, though definitely not always in the most positive ways. Jimmy Kimmel Live! faced a surprising temporary suspension over controversial comments made by the host, and not long after returning to the airwaves, the show’s crew mourned the death of bandleader Cleto Escobedo III. Then, before bowing out for the holidays, the comedian revealed a contract extension keeping the show around until May 2027. But changes are coming.

While fans can still look forward to watching ABC’s lone late-night staple for at least another 17 months, Deadline reports that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will once again be cutting back on the number of musical performances set to take place throughout the year. The total number of musical acts was already at a much-depleted level compared to years past, simply due to there being fewer late night talk shows on broadcast and cable, and it’ll only drop further as the 2026 TV schedule gets going.

Though Jimmy Kimmel Live! hasn’t exactly followed a formalized schedule, and the number of musical performances has varied from week to week over the years, the new mandate states that the show will now feature music acts appears twice a week, on average, per THR. It’s not a set-in-stone number, and there will be fluctuations on that front, but the general idea is to lower that number on the whole.

It’s reported that JKL!’s music producer Jim PItt reached out to several people in recent weeks about the plans to cut back the number of musical guests, though the outlet points out that its sources claimed they were not given a specific reason for why the changes are happening. Though one might surmise that the talk show’s episodes could get cut in half for 30-minute slots, that apparently isn’t the case here. Or, at least, that specific outcome hasn’t been shared with anyone.

Without a key factor publicized to justify the decline in musical acts, the easiest assumption to make would be that producers are aiming to save whatever money possible. (Just look at CBS’ claims that The Late Show’s financial losses are the reason for its cancellation, an argument that Kimmel himself called B.S. on.) Over on NBC, Late Night with Seth Meyers lost Fred Armisen and his band in 2024 due to budget cuts, and that series only rarely brings in other musical acts these days.

Late night talk shows used to deliver one of the biggest stages for bands and solo artists to aspire to reach, as well as stand-up comedians, but it appears as if that connection is going the way of the dodo bird. Kimmel himself doesn’t think late night talk shows are that close to extinction yet, but he also isn’t so bullish about where things are going.

Relive this medley performance from De La Soul from December as a reminder that there aren't many places left on TV proper to see this kind of thing.

Now back with new episodes, Jimmy Kimmel Live! Airs weeknights on ABC at 11:35 p.m. ET.

2025 was a big year in the late-night television space, and all signs point to 2026 being no less monumental. As just one example, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is set to come to an end. However, despite a significant suspension, Jimmy Kimmel is going to hang around for a bit longer, and he thinks the late-night talk show will as well, even if it does go through some significant changes.

Speaking to reporters last night at the Critics’ Choice Awards, where Jimmy Kimmel Live! won the award for Best Talk Show, the title host said that he thinks that shows with the same format as his will continue on television for the foreseeable future, even if it’s possible they won’t end up airing as “late-night” shows.” Kimmel said (via People)…

In an era of streaming television where the vast majority of content is available “on demand,” it’s not hard to imagine a late-night talk show format program not being a “late-night” show. It could be released at any time, and still give viewers exactly what they’re looking for.

One element that’s worth noting in Kimmel’s comments is that he indicates that one of the reasons to keep late-night shows around is that they are, compared to other shows, far cheaper to produce than scripted TV. It’s interesting considering one of the reasons given for the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show is that it’s not making enough money. It’s an argument Jimmy Kimmel has specifically taken issue with.

Having said all that, the shows could get cheaper still, as Kimmel suggests that future late-night shows might have to do without some of what they’ve had up to this point. He continued…

It’s not all cutbacks, however. Jimmy Kimmel went on to say that such a new generation of late-night shows might possibly open doors to people who haven’t previously had such opportunities, which could even create a renaissance in the format. Kimmel explained…

A lot remains to be seen about the future of late-night TV. Hopefully Jimmy Kimmel is right and the future isn’t as bleak as it may seem. While Kimmel recently signed a new contract, indicating he’ll be around at least another year, it’s far from clear what will happen to the show from there.

2025 was a wild year in late-night television, but 2026 has started out pretty well for Jimmy Kimmel. Jimmy Kimmel Live! Took home the Critics' Choice Award for Best Talk Show last night, and as part of his acceptance speech, Kimmel made reference to his headline-making suspension, thanking those who stood by him through the ordeal.

Kimmel's speech called the last year of his show “tumultuous,” which is something of an understatement considering there was a period where he, and the rest of us, had no idea his show would even be on the air. Kimmel said…

Some of Kimmel’s “fellow nominees” had an even rougher year than he did. While Kimmel was suspended, The Late Show Starring Stephen Colbert was straight-up cancelled. The show, which began in 1993 under the host David Letterman, will end this May following a decision by CBS to cancel it, citing financial reasons.

While it’s been suggested that Colbert’s cancellation was more of a political move, the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel had more overt causes. Kimmel was suspended for comments following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. While Kimmel has said he never made light of the death, he also argued that the issue was one of free speech, considering that the Chairman of the FCC suggested affiliates should stop carrying the show, shortly before exactly that happened. Kimmel thanked all those who stood by him, saying…

Kimmel jokes that the situation regarding his suspension was the reason he won the Critics' Choice Award last night. It’s certainly possible there’s some truth in that. It's hard to argue that the whole situation didn't raise his profile, leading to some of the best ratings his show has seen in years. Perhaps more of the critics saw it at that point leading to the award.

Jimmy Kimmel isn’t quite done yet. While the host has flirted with retiring from the show before, he recently signed a one-year contract extension, so he’ll be sound for at least one more TV season after the current one ends. That means there’s at least one more chance for him to win this award next year.

It would be an understatement to say that this has been an eventful year for long-running talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! This past September, Kimmel’s show was suspended by ABC due to comments he made in relation to the death of political pundit Charlie Kirk. Days later, though, the series was reinstated. All of that drama aside, there were still questions in regard to how long Kimmel wanted to keep hosting the show. Well, he confirmed on air that Live! was renewed and, in true Kimmel fashion, he made some A+ jokes as well.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! Is Renewed, And The Host Shares His Funny Take

News of Live!’s renewal started making the rounds earlier this week, though Kimmel himself didn’t respond to the news right away. He saved those remarks for the monologue he delivered during the December 8th broadcast of his eponymous talk show (which is on YouTube). Kimmel decidedly kept the big news for the very last part of his address. When speaking on the subject, he expressed gratitude and also found a way to humorously mention those who utilize the series during “toilet time”:

Of course, I’m not sure if anyone felt personally attacked by that “toilet time” comment. However, there are surely those who may not tune in for Live!’s actual broadcasts but just catch highlights on YouTube later on during their time on their porcelain thrones. It doesn’t seem to matter how viewers check out the show amid the 2025 TV schedule, though. And that’s because the Man Show alum seems thankful that anyone would choose to watch him in any form as long as he's on the air.

This Renewal Comes After Jimmy Kimmel’s Retirement And Late-Night TV Comments

Kimmel has been talking about potentially stepping away from his show for years at this point. That retirement talk really heated up in early 2024, though, when he opened up about how he feels the urge to leave his post when the work becomes all-consuming. But, simultaneously, he also asserted that whenever he’s away from the job for a while, he feels the itch to return to it. Later that year, Kimmel spoke more about possibly retiring and got real about the uncertainty of what he would do next after leaving late-night TV.

Additionally, Jimmy Kimmel has also been vocal about the state of the late-night landscape, which has been evolving over the last several years. Kimmel addressed the elephant in the room, saying that he wasn’t sure if there would even be any late-night TV shows on networks “in 10 years.” Concerns about the future of the format have seemingly been growing, especially in the aftermath of The Late Show’s cancellation at CBS.

So, given the state of the business, Kimmel does indeed have reason to be thankful that he’ll be on the air for at least one more TV season. With that, fans will continue to have the option to watch him live or check out his show later while they’re sitting on the toilet.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs on weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC, and it can also be streamed with a YouTube TV subscription.

The Jimmy Kimmel Live! team sadly lost a key member this past week. Kimmel confirmed that his longtime bandleader and childhood friend, Cleto Escobedo III, passed away at the age of 59. The host ultimately memorialized his friend during the show’s November 11th broadcast with an incredibly sweet monologue in which he chronicled his personal history with his good friend. Now, it would seem that’s not the only way Kimmel is looking to honor Escobedo, as he revealed some of his other efforts to do so.

Kimmel confirmed Escobedo’s death by way of an Instagram post, and he’s since shared an update, and he confirmed he and his team kickstarted two fundraisers in his late bandleader’s honor. One of them is for UCLA Medical Center, where Escobedo was a patient and, Another fundraiser that’s been started will benefit The Animal Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Kimmel and Escobedo’s hometown, Las Vegas. Kimmel signified these fundraisers by sharing another post on IG. Take a look:

It’s since been confirmed that the Cleto and the Cletones founder died due to cardiogenic shock, though disseminated intravascular coagulation, vasodilatory shock and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver were also listed as underlying causes, per TMZ. A few other conditions reportedly contributed to the musician’s death, including sepsis, graft versus host disease, immunosuppressed, chronic kidney disease and pneumonia.

Jimmy Kimmel and Cleto Escobedo III had been "inseparable" since they were 9 years old, as the former discussed on social media. Years after they met as neighbors in Las Vegas, Escobedo launched his band around the same time Kimmel was emerging as a comic. Once Kimmel landed his eponymous ABC show, he hoped to have Escobedo’s band – along with his father, Escobedo Sr. – to be the house band, and they eventually auditioned and landed the gig. Kimmel also said this about Escobedo’s family during his monologue (via YouTube):

News of Escobedo’s death on November 11 came only days after a taping of Live! was canceled at the last minute. At the time, it was reported that the show wasn’t being aired due to a “personal matter.” Whether that situation was tied to Escobedo specifically is unclear. That show cancellation marked yet another instance of the show being off the air this year as, months earlier, the show was suspended for several days by ABC due to comments Kimmel made about right-wing political pundit Charlie Kirk.

As of this writing, Live! has been off the air for several days, though, as Jimmy Kimmel revealed during the November 11th broadcast that the series would pause production for a little while due to Cleto Escobedo’s passing. Kimmel’s monologue made it more than evident that his friend’s death has hit him quite hard. Escobedo’s passing is indeed sad, but it’s heartwarming that his loved ones are honoring him with such charitable endeavors.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC amid the 2025 TV schedule.

Jimmy Kimmel and his late night stomping ground have popped up in the news a lot recently, in part due to ABC's temporary suspension. But that controversy is no doubt preferable to the tragic news that shook everyone up this week. Kimmel revealed the death of band leader and close friend Cleto Escobedo III, and paid tribute to the musician during his monologue on November 12's episode, while also announcing the rest of this week's episodes would be canceled.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! Will Be Off For The Rest Of The Week

The decision to call off new episodes through Friday follows a string of surprise absences from Jimmy Kimmel Live! The show aired a repeat on November 7 for what were reported as “personal reasons.” No further detail was given, though some outlets are now reporting that decision was related to Ecobedo's poor health. Kimmel mentioned during the episode that his friend had been admitted to the UCLA Medical Center prior to his death, although the cause of death has not been revealed.

Outside of episodic plans, Kimmel eulogized his friend and told the audience all about growing up across the street from him when he was nine years old. The two had been close friends ever since. Escobedo began a music career as a saxophonist while Kimmel started his career in broadcasting. When Kimmel was offered Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he reached out to his old friend to ask him to lead the band.

Jimmy Kimmel Explained Why They Didn't Axe Tuesday Night's Episode As Well

Kimmel said Escobedo was a big Eddie Murphy fan, which was part of the reason he wanted to go ahead with the episode, as Murphy was on hand to promote his documentary, Being Eddie, coming to Netflix. Check out the full monologue below.

The decision to postpone new episodes comes after a week of unplanned absences. And those occurred less than two months after Kimmel addressed the death of Charlie Kirk during his monologue. Kimmel was suspended for a week, and the show was preempted after major affiliate groups refused to air it. Kimmel returned to the show's highest ratings in years.

While fans will certainly be disappointed not to have new episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! For the rest of the week, they’ll also completely understand the reason. Fans who have been watching Kimmel for years have been watching Cleto Escobedo for just as long, and the show will certainly be different without him.

It’s not hard to imagine that those who work on both sides of the camera will need some time to come to terms with the loss of somebody who had been there for so long. Jimmy Kimmel Live is expected to return to the air on Monday.

Since its debut in 2003, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has established a style that still has audiences tuning in even now amid the 2025 TV schedule. The titular host aside, there are other members of that crew who’ve proven to be as invaluable to the show. Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III is one of those people, having provided music for the series since its debut. Sadly, it’s been confirmed that Escobedo has died at the age of 59, and Kimmel broke the news with an emotional tribute to his longtime friend and collaborator.

Kimmel took to Instagram to confirm Escobedo passed away earlier today, November 11, though he did not disclose his cause of death. The late-night host – who’d known his late bandleader since they were kids – shared a photo of his friend working on set. Via his message, the “heartbroken” Kimmel opened up about how he and Escobedo had been “inseparable” since childhood and shared what it was like working with him on the talk show:

Cleto Escobedo III – who was also Jimmy Kimmel’s neighbor in Las Vegas – formed Cleto and the Cletones in 1995 around the same time Kimmel was navigating the entertainment industry. Once Kimmel landed Live!, he offered Escobedo the position of bandleader on the show, and the rest is TV history. Considering the strong ties Kimmel and Escobedo had, it’s incredibly sweet to see the host pay tribute to his friend in such a lovely way. Other celebrities also flooded the comments section with sweet and supportive sentiments:

• So sorry to hear this Jimmy. He was AWESOME. Love to his family. - Eric Stonestreet
• ❤️❤️❤️ love to [you], Cleto and his whole family. - Johnny Knoxville
• Love you Love to his incredible family. - Jeff Ross
• So sorry man. Love you Cleto❤️ - Ike Barinholtz
• I’m so sorry Jimmy. - John Stamos

This news comes just days after a taping of Live! was abruptly canceled, at which points guests were already lined up. It was reported at the time that the move was due to a “personal matter,” and no further details were provided at the time. It can’t be said with certainty whether that was in connection to the bandleader.

Over the last several months, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has experienced a number of high and lows, with the show garnering significant attention in September when it was suspended by ABC. That decision came down from Disney’s top brass after Kimmel made comments linked to the death of political pundit Charlie Kirk. The show was eventually reinstated five days later, and Kimmel addressed the matter during the opening monologue of his first episode back on air.

While the show will continue, it admittedly will be surreal not seeing Cleto Escobedo III lead the in-house band. He’d been a true mainstay of the show not unlike Kimmel’s sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, and the host’s late uncle, Frank Potenza. With various episodes of late-night TV under his belt and other musical endeavors, the late musician truly left his mark. We here at CinemaBlend extend our condolences to the Escobedo family as well as everyone at Jimmy Kimmel Live! during this difficult time.

While Oscar Isaac is currently wowing audiences with his performance in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, it’s his work on major franchise movies, specifically those run by Disney, that has largely created his fanbase. Between playing Poe Dameron in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and playing Moon Knight for Marvel, Isaac has a lot of fans who hope he returns to play those roles again.

It turns out the actor isn’t against it himself, though he dropped something of a sensitive response to note his condition, which speaks entirely to the timing of the interview.

What Oscar Isaac said About Working For Disney Again

Oscar Isaac frequently offers blunt responses to things in his interviews, such as having previously said he would only return to Star Wars again if he needed to buy a house. In a new interview with GQ, he suggested that he wouldn’t necessarily be against working with Disney again, though his then-current feelings about the studio were conflicted. He said…

Dropping the word “fascism” into an answer about Star Wars and Marvel characters amounts to an f-bomb of a different sort, and it’s a pretty aggressive statement to toss at one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world. Although when one looks into the situation, it at least becomes a bit more understandable why Isaac said this when he did.

How Disney’s Jimmy Kimmel Reaction Likely Influenced Isaac’s Response

While GQ only just published the interview with Isaac, it’s noted that the interview was conducted only two days after ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel and pre-empt his late-night show, when reactive hot takes were spreading throughout Hollywood. This decision was very likely what Oscar Isaac was referring to with his blunt comment. Tensions were likely high as the interview was being conducted when Kimmel's future was far from clear.

The issue goes back to comments that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr made following the monologue. It was Carr who originally suggested that ABC affiliates should refuse to carry Kimmel following comments the host made following the death of Charlie Kirk.

Following Carr’s statements, two major affiliate groups, Sinclair and Nexstar, announced they would cease carrying Jimmy Kimmel Live! While the affiliates claim they came to their own decision on whether or not to carry the show, many have suggested that benching Kimmel was the case of the government taking steps to silence a voice that had been critical of them, which is likely the fascism that Isaac was referring to.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! was off the air for a week, and all of ABC’s affiliates are now carrying the show again. As such, it appears this particular issue is behind everybody. Perhaps it will smooth things over between Disney and Oscar Isaac as well.

Jimmy Kimmel was all over the headlines earlier this fall in the 2025 TV schedule for the unfortunate reason that his ABC late night talk show had been suspended indefinitely. Fortunately, it was only a matter of time before Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to late night, with his first episode back beating his own ratings record. More recently, however, an episode was unexpectedly cancelled, but there's good news to reassure anybody who might be nervous that the end is nigh (again).

When ABC Didn't Air Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The intended new episode was planned for Thursday, November 6, with TV Insider reporting that the planned guests included Malice's David Duchovny, Stranger Things' Joe Keery, and Madison Beer, the latter of whom was expected to perform as musical guest. No official reason has been given from Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, or a representative of the show at the time of writing.

That said, LateNighter claims that the November 6 episode was cancelled due to a personal matter, and an unverified email alleged to be from the Jimmy Kimmel Live! audience team (via the Jimmy Kimmel Reddit forum) issued "apologies for any inconvenience." It remains to be seen if an official explanation will be provided to confirm or debunk these claims.

Still, it's not all bad news, even if you were counting on seeing Duchovny, Keery, and Beer on late night on November 6 (not least because Keery was presumably scheduled to appear live on Kimmel shortly after Netflix's Stranger Things Season 5 world premiere event).

The Good News Despite The Cancellation

For one, both the unverified alleged email from Reddit and the LateNighter claim state that the episode has simply been postponed, and ABC ran a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday night instead of replacing it with another program. As fans may remember, Sinclair planned on preempting the show during the suspension. Plus, Madison Beers went on the record about her planned appearance on the show, posting this as an Instagram Story:

While she didn't drop any details about the cancellation beyond attributing it to "unforeseen circumstances," her message is that her performance is being rescheduled "to a later date." The show evidently isn't intending on scrapping the entire episode. While only time will tell if David Duchovny and Joe Keery will be able to reschedule as well, the cancellation currently doesn't seem to have anything to do with larger problems with the show, and this shouldn't be taken as a sign to panic that Kimmel is in trouble with execs.

The episode listed on ABC's schedule for November 7 is another rerun, this time of the episode that aired on November 4 and featured a number of players from the 2025 World Series-winning Dodgers, as well as Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olsen. A rerun on a Friday night isn't unusual, however, and there's currently no indication that Jimmy Kimmel won't be back in his usual weeknight late night time slot on Monday, November 10. If you want to revisit other episodes of the current season of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, you can do so streaming with a Hulu subscription.

Having co-starred opposite Tim Allen for what will be two seasons of ABC's Shifting Gears by the time finales hit the 2026 TV schedule, Kat Dennings is well aware of what working with Tim Allen is like. Something that may surprise upwards of nobody is that the Home Improvement vet likes when cars are on topic, particularly his own vehicles; the sitcom's location wasn't chosen randomly from a hat. A pro tip from Dennings? Maybe don't speak respectfully about Jay Leno's car collection.

To be sure, the 2 Broke Girls vet didn't come right out and say that during her most recent Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance, but she definitely did imply it with her amusing answers and body language after the host brought up the two Last Man Standing vets and their respective wheeled passions. And it all stemmed from a conversation about seat belts, no doubt a part of everyone's daily exchanges. In any case, here's how Dennings addressed Allen's hobby-and-then-some:

It's hard for me to think about having 100 cars in the same area without feeling anxious pangs about not being able to find a place to park, even if they're my own cars. Because then it's like, "Where the hell did I get all these cars?" and the anxiety strengthens.

No such issues for Jay Leno, who appeared in Shifting Gears' first season earlier this year. Jimmy Kimmel knows it, and vicariously poked fun at Tim Allen through the former Tonight Show host, leading to the following exchange:

• JIMMY: Although Jay Leno laughs at Tim Allen’s 100 cars collection.
• KAT: I know, I know. Jay’s more of the type, I know. I’ve heard a lot. I‘ve heard all about this.
• JIMMY: Well, you know, [Tim] is always like, ‘Well, Jay has a few more cars than I do.’ I’m like, ‘This is a world I know nothing about.’

Kat Dennings does look like the wife/daughter/colleague who has heard the same old story about the same old shit time and time again from a husband/father/car-loving colleague without ever having shown all that much affection for it in the first place. But still trying to be genial about it, which makes it that much funnier to think about Allen offhandedly grunting about how many cars Jay Leno has at random points of the day, unable to let that sliver of his brain go unchecked for very long.

Kimmel continued, reveling in the knowledge of the mini-rivalry:

• JIMMY: I like the idea that there is a rivalry there, "Who has 100 cars?" and that’s not enough.
• KAT: I mean Jay did come on the show as himself, which is very cute.
• JIMMY: To brag about how many cars he has.
• KAT: I guess. I can’t relate. This is an expensive hobby that I don’t have access to.

The Dollface vet noted that she only has one car, and she's not interested in owning another 99 anytime soon, even if it wasn't financially impossible. This is a mindset I can get behind. Probably to push it because the battery is dead.

Check out Kat Dennings' interview with Jimmy Kimmel below, which also involves some talk concerning a commercial about bedwetting.

Shifting Gears will continue its Season 2 run on the 2025 TV schedule every Wednesday night on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Jimmy Kimmel made headlines over a month ago following the suspension of his eponymous talk show at ABC. The network decided to take such action after Kimmel made comments tied to the death of polarizing political pundit Charlie Kirk. A wave of celebrities showed support for Kimmel, whose suspension was eventually lifted after five days. Fellow talk show hosts also came to his defense, including Bill Maher. Now, though, Maher is under the impression that Kimmel no longer likes him.

Bill Maher – who’s been on Jimmy Kimmel Live! multiple times over the years – discussed his peer’s situation during his Club Random podcast. Maher’s guest, Michael Rapaport, specifically asked him for his opinion on what Kimmel said on air. The Real Time star said he was “forthright” about supporting Kimmel on air, even though he didn’t agree with his sentiment. However, despite his show of support, Maher cites one moment from Kimmel’s first post-suspension broadcast as an indication of the status of their relationship:

Upon his return to the airwaves following his suspension, Jimmy Kimmel gave a monologue in which he thanked a number of current late-night hosts like Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers. Kiimmel also thanked right-leaning political pundits like Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro for also showing forms of support. However, Maher – who also voiced support on his own show – was notably left out of Kimmel’s address. Of course, at this point, the assertion that Kimmel no longer likes Maher is only an assumption on the latter’s part.

What Jimmy Kimmel specifically said that led to his show’s suspension, was about Charlie Kirk’s 22-year-old supposed murderer. He said, “We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it.” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr later suggested on a podcast that the Alphabet Network’s broadcast license could be revoked as a result. Subsequently, broadcasters Sinclair and Nexstar dropped Kimmel’s show from its ABC affiliates.

Although Bill Maher agreed that Kimmel had “the right to be wrong,” he’s also been honest when sharing his thoughts on how some talk show hosts use political humor. It’s been Maher’s contention that “everybody makes their decisions based on the politics of the art and not the art itself” and that many hosts cater towards one specific political ideology. Maher expanded on that sentiment during his recent conversation:

Veteran talk show host Jay Leno shared similar sentiments on the use of political humor, which he admitted he could appreciate. However, Leno also feels that some modern hosts lean too far to one side of the aisle. Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver vehemently disagreed with Leno, arguing that comedy is “inherently subjective” and “can’t be for everyone.”

When it comes to Jimmy Kimmel’s comments, it’s likely that people will continue to have their opinions on them. As for the current nature of Kimmel’s relationship with Maher, only time will tell if he chooses to address the claim that he no longer likes the HBO host.

Jimmy Kimmel found himself at the center of a major situation back in September, at which point his eponymous late-night talk show was pulled from the air by ABC. That move came after Kimmel made comments related to the murder of right-wing political pundit Charlie Kirk. Five days after the suspension was initiated on September 17, Disney lifted it, and the show returned to the air on the 26th. Ahead of that reinstatement, various celebrities lent support to Kimmel, including Kathy Griffin, who found the situation somewhat triggering.

Kathy Griffin revealed that following the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, she contacted the titular host on “day one.” Someone may be tempted to assume that this was simply a general instance of a comedian showing solidarity with another comic. However, it goes a bit deeper than that. While speaking with People, Griffin explained that she felt compelled to reach out to Kimmel, in part, because of the way he stepped up for her when she was in trouble for political-related reasons:

Back in 2017, Griffin stirred up controversy after taking part in a photoshoot, which showed her posing with a severed head of President Donald Trump. Griffin has since detailed the significant blowback she faced for her actions and even told People a lot of her friends “dumped” her around that time. (At one point, the status of Griffin’s friendship with Anderson Cooper – her former CNN colleague – also seemed to be up in the air.) Nevertheless, it appears Kimmel remained in Griffin’s corner throughout that period in her life.

Jimmy Kimmel’s own issues were initiated after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr appeared on a podcast and suggested that ABC’s broadcasting license could be revoked. Around that same time, broadcast companies Nexstar and Sinclair announced that they would pull Live! from their affiliates indefinitely due to Kimmel’s comments. After the suspension – which was decided upon by Disney CEO Bob Iger and company chairman Dana Walden – was decided upon, President Trump and others spoke out in support of the move.

Despite the opposition to Kimmel’s show returning to the air, there were a plethora of celebrities who were in favor of him being reinstated. Early on, Ben Stiller, Don Lemon and more defended Kimmel, as they took issue with the reasons for him being suspended. Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and others later signed a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union and called for others to speak out in support of free speech.

As a whole, Jimmy Kimmel and Kathy Griffin’s respective controversies differ in a few key ways. What obviously remains consistent with both situations, though, is the notion that both Griffin and Kimmel wanted to support each other as they went through their respective issues. Although we can’t speak for Kimmel, it’s easy to imagine that he appreciated Griffin reaching out as much as she appreciated him still welcoming her to his talk show.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs on weeknights on ABC at 11:35 p.m. ET. Also, take a look at the 2025 TV schedule for broadcast information on other late-night shows that are airing.

There’s been a lot written about Jimmy Kimmel Live! in recent weeks, as the popular late night show was suspended in the wake of Charlie Kirk comments, only to return to giant ratings (and then fall off the cliff again). The trajectory of late night TV in general has been wild in recently years, but one stat about the state of late night, the involvement of YouTube, and the numbers Kimmel is seeing in general absolutely just blew my mind.

There was a big debate earlier this year when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert got canceled. Some reports at the time relayed Colbert’s political nature and the then-upcoming merger got him into hot water, while other reports said The Late Show’s fiscal issues led to CBS making the decision. In a wide-ranging interview, his fellow late night star Jimmy Kimmel has said “losing so much money” is not possibly legit. He also said YouTube has killed the margins for late night TV.

First, I Was Shocked By The Big Gap Between YouTube And The Ratings

Speaking with Bloomberg Television, Kimmel opened up about how YouTube has been an important part of the late night strategy in recent years. In fact, when Kimmel was taken off the air and then subsequently reinstated by ABC, he saw some of the highest ratings in years. But the one fact that really stuck with me and shook me up is how much it pales in comparison to how the clips from his return did on YouTube.

His return to late night opening monologue landed 22 million viewers… on YouTube. In addition, 6.3 million people tuned in to watch Jimmy Kimmel’s return on the air. Obviously, it’s easier to watch a 10-minute monologue than to tune in for an entire episode, but I cannot stress enough how startling that discrepancy is.

Even more so when you consider that a typical episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live nabs about 1.6 million total viewers, if the numbers from the 2024-2025 TV schedule are any indication, while the more popular YouTube monologues nab anywhere in the 3-5 million views range. Any way you slice it, the YouTube numbers often look pretty solid compared to what the show is doing in its traditional medium, TV.

Jimmy Kimmel Loves YouTube, Despite It Having ‘Killed Late Night TV’

The mainstay host spoke about some of the many challenges late night is facing right now, noting YouTube cutting into his ratings (and ability to then make money off of advertisements) as one of them. Though it's not the sole reason late night is getting "killed," he did feel it was worth touching on.

Despite the challenges the TV landscape has dealt with in the last decade plus, late night TV is still an institution. It’s still a great place to uncover new TV shows and movies, and to hear fun stories from our favorite celebrities. As Kimmel himself said in the interview, because of YouTube, more people outside of the U.S. can also access his show’s content, which he appreciates. Still, he’s not going to make changes due to the algorithm.

This seemingly has some impact, and there was one other fact that had me shocked. Partway through the interview, the Bloomberg journalist, Lucas Shaw, mentioned that while Kimmel dominates on YouTube more so than on network TV these days, he’s not even close to being one of the main YouTube revenue earners. Comparing The Late Show to something like Mr. Beast’s YouTube eyeball shares is actually kind of a joke, and while Kimmel doesn’t seem jealous, I don’t think there’s one fact that has come up here that proves the late night landscape is waning more than that one does.

How's the buttoned up host supposed to compete with a YouTube billionaire who posts content like renting out Disneyland, anyway?

There was a lot of talk about free speech in the aftermath of Jimmy Kimmel being suspended. Critics took aim at local TV station owners Nexstar and Sinclair for pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live off the air and at Disney for putting the show on hiatus, but during a recent industry conference, a key executive at Sinclair Broadcasting Group pushed back on that narrative and said the company had a "fiduciary responsibility” to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live. He later contrasted his own company with Meta’s social media properties like Facebook to try and prove his point.

The conference in question happened at NAB New York during the Local TV Strategies panel. Rob Weisbord, the COO and President of Local Media, was asked about the Kimmel situation, and he said the decision to pull the show wasn’t about free speech. Instead, it was about protecting its stations in local markets, presumably from FCC issues after Chairman Brendan Carr threatened regulatory action against ABC and its affiliates over Kimmel’s comments.

Weisbord said Sinclair, Nexstar and other companies that own local TV stations have regulations that streamers and other digital media companies do not. He said because they operate on public airwaves and are regulated by the FCC, they have to maintain a different level of standards and are required to be as accurate as possible. He pointed to Meta, a company he says has openly talked about how they don’t fact check their content. He said they don’t have that same luxury and could lose their license if they don’t try to maintain accuracy. Here’s a portion of his quote, per TV News Check…

The controversy happened in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder. The popular right wing talking head was assassinated during a rally, prompting widespread shock and outrage. The following week, Kimmel addressed the shooting in his monologue and accused the “MAGA gang” of “desperately trying to characterize the kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

We don’t know the full motivations of the alleged shooter, but many reports both at the time of Kimmel’s comments and since have claimed the accused holds left wing views. Some observers felt Kimmel was intentionally distorting the truth and/ or making light of Kirk’s murder in poor taste. Amidst the outrage from some viewers, the FCC Chairman threatened regulatory action, Sinclair and Nexstar said their local stations wouldn’t air Jimmy Kimmel Live and Disney made the decision to suspend the show.

He was later reinstated and returned to huge ratings. He gave a lengthy monologue talking about the first amendment and free speech. He also said it was never his intention to make light of a murder or to infer the shooter represented any group or spoke for anyone other than himself.

If nothing else, these comments are a good reminder of how complicated the Kimmel situation truly was, at least from a structural standpoint. Disney owns ABC, which produces Jimmy Kimmel Live, which airs via its affiliates on local TV stations, which are owned by companies like Sinclair, which are regulated by the FCC. We don’t know what the FCC actually would have done if none of those parties did anything, but after the initial threat was made, Sinclair and Nexstar acted, presumably to protect their own businesses from being investigated and/ or losing their licenses.

So, was the Jimmy Kimmel suspension a free speech issue? Yes. In some respects, it obviously was. In other respects, however, it was the byproduct of the complicated ecosystem that network television exists in.

Just a few weeks ago, the future of Jimmy Kimmel as a late-night talk show host was in question. He had been suspended from his self-titled show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! And whether he would ever come back was unknown. It was certainly a wild few days for Kimmel, but potentially not as crazy as the story of how he got the job in the first place. A situation that apparently had him stealing the job away from Jon Stewart.

In an appearance on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast, Kimmel told the story of how he got hired as the host of ABC’s first traditional late-night talk show. Kimmel credits producer Michael Davies, who had hired Kimmel to co-host Comedy Central game show Win Ben Stein’s Money, for suggesting him to ABC President Lloyd Braun. Kimmel added that Jon Stewart nearly had the job locked up when things changed. Kimmel said:

Jon Stewart had only been hosting The Daily Show for a couple of years at the point this would have been happening. Somewhat ironically, it was a job he got after the previous Daily Show host, Craig Kilborn, had been hired away to host the show following David Letterman's new show on CBS. ABC only moved forward with its late-night talk show that Kimmel ended up hosting after Letterman decided to go to CBS and not ABC.

Kimmel admits he had no idea he had even been suggested as the host, as it wasn’t public knowledge at the time that ABC was looking to replace Politically Incorrect or that "they wanted a traditional late-night talk show." The show would eventually be moved into the Nightline time slot to compete directly with other major late-night shows.

According to Kimmel, ABC brought him into a meeting under false pretenses to discuss hosting a Thursday night variety show. He apparently spent that meeting talking about David Letterman, Kimmel’s talk show idol, with the President of ABC, and the discussion of hosting any sort of a show never came up.

Kimmel says he first heard about the late-night show because the secretary to the President of ABC was married to his The Man Show co-host, Adam Carolla, who was also friends with Kimmel’s wife. Ultimately, he was hired, which put his manager in an awkward position. Kimmel continued:

Jon Stewart, of course, was fine without it. He transformed The Daily Show into a late-night heavyweight in its own right. He's now back hosting the show after a stint with Apple TV+. Although that does raise questions about why ABC decided to go with Kimmel, a relative unknown at the time, over the better-known Stewart. It turns out Kimmel himself asked Disney CEO Bob Iger that question once, and got a somewhat blunt answer:

Kimmel may have been cheaper at the time, but a quarter century later, it does appear that money was well spent.

When ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! last month, the fallout didn’t just stay in late-night television. It spilled over into streaming, where it was reported that cancellations rose to 1.7 million during the week of September 17 to September 23 among those with a Disney+ subscription. The controversy didn’t just spark outrage but also created a curious phenomenon across Disney+ and Hulu.

Some subscribers rage-quit the Mouse House over Kimmel’s suspension, but others apparently rushed to join. According to Variety, data from research firm Antenna revealed that Disney’s two flagship streaming platforms experienced double their usual cancellation rates in September 2025, while also seeing a significant bump in new subscribers.

What Were The Number Of Cancellations

On September 17, ABC, owned by Disney, announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be suspended “indefinitely.” The decision came after the host made remarks about “the MAGA gang” and late conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s response to a recent high-profile murder case. That set off a political firestorm, prompting major ABC affiliates like Nexstar and Sinclair to pull Kimmel’s show from their schedules temporarily.

The reaction was immediate. Viewers voiced outrage across social media, threatening to cancel their Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions in protest. Apparently, many followed through on the threat, with Disney+ seeing its cancellation rate double to 8% in September, up from 4% in the two months prior, while Hulu’s rate spiked from 5% to 10%.

To put that in perspective, Antenna found the industry average cancellation rate across nine of the best streaming services (including Netflix, Paramount+, and Apple TV+) was around 7%. Meaning Disney’s platforms were feeling the heat.

The Cancellations Aren’t The Full Picture

Here’s where it gets weird. Despite the uproar, Variety reports that Disney+ and Hulu also saw more sign-ups in September than in the two previous months.

Disney+ added an estimated 2.18 million new subscribers, up from 1.99 million in August and 1.65 million in July. Hulu wasn’t far behind with 2.11 million new sign-ups, up from 1.97 million and 1.73 million, respectively. So while plenty of users hit “cancel,” just as many were joining in, maybe drawn in by the very controversy they were reading about.

It’s a streaming paradox that only the modern media and political landscape could create. There was, of course, outrage and curiosity coexisting in the same subscriber charts. Some users might’ve canceled out of frustration, while others may have signed up just to see what the fuss was about when Kimmel returned to air on September 23.

And return he did, with record-breaking ratings. Even with Nexstar and Sinclair still boycotting the show, Kimmel’s comeback episode pulled in the highest viewership numbers in the show’s history.

Some Of The Cancellations Where Pure Economics

Of course, it’s not all about late-night drama. There’s another factor lurking in the background: more streaming price hikes.

Disney raised subscription prices across Disney+, Hulu, and their various bundles in late September, right in the middle of the Kimmel controversy. So not every cancellation can be blamed on political backlash, because some may have been simple math.

According to the outlet, Antenna’s data can’t distinguish between outright cancellations and subscribers “switching” plans (for example, downgrading from ad-free to ad-supported). In other words, some folks weren’t quitting Disney altogether but were just tightening their belt in a challenging economy.

If you zoom out, this episode says a lot about where streaming and the Disney empire stand in 2025. One industry analyst told the outlet that this kind of volatility may be the “new normal” for big entertainment brands. Streaming loyalty is fickle, but engagement —even controversial engagement —can still translate into growth.

Late-night TV has been a staple of the medium for decades, but in recent months, we’ve seen all of late-night TV undergo some significant upheaval, from the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel. A great deal has been made over how much late-night shows are allegedly losing, but Kimmel is clapping back at the numbers.

When CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show, it argued that the decision was purely a financial one, as the show had been losing money for the network. Some reports claim that the show was losing as much as $40 million or more in a year, but in a recent appearance at the Bloomberg Screentime Conference, Jimmy Kimmel said there’s no way the show was losing that much. He explained:

Kimmel estimated that the budget for a late-night show was somewhere in the range of $120 million. However, figuring out exactly how much a show makes and how much it costs, as Kimmel says here, is far more complicated to figure out. He specifically points out affiliate fees, which are something that a network gets paid so that the station can air all the content from the network. Certainly, some portion of that fee should be attributed to the late-night show, but how much it’s worth is impossible to say.

In the end, Jimmy Kimmel admits that he can’t say whether his show, or other late-night shows, make money or lose money. He’s at least willing to accept that the shows might ultimately be money losers for the network, but as Kimmel has argued before, he says there’s no way they lose $40 million, because they would have been canceled long before now if that were the case. He continued:

To be fair, in the case of The Late Show, they are sending everyone home next year. And we have seen other late-night shows face budget cuts. What the future holds for Kimmel and other late-night hosts is unclear at this point. There’s no indication that any of them are in line to be canceled.

Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s status was uncertain several weeks ago after Disney and ABC suspended the show indefinitely. Company executives decided to pull the series after Kimmel made remarks on air that pertained to the death of right-wing political pundit Charlie Kirk. Ultimately, the long-running talk show was only suspended for a week before it was reinstated. Since then, details on what was happening behind the scenes amid the suspension have surfaced, and Kimmel is now reflecting on discussions he had with execs.

Amid Kimmel’s suspension, it was reported that company bigwigs, mainly Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Dana Walden. Kimmel took part in Bloomberg’s Screentime Conference and, during it, he recalled what happened shortly after he was pulled from the airwaves. While the host admitted to being surprised by the network’s decision to drop his show, he was appreciative of the dialogues he was subsequently able to have with his employers. He specifically highlighted his talks with Walden:

The Man Show alum (as seen in the YouTube video) also spoke highly of his colleagues. As he explained, they’re people he’s known for years and “like[s] very much.” Kimmel also said he and his bosses “all wanted this to work out best.” While all parties eventually reached an agreement, it reportedly took some time for everyone to see eye to eye.

Per reports, it was ultimately Bob Iger’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely. Iger’s choice came on the heels of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr suggesting that ABC’s broadcast license could be revoked after Kimmel made the Kirk-related comments. Eventually, broadcasting companies Nexstar and Sinclair – which carry ABC affiliates – dropped the aforementioned talk show from their markets. Amid the situation, though, it was still reported that Iger’s course of action was not well received internally.

Sources also previously dropped claims about the meetings execs had with Kimmel to discuss his show’s potential return. Apparently, the powers that be wanted the late-night host to apologize, though he allegedly didn’t feel that his comments warranted an apology. All the while, Kimmel’s staffers weren’t laid off and remained paid. Speaking of employees, their safety reportedly factored into the suspension, too, as they purportedly received death threats during that time and had their phone numbers and email addresses doxxed.

At present, it seems Jimmy Kimmel and his colleagues are easing back into a sense of normalcy in the workplace. However, on the corporate side of this situation, Disney stockholders are now requesting documentation in regard to Kimmel’s suspension. These individuals are seeking evidence of wrongdoing, mismanagement and potential breaches of the company’s fiduciary duty.

While those legal matters continue to play out, Jimmy Kimmel has expressed gratitude over his return to the air and it seems that feeling extends to the conversations he had with Dana Walden and others. As his show continues to air, we’ll see if he provides even more insight into what went down internally after the suspension. For now, though, watch Jimmy Kimmel Live! weekly from Monday to Friday at 11:35 p.m. ET as part of the 2025 TV schedule. The series can also be streamed using a YouTube TV subscription.

The suspension and return of Jimmy Kimmel to late-night has been a major topic of conversation in the world of TV, and while the host has now been back for a while and his ratings have largely returned to normal, there are still a lot of people with a lot of questions. The entire situation was shocking to many, and that includes Jimmy Kimmel.

Speaking at the recent Bloomberg Screentime Conference, Kimmel was asked when he realized that his monologue, which referenced the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which got him suspended from the show, was going to be a problem for him. Kimmel admits he didn’t really realize at the time his comments would be an issue, because he frequently doesn’t know when things he says will be a problem. Kimmel explained…

In this case, a big part of the reason Jimmy Kimmel didn’t think there would be a problem is that he has continually argued that he did not say what was reported. His comments were about the reaction to Charlie Kirk’s death and reports of the assassin’s motives, though he was accused of making light of the assassination itself.

It's likely Kimmel assumed that, despite what some media outlets were reporting, the powers that be would understand his comments were being distorted, and there would be no major issues. Unfortunately, that's not what happened.

ABC affiliates started to make noise, and a couple of major affiliate groups decided not to air Jimmy Kimmel Live! due to the controversy. Shortly after that, Disney announced an indefinite suspension of Kimmel. The show was off the air for a week before it returned to some of the best ratings the show has ever seen.

The affiliate groups initially pre-empted Kimmel’s return, which made his high ratings even more impressive, though the show is back on there as well. It does appear this particular issue is now past him, though it will likely continue to be discussed as the late-night TV world is in clear upheaval at the moment.

Jimmy Kimmel refused to say whether he would leave Jimmy Kimmel Live! at the end of his current contract. And at the moment, his show is still airing new episodes on the 2025 TV schedule.

Hollywood’s a weird industry. Most of the time when a person takes a behind-the-scenes job, it isn’t necessarily for a particularly long time. Movie gigs may last for only weeks; TV shows may last for months before summer hiatuses and, all-too often, yearly cancelations. But it’s rare for a show like Jimmy Kimmel Live or The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to come along that all but guarantees job continuity for a much longer window. That is, until recently.

When news The Late Show was being canceled came down the pipeline, it sent shockwaves through the industry. But for the people who actually work on the show, it means they are also going to be out of the job and without banking the millions+ paydays a hosting gig offers. Putting out feelers could be key to where they land, which is why a joke fellow late night host Jimmy Kimmel made was funny, but also had rings of truth to it.

Late Show Staffers Are Maybe Looking To Switch To Jimmy Kimmel Live

Last week, Kimmel and Colbert made headlines when they decided to appear on each others’ shows on the same night. The so-called “crossover” event led to some great moments, including Kimmel revealing how his kids responded to his own ABC suspension. One other bit that stood out to me happened when Kimmel was talking about showing up to the set of his fellow late night host's show.

The audience roared with laughter about the remark, but what I liked about the joke is how it probably mirrored his real reality visiting the CBS show. Everyone on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is going to need to start looking for a new gig within the next six months, and pitching yourself to Jimmy Kimmel when you already have the experience is not the worst idea I’d even heard.

Nor was it for Stephen Colbert, either, who took Kimmel’s joke and dryly responded, ‘as well they should.’

My good friend is an editor, and I know how stressful it can be hopping from gig to gig, so I appreciate Colbert's supportive comment back. The final episode of his show is expected to air in May of 2026 as the TV schedule is wrapping up ahead of the summer season. Even so, it’s certainly too soon for the former Daily Show host, who said of his team at CBS:

There’s nothing else to really say about that, though if you want CBS's perspective on the matter, George Cheeks has spoken out. Regardless, if you’re hiring talent, Stephen Colbert sounds like he’d likely be the first to sign the recommendation letters.

It’s been quite the roller coaster ride for late-night talk show hosts over the past few months, where the behind-the-scenes happenings at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel Live! have arguably been as relevant as anything actually on the shows. Jimmy Kimmel saw record ratings September 23, when he returned after being taken off the air a week earlier. However, that spike proved to be short-lived.

ABC announced on September 17 that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be pre-empted “indefinitely” following comments the host made on the show about Charlie Kirk’s death, but after strong reactions from around Hollywood and an allegedly large number of Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN subscription cancellations, he was brought back six days later. Kimmel's first episode back reached an audience of 6.26 million total viewers in Live+Same calculations, but just two days later on September 25, that number fell to 2.3 million, per the New York Post.

In the coveted 25-54 demo, Jimmy Kimmel Live! fell 73% from Tuesday to Thursday, reportedly pulling in 1.7 million viewers on September 23 but only 465,000 in that age range on the 25th.

The more than 6 million Live+Same viewers (which increases to 8.6 million when you add in DVR views over the next three days, according to Nielsen Live+3 ratings via LateNighter) were the most the talk show has seen on a regularly scheduled episode since March 2015.

While Jimmy Kimmel’s numbers did fall on subsequent episodes that week, he still dominated the 11:35 p.m. ET timeslot, with his three first-run shows averaging 4.89 million viewers — more than double his average a week earlier.

Given all the drama surrounding Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, it was expected that his return to the 2025 TV schedule would attract many who don’t regularly watch the show, which the host definitely joked about in his comeback monologue.

After played a clip of President Trump saying Jimmy Kimmel "had no ratings," the host responded:

Fans and celebrities alike praised Kimmel’s return to the air, as the fallout continued behind the scenes with Bob Iger and Disney brass. Shareholders reportedly sought details on the decision to suspend the show, while some sources suggested employee safety might also have been a factor.

The Jimmy Kimmel brouhaha came just a couple of months after it was announced that The Late Show was ending next year. The longtime CBS late-night show is currently hosted by Stephen Colbert, and with many debating whether the cancellation was financially justified or politically motivated, Kimmel and Colbert have formed a late-night bromance, each appearing on each other’s shows Tuesday, September 30.

It will be interesting to see if that leads to another bump for Jimmy Kimmel Live! or to Stephen Colbert’s show when those numbers are available. For now you can catch both hosts at 11:35 p.m. ET weeknights, with Kimmel on ABC and Colbert on CBS.

The 2025 TV schedule has been full of late-night shake-ups — from CBS canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to ABC briefly suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live! before walking it back. But while the discourse about their shows and what is said on and about them continues, Jimmy Fallon says The Tonight Show monologue hasn’t really changed. The comedian has remained steady at the helm, steering one of television’s longest-running franchises through recent political upheaval. Despite the shifting TV landscape, Fallon insists his approach to the nightly monologue is no different from how Johnny Carson did it.

In a recent interview with CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, promoting his new unscripted series On Brand, which premieres on NBC this fall, Fallon addressed the current crackdown on comedian hosts and whether he worries about what he can (and can’t) joke about. The conversation had the SNL alum reflecting on his style and tipping his cap to comedy idol Johnny Carson. The pop culture fixture explained:

It’s a revealing statement, especially given how much late-night comedy has become synonymous with political commentary in recent years. Stephen Colbert has leaned heavily into satire aimed at Washington, John Oliver has taken home Emmys for his in-depth breakdowns of policy, and Seth Meyers regularly scores viral clips with his “A Closer Look” segments. But Fallon has carved out a lane closer to variety entertainment, with games, celebrity sketches, and a monologue that aims to keep the temperature dialed down.

Fallon's approach doesn’t mean the NBC star is ignoring the times. Instead, he says it’s about focusing on what The Tonight Show does best, and by his measure, that’s being a showcase for jokes and entertainment that can reach across divides. He continued:

It’s a philosophy rooted as much in broad audience appeal as in tradition. Johnny Carson had a ton of great quotes, but his era — often considered the gold standard for the best late-night hosts— thrived on a kind of middle-America accessibility. The comedian-turned-TV host seems to want to capture that same vibe, aiming to create a show that's enjoyable for everyone, even in a time when the most outrageous, divisive content receives a lot of attention online. Whether this approach will keep The Tonight Show competitive in today’s media scene is up for discussion. But for Fallon, the mission is pretty straightforward: just keep people laughing.

As for the talk-show staple’s new project, On Brand will air twice a week on NBC. Each episode follows participants from the On Brand Agency as they team up with major companies to craft fresh campaigns. By the finale, one creative will win a cash prize and the invaluable experience of the competition. Fallon serves as host, executive producer, and creator.

Meanwhile, his daily talk show and monologues will continue as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET/10:35 p.m. CT on NBC.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! is in the middle of its first full week of shows since its host was unceremoniously suspended by ABC over on-air comments, and he and fellow embattled last night host Stephen Colbert extended their bromance by guesting on each other’s talk shows. While sitting on the Late NIght couch, Kimmel gave a very detailed breakdown of the unpredictable chaos that went down the afternoon he was suspended, including the undeniably adorable way one of his kids reacted. (The other kid’s reaction? Slightly less wholesome.)

The way he tells it, the timing of ABC’s decision couldn’t have happened at a more awkward time, as the guests were en route to the studio, where the seats were already filled up with ready and eager audience members. As such, the studio had to be emptied, and Kimmel & Co. had to vacate posthaste. He notes that it didn’t help anyone’s stress levels to be followed back to their home by two helicopters.

This is when Kimmel was able to touch base with his kids about the situation, which is where things got overtly adorable. Here’s how he explained it, combined with Colbert's own reaction.

• KIMMEL: We get to the house, and we’re shaking. The kids are up. I got two kids. And our daughter, who’s 11 years old, says, ‘I can sell my Labubus.’ It was actually very sweet.
• COLBERT: Oh, that’s lovely.

I'm pretty sure that comment would have broken me down into a sobbing husk of a person, especially while still in the thick of the drama and not knowing exactly what the future would look like. At that point, Kimmel had yet to receive waves and waves of support from fellow celebs and late night hosts, so his own emotions were running high.

Which is precisely the point when a child's extremely selfless comments are most effective. At one point when I was facing my own financial problems, one of my daughtered offered to start selling lemonade in the neighborhood to help out, and it meant the world to me to see that empathy on display.

Plus, Labubus are expensive as all hell, and the resale value can get exorbitant, so Kimmel's daughter could have probably paid off the mortgage and funded a family vacation by selling off the lucrative collectables. (Slight hyperbole, but even South Park ripped on how pricy the toys are.)

Jimmy Kimmel's son had a slightly different reaction to the news than his sister did, and while entertaining, didn't make me nearly as tearful.

• KIMMEL: Our son just got naked and started running around the house.
• COLBERT: Also lovely.

If that's how he reacted when his dad got suspended, I can't imagine what kind of response he gave upon learning that the talk show was going back into production.

In his first post-supension episode, Jimmy Kimmel won over audiences with a heartfelt monologue, and even though the numbers understandably dropped in a big way soon after, that first episode drew some of the biggest ratings of the talk show's existence. So for now, Kimmel doesn't yet need to sell off any of his kids' toys to stay afloat. But the future is always a mystery.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Show will continue their current seasons on the 2025 TV schedule every weeknight (save for Fridays), airing respectively on ABC and CBS, starting at 11:35 p.m. ET.

When Jimmy Kimmel was suspended, fans who were upset with the decision expressed their displeasure in various ways. One of those methods, specifically designed to hit Disney where it hurts, was to call for people to cancel their Disney+ subscription as well as their subscriptions to Hulu and ESPN. Even Tatiana Maslany and other celebrities joined in on the boycott.

The idea was that while Disney might not notice upset social media posts, they'd notice if the bottom line took a hit. If a new report is accurate, it looks like that may have actually happened, as a lot of people may have walked away from Disney's various streaming platforms.

Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Saw A Major Increase In Cancellations Following Kimmel's Suspension

Journalist Marisa Kabras was the first to report on the planned Disney+ price increase that followed shortly after Jimmy Kimmel’s reinstatement. Now, Kabras is reporting on Bluesky that a Disney source claims approximately 1.7 million subscriptions were canceled during the week of September 17 to September 23. While that’s a small fraction of the 207 million total subscribers the three services have, according to Disney’s last earnings call, it’s reportedly a 436% increase over the normal subscriber churn the services see.

If these numbers are accurate, then they are certainly significant. A 436% increase in churn is the sort of statistic that you’d expect Disney to notice. Kimmel even made a joke about the cancellations during his first show back following the suspension. While Disney’s exact decision-making process for bringing Kimmel back is unknown, it’s not hard to believe that the cancellations actually did have the desired impact.

Disney+ Announced A Price Increase Following Kimmel’s Return

The next question becomes, now that Jimmy Kimmel is back, will those subscribers who canceled their accounts return and resubscribe? There’s one pretty significant reason why many of them might not, and that’s the fact that next month, nearly every Disney+ subscription and bundle will see a price increase of $2-$3 per month in October.

Shortly after Kimmel’s return, the price increase that had reportedly been planned for months was officially announced. Price increases have historically caused subscriber churn on their own, meaning Disney could see additional subscriber loss following the price increase. It’s also possible that some of those who might've returned and resubscribed at the old price might choose not to do so specifically because of the price increase.

Disney has already announced that it will stop reporting its streaming subscriber numbers at the beginning of fiscal year 2026. With that, the upcoming Disney earnings call in November for Q4 of 2025 will be the last time official numbers will be given. Those numbers should include the fallout from the Kimmel cancellations, but won’t include whatever is lost by the price increase, as that will take place in Q1.

Fox’s block of animated comedy favorites finally landed on the 2025 TV schedule with new season premieres, including The Simpsons’ wildly impressive Season 37 opener. The episode, "Thrifty Ways to Thieve Your Mother,” featured a plotline full of ‘90s nostalgia, and it’s far from the first time the Emmy-winning series has dipped back to that timeframe for storytelling purposes. Because despite its seemingly eerie ability to predict the future, The Simpsons does not aim for timely relevance very often.

That stance is counterbalanced by a show like South Park, which has returned to former peaks of relevance by focusing so heavily on Donald Trump and other current events, even at the risk of facing unforeseen delays due to its time-sensitive structure. When Simpsons showrunner Matt Selman was asked by EW about how the show as a whole is handling the current state of the country and the politicization of comedy, he explained why he’s actually happy animation’s long gestation time makes it harder for the writers to be timely, saying:

Selman is speaking of course of South Park's recent extended hiatus between episodes, which the co-creators admitted was completely on them for not being able to get it done in time. As well, the showrunner complimented Jimmy Kimmel, whose highly polarizing suspension at ABC turned Jimmy Kimmel Live! into not just a scorching-hot topic in Hollywood, but also a ratings beast when the show returned a week later.

As far as The Simpsons is concerned, Selman & Co. would likely need access to an undeniably powerful crystal ball and a sane-minded prognosticator in order to pull off the kind of in-the-moment relevancy of either the Comedy Central series or the late night talk show. But let's not forget that Springfield isn't exactly the most up-to-date city around, even when only compared to other fictional places.

The showrunner explains why real-world drama isn't meant to be the norm for Homer and others. in the first place, saying:

Back when The Simpsons first started, it could tackle legitimate content-related issues like violence on TV in ways that felt more timely, if only because the internet wasn't yet around to keep everyone constantly updated about any given topic at any given moment. Now, it's probably easier just to write at their own pace, even if it means parodying eight-year-old movies with frequency.

Matt Selman says he thinks The Simpsons can be watched with equal enjoyment by anyone, because most of us can relate to the follies and foibles of local populations. As he put it:

So don't expect for The Simpsons to make a joke in next week's episode about Bad Bunny performing at the 2026 Super Bowl, although if it does, that one is definitely going in the "magical prediction" pile.

The Simpsons airs Sunday nights on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ET, and streams the next day with a Hulu subscription.

Both Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel have been in interesting professional positions over the past several months. Earlier this year, The Late Show was canceled at CBS, marking the end of an era for Colbert and late-night TV. And, just this month, Kimmel’s show was suspended following comments he made related to the death of political pundit Charlie Kirk. Colbert and Kimmel have had each other’s backs through it all, and it appears the lovely bromance between the two hosts is about to continue, which I love.

With Jimmy Kimmel Live! now back on the air following its suspension, the show’s roster of guests for the upcoming week of September 29 - October 3 (during which the show will tape in Brooklyn) has been revealed, via ABC. Plenty of major stars are set to roll through while Kimmel and co. film in New York, and one of them is Stephen Colbert. The host will appear on Kimmel on Tuesday, September 30 and, on top of that, Kimmel is going to appear on The Late Show on that same night, per a press release from CBS. Check out Kimmel's schedule below:

• Monday, Sept. 29: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Johnson and Musical Guest Public Enemy
• Tuesday, Sept. 30: Stephen Colbert, Kumail Nanjiani and Musical Guest Reneé Rapp
• Wednesday Oct. 1: Emily Blunt, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Musical Guest Geese
• Thursday, Oct. 2: Jeremy Allen White, Bruce Springsteen and Musical Guest Living Colour 4
• Friday, Oct. 3: Tom Hanks, Spike Lee

The Kimmel/Colbert relationship should be in full force this coming Tuesday night, and this comes after the two discussed appearing on each other's programs. I’m already imagining what their conversations on the shows are going to look like. It’s surely a given that they’re going to discuss their unique situations and how they’ve both made headlines in recent months. As much humor as such a discussion could certainly generate, I’d imagine the pair might get serious at times. I also expect the word “thank you” to come up a few times, given Colbert and Kimmel’s mutual support of each other.

Shortly after The Late Show’s cancellation was announced in July, Jimmy Kimmel was one of many who reacted and expressed disdain over CBS’ decision. Kimmel also showed support for Stephen Colbert by campaigning for him to win an Emmy, even though he himself was also nominated. (And Colbert ultimately won.) On the other side of this, Colbert talked up Kimmel after ABC pre-empted his talk show.

Kimmel’s show was pulled after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr suggested during a podcast that ABC’s broadcasting licence could be revoked due to the host’s comments regarding the man who murdered Charlie Kirk. Around that same time, broadcasting companies Nexstar and Sinclair pulled Live! from its affiliates. Some Disney executives allegedly disagreed with the decision to suspend Kimmel, which came from CEO Bob Iger and entertainment chairman Dana Walden. Discussions between Kimmel and his bosses were ultimately had before his show was reinstated.

As for Stephen Colbert’s situation, CBS stated that the move came down to monetary reasons and, since then, a less-than-positive financial picture has surfaced. Yet some analysts speculated that the cancellation was motivated by other factors. The decision came down after Paramount (CBS’ parent company) settled a $16 million lawsuit with U.S. President Donald Trump, a move Colbert criticized on air. That suit was also considered to be the final piece of business in need of handling before the Paramount/Skydance merger.

Given everything that’s transpired within the late-night talk show space during the last few months, it feels somewhat poetic that Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert are finally appearing on each other's shows after talking about it.

We’ll see how their bond – which extends to other talk show hosts like Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon – shines through when Colbert is on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week. The show airs weekly Monday to Friday at 11:35 p.m. ET amid the 2025 TV schedule, while The Late Show airs at that same time on CBS weekly. Both shows can also be watched with a YouTube TV subscription.