With no expected end in sight to the late night talk show runs for current mainstays Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert, the same can’t always be said for ABC stalwart Jimmy Kimmel, who has been considering retirement for years. Now, heading into his fourth gig as Academy Awards host, the former Man Show co-host is looking to the future with rose-colored glasses, and has seemingly confirmed that the end of his reign is in sight, even if it’s not imminent just yet.
As mentioned, Kimmel has talked about ending Live! At various points in recent years, but has yet to make anything official, with the talk show hitting its 21st anniversary this year. Speaking with the L.A. Times about all of his current hosting responsibilities, he talked about how the urge to call it quits hits hardest while he’s in the thick of it, and how being away from the gig resparks a longing to keep it going. In his words:
It’s hard to yearn for it when you’re doing it. Wednesday night, I was very tired and I had all these scripts to go through — I had to revise and rewrite all these pitch ideas for the Oscars — and I was literally nodding off onto my computer. In those moments, I think, ‘I cannot wait until my contract is over.’ But then, I take the summer off or I go on strike, and you start going, ‘Yeah, I miss the fun stuff.’
Those thoughts and sentiments are completely relatable, as too much stress can make even the best profession seem unbearable. And it’s clear that the stresses never amassed to such lofty heights, since he agreeably extended his contract in 2022 based in part on positive support from the higher-up execs at ABC.
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It was during episodes of the charitable podcast Strike Force Five, produced during the WGA strike, that Kimmel spoke candidly about his thoughts on retiring. Oddly enough, it was that time away during the strife with the studios that made the NFL on Fox vet all the more appreciative for his means of work.
For all that he does love it innately, Jimmy Kimmel seems as convinced as ever that he’s indeed nearing the end of Live!’s run. Assuming he doesn't inevitably agree to more extensions in years to come. But for now, here's how he's viewing the future:
I think this is my final contract. I hate to even say it, because everyone’s laughing at me now — each time I think that, and then it turns out to be not the case. I still have a little more than two years left on my contract, and that seems pretty good. That seems like enough.
One can assume that there are certain elements of the job that he’d do away with forever if he could, such as incidents such as his mini-feud with Aaron Rogers over the NFL quarterback’s comments about the host regarding Jeffrey Epstein. But for that one supreme negative, there are no doubt plenty of unique positives that keep him smiling on a daily basis.
So it's possible that three years from now, ABC will be promoting an all-new late night show with Jimmy Kimmel's replacement, with the host having moved on to other occupational pastures. Or maybe he'll be instituted as a full-time Oscar host. Only time, and Kimmel's wavering intentions, will tell.
For now, Jimmy Kimmel is still on top of things around the midnight hour, with Jimmy Kimmel Live airing weeknights on ABC at 11:35 p.m. ET. Upcoming guests include Oscar hopefuls such as The Holdovers’ Paul Giamatti, Oppenheimer’s Cilian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Rustin’s Colman Domingo and more. While waiting for the awards show to arrive on Sunday, March 10, 2024, head to our 2024 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way in the meantime.
