ABC announced on Monday that it has lifted its suspension on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, confirming the popular late-night talk show will return to the airwaves this Tuesday, September 23rd.
A statement from Disney and ABC explained their earlier decision: “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.” The statement, also reported by Variety, continued: “We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
The talk show’s suspension on September 17th came after significant backlash. During his September 15th monologue, Kimmel made remarks about the potential political affiliations of the individual accused of assassinating conservative activist and podcaster Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel’s monologue included the statement: “We hit 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 doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
However, at the time of Kimmel’s monologue, the political leanings of the alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, were still unclear. Subsequent reports, including what were claimed to be text messages from Robinson, later suggested that Kimmel’s initial characterization might have been inaccurate.
The controversy intensified when Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr, a Trump Administration appointee, suggested on a podcast that ABC’s broadcast licenses and those of its affiliates could be at risk. Shortly after Carr’s comments, major ABC affiliate owners Nexstar and Sinclair – both of whom have ongoing merger deals requiring FCC approval – announced they would preempt Kimmel’s program. This ultimately led Disney-owned ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely.
The suspension sparked widespread criticism from both Hollywood figures and politicians across the political spectrum, including Republican senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. Many of Kimmel’s fellow late-night hosts voiced their support during this period.
Furthermore, numerous film and TV professionals who have worked with Disney, such as Mark Hamill from Star Wars and Tatiana Maslany of She-Hulk, publicly reacted. Some threatened to sever ties with Disney, while others urged their social media followers to cancel their Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN subscriptions. They viewed ABC’s actions as succumbing to government pressure and infringing upon citizens’ First Amendment rights.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! isn’t the only show critical of the Trump Administration making a return this week. South Park is also airing a new episode. However, co-creator Matt Stone clarified that “no one censored us,” explaining that the delay was simply due to them being late in finishing the episode.