Thursday, October 1, 2026
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New York (WNN)—Just days after ABC took "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" off the air, ABC announced on Monday, September 22nd, that the late-night show would return to TV on Tuesday, September 23rd. ABC pulled the show after remarks about the conservative MAGA movement and Donald Trump. His Tuesday night return follows public pressure, industry criticism, and debates about free speech.
Kimmel, during last Monday's monologue, referred to Trump's MAGA supporters, stating, “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” and "trying to score political points from it."
Kimmel added, “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,” referring to President Trump's comments at the White House. Reporters asked Trump about how he was holding up after Kirk's death, and Trump quickly said, "I think very good," and then quickly diverted to the White House construction process.
Walt Disney Co. has decided to bring Jimmy Kimmel back to ABC, reversing its suspension of the late-night talk show.
"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," the company said Monday in a statement. "It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive."
"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 decision to put 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on hold last week quickly became a major topic in national discussions about free speech and accountability in broadcasting.
Critics claimed that ABC's decision, which followed comments from FCC chair Brendan Carr and backlash from conservative media, seemed to give in to outside pressure and could set a worrying example for expressive commentary on-air.
This sparked many reactions, including calls for boycotts, support from fellow late-night hosts, and many statements from celebrities who were concerned about censorship.
Not all of ABC's affiliated stations will air Kimmel's comeback show. Sinclair, one of the country's biggest owners of local TV stations, has said its ABC affiliates will preempt the show "beginning Tuesday night." Sinclair said it will air news programming in the time slot instead.
Media company Nexstar has yet to say if it will do the same. Meanwhile, fans can still watch Kimmel's return on ABC stations and stream it on Hulu.
In August, Nexstar announced it wanted to buy Tegna in a $6.2 billion deal. Similarly, Sinclair said it was reviewing its business and considering "acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and business combinations." Both the Nexstar and Sinclair broadcast merger deals would require FCC approval. President Donald Trump designated the current FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, to the position.
It is unclear what Kimmel has in store for his return show. He has yet to speak directly about the controversy. This return is a big deal for him, especially since his contract goes until May 2026. Throughout Hollywood and the media world, the situation with "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" is crucial in continuing the discussion about the future of late-night TV and what can be said on air.
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