Jimmy Kimmel Live! To Return On Sept. 23: What Made ABC Take A U-Turn
After criticism and debate over free speech, ABC has confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel will return to his late-night show on Sept. 23.
ABC has announced that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will return to television on Sept 23.
The decision comes just days after the network suspended the late-night show following backlash over Kimmel’s remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
ABC Explains Decision To Bring Kimmel Back
On Sept. 22, ABC confirmed that the programme would resume broadcasting, ending the standoff that began last week. In a statement, the Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, explained why it had initially taken the show off the air.
According to a report in The New York Times, the Walt Disney Company said that on Sept. 17 it had “made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.” Disney added that it took this step “because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.”
The statement added, “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.”
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Why ABC Suspended The Show On Sept. 17
ABC suspended Kimmel indefinitely on Sept. 17 after comments he made during a monologue about Charlie Kirk, who was killed on Sept. 10. Kimmel had said “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
The suspension came after criticism from prominent conservatives, including a senior Donald Trump regulator, who said Kimmel had misrepresented the political views of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of shooting Kirk.
The New York Times reported that ABC acted within hours of Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, saying on a podcast that Kimmel’s comments were part of a “concerted effort to lie to the American people.”
US President Donald Trump, one of Kimmel’s frequent critics, welcomed the decision, saying that the suspension was “great news for America” on Truth Social.
Free Speech Debate Flares Up
Kimmel’s suspension quickly became a flashpoint in America’s ongoing debate over free speech. Hollywood unions representing more than four lakh workers condemned ABC’s move, with the screenwriters’ union labelling it “corporate cowardice” and staging a protest outside Disney’s headquarters in Burbank, California, reported NYT.
Damon Lindelof, co-creator of ABC’s hit series ‘Lost,’ said that if Kimmel’s programme did not return, he could not “in good conscience work for the company that imposed it.”
Disney also faced a backlash from customers, with some reportedly cancelling Disney+ subscriptions and Disney World trips in protest.
The U-Turn
The NYT reported that discussions between Disney and Kimmel about the show’s possible return began on Sept. 18. These talks, which continued through the weekend, culminated on Sept. 22 when both sides agreed on the timing of the comeback and the approach Kimmel would take when addressing viewers.
Kimmel has hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” since 2003 and has long been a prominent figure in American television and comedy. He has also hosted the Academy Awards four times.
