Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Jimmy Kimmel Live!, sometimes shortened to JKL, is an American late-night political satire talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show is held at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, California. It debuted on January 26, 2003 as part of ABC's lead-out programming for Super Bowl XXXVII. For its first ten years, Jimmy Kimmel Live! aired at either the midnight or 12:05 a.m. ET/PT before moving to 11:35 p.m. on January 8, 2013. Despite its name, the show has not regularly aired live since 2004, when censors were unable to properly bleep censor a barrage of swearing from actor Thomas Jane.[4]
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
- Head writers:
- Steve O'Donnell (2003–2008)
- Gary Greenberg and Molly McNearney (2008–present)
Andy Fisher
Jimmy Kimmel[a]
- Cleto Escobedo III
- Les Pierce
- Jimmy Kimmel
- Jonathan Kimmel
"Jimmy Kimmel Live!", sung by Robert Goulet
United States
English
21
- Jimmy Kimmel
- Daniel Kellison (2003)
- Duncan Gray (2003–2006)
- Jill Leiderman (2006–2020)
- Jason Schrift (2007–2018)
- Doug DeLuca (2007–present)
- Sharon Hoffman (2020)
- Erin Irwin (2021–present)
- Molly McNearney (2021–present)
- Jennifer Sharron (2021–present)
- Ken Crosby
- Chris Fraticelli
- David Craig
- Tony Romero
- Hollywood Masonic Temple
- Hollywood, California (2003–present)
- Zappos Theater
- Paradise, Nevada (2019)
40 minutes[b]
- Jackhole Productions (2003–2020)
- Kimmelot (2020–present)
- ABC Signature[c]
January 26, 2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Kimmelot in association with ABC Signature. It holds the title as the longest running late-night talk show on the network, having aired for more than three times as long as either The Dick Cavett Show (1969–1975) or Politically Incorrect (1997–2002).
History[edit]
The show began on January 26, 2003, replacing Politically Incorrect. ABC had originally intended to give Jon Stewart his own late-night program following the network's long-running news program Nightline, but Kimmel was chosen instead. Because Nightline traditionally began at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT, Jimmy Kimmel Live! (and Politically Incorrect before it) originally started after midnight.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is ABC's first attempt at a traditional late-night talk show since its attempt to revive The Dick Cavett Show in the 1980s. ABC had earlier attempted to directly compete with NBC's Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the 1960s and 1970s with The Les Crane Show, which was more of a serious interview program than light entertainment, The Joey Bishop Show (1967–1969), featuring Rat Pack member Joey Bishop with Regis Philbin as sidekick, the original Dick Cavett Show (1969–1975) with Dick Cavett in a show that featured a mixture of cultural, popular entertainment and intellectual figures and was considered more highbrow than Carson and even a short-lived revival of NBC's Tonight Starring Jack Paar under the name Jack Paar Tonite, which alternated weeks with Cavett in 1973. While Cavett was the longest-lasting and best remembered of these attempts, none seriously threatened the domination of the Tonight Show.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! was stunted early on by an ABC affiliate body which was fulfilling existing syndication contracts for post-local news sitcom repeats and entertainment newsmagazines and thus delaying the show (and making the "Live!" title somewhat of a misnomer), started behind the ratings of Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, but gradually moved up in the ratings into 2004, and became a fairly strong competitor, capturing about half the audience of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[5]
Nightline, which premiered in 1979 during the Iran hostage crisis, was able to compete with the Tonight Show, particularly on days when there were major news events or ongoing crises. The growth and development of cable news and the emergence of the internet and the 24-hour news cycle eroded Nightline's originally unique, and later preeminent position as a source for late evening national and international news and its value as a counterprogramming against Tonight and other late-night talk shows. As a result, on January 8, 2013, Nightline switched places on ABC's schedule with Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Since then, Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35 p.m. has been able to more directly compete with the Tonight Show and CBS's The Late Show.[6]
Following the subsequent retirements of Jay Leno in February 2014, David Letterman in May 2015, and Jon Stewart in August 2015, Kimmel became the third-longest serving current host in network late-night television after Conan O'Brien and Bill Maher.[7] O'Brien's show ended in 2021, making Kimmel the second-longest-tenured host after Maher.[8]
On April 14, 2009, after the March sweeps break, Kimmel began broadcasting in 720p high definition.[9]
On August 15, 2019, ABC and the show were fined $395,000 via a settlement by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for misusing the Emergency Alert System (EAS) tone on the October 3, 2018, episode.[10][11]
At the start of 2019, when Hearst Television's newest affiliation agreement for their ABC affiliates kicked in and forced them to give up their ability to delay the program for extended local newscasts or syndicated programming, the show now airs across the network on most stations at 11:35 p.m. ET/10:35 p.m. CT.[12]
In May 2019, Kimmel and ABC agreed to extend his contract to host the show until 2022, which would be the show's twentieth season.[13]
On March 16, 2020, the show suspended production due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two weeks later, on March 30, the show resumed production from Kimmel's house,[3] resuming its original 12:05 a.m. timeslot; Nightline returned to 11:35 p.m. On April 13, episodes were reduced to 30 minutes in length. Nightline moved to 12:05 a.m., followed by an encore of the 11:35 p.m. show.[3]
On June 18, 2020, Kimmel announced he was taking a hiatus from the show; a series of guest hosts filled in with 30-minute episodes until he returned with the new television season after hosting the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards. This has since become a yearly tradition for the show's July and August shows under the more traditional hour format.
On September 21, 2020, Kimmel returned to the show, which also resumed taping from the Hollywood Masonic Temple without a studio audience, the show also resumed its 60-minute format, with Nightline returning to 12:35 a.m.[14] In January 2021, pursuant to guidance from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works due to a local increase in cases, the show briefly returned to its at-home format. The show has since returned to a full audience as restrictions were lifted, with the requirement that attendees have their full vaccinations.[15]
On September 20, 2022, ABC announced that Kimmel had signed a three-year contract extension to continue as host and executive producer of the show.[16]
On January 26, 2023, the program celebrated Kimmel becoming the longest-serving late night talk show host at that time.[17] The "Kimmel" team has a loose tally of more than 3,500 monologues, 10,000 stars and five presidents that have been a part of the show over two decades.[18]
In the 20th anniversary show, the guests were the same headliners who were featured on that very first episode on January 26, 2003: George Clooney, Snoop Dogg and Coldplay.[17]
On February 21, 2024, Kimmel hinted that he will likely not renew his contract for further seasons after his current contract expires in 2026, meaning that the show may soon be coming to an end. When asked by the Los Angeles Times, Kimmel said, "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."[19][20]
Special broadcasts[edit]
On occasion, a special live edition is broadcast, usually after major events like the Academy Awards (except in years where Kimmel has hosted the actual ceremony). From the show's debut in 2003 until 2022, about four to seven half-hour basketball-themed broadcasts under the title Jimmy Kimmel Game Night aired at 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. ET on Sundays) as lead-in programming to ABC's coverage of the NBA Finals. This was discontinued in 2023 after the NBA moved up its weeknight start times (making the game and pregame show to fully air in primetime), with ABC adding special 30-minute episodes of The Prank Panel on Sundays;[49][50][51] the Kimmel shows were also made more impractical by a writers' strike entering its second month.
Openings[edit]
Cold open[edit]
When the show aired at 12:05 ET, the show began with a two-minute segment before the theme song and actual show. Originally a miniature monologue and preview of the guests, the segment expanded to include miniature skits and other ways to plug a product from one of the show's sponsors. (These, better known as "integrated commercials," are rarely repeated.) The cold open device was later adopted by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and it also remains in use by James Corden for occasional segments for his version. These segments were dropped when the show moved to 11:35. For ABC's O&O stations and some affiliates, Kimmel does tape a promo introducing the night's guests and bits meant to be bedded into a late segment of their local newscasts.
Show opening[edit]
The show's original opening sequence was a fly around of Hollywood before transitioning to Kimmel entering the theater as he flips the switch from the left side. It was later changed to a stop-motion piece which showcased Kimmel in casual gear with his dry cleaning stopping at various places in Hollywood until arriving at the theater.
On October 27, 2011, the show introduced a new opening sequence that shows Kimmel zip-lining through Hollywood until he arrives at the theater.
In January 2015, the show premiered a new opening, created by Industrial Light & Magic. The sequence begins with Kimmel turning on the lights of Los Angeles from the Hollywood sign before the background instantly changes to several locations in Los Angeles before transforming into the theater where Kimmel leads the camera in. It was later shortened with the Hollywood sign was already turned on and the background doesn't change. In 2016, after Kimmel grew out his beard, the sequence was modified slightly to remove Kimmel's presence.
From March to August 2020, during the time the show is filmed from his home, Kimmel's kids created a unique opening sequence.
Starting in late September 2020, upon Kimmel's return to the studio, a picture of the classic 1962 ABC ID, fully recreated to fit the widescreen format, alongside the animated version in the October 30, 2020 episode, was used. It was later removed in December 2022. It was previously used as a variant with the American flag being shown in the transition from 4:3 to 16:9 in the special episode, Intermission Accomplished: A Tribute to Trump. The intro has been simplified with the shot of the stage before Jimmy comes to the stage. Starting from May 2021, upon the audience returning, the simplified intro now shows the show's logo from multiple angles, which now shows the sign being turned on after the "Previously on Jimmy Kimmel Live!" segment starting in September 2023.
However, with every broadcast, the show's announcer, Dicky Barrett, then Lou Wilson starting in 2022, consistently starts off by saying, "From Hollywood, it's Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tonight..." and then listing the show's guests. At the end of the opening, Barrett comes up with a different introduction quip after "And now..." every time such as "without further ado..." or "I warned you..." and finishing with saying "Here's Jimmy Kimmel!" while elongating the "-el" sound just to give the show its own uniqueness. In the Game Night specials, Barrett doesn't do the introduction quips and will say "And now, here's Jimmy Kimmel!". Starting from 2020, Barrett, then Wilson, with the latter being shown as he introduces Kimmel to the stage, the introduction quips were removed and will now say "And now, Jimmy Kimmel!". However, from September 2020 to May 2021, Barrett would say "And now, Jimmy Kimmel." to give a lighter tone to what he normally say. Originally, Andy Milonakis was the announcer.
For the show's 20th anniversary episode, it shows an evolution of the show's intro, which starts from the 2003 version all the way to the 2021 version, ending with the show's current logo. The screen ratio transitioned from 4:3 to 16:9 when it gets to the 2011 version. Wilson, however, was not shown after the intro.
Starting in September 2023, the program starts with a "Previously on Jimmy Kimmel Live!" segment before the title sequence, which shows a video on social media, parodying a recap segment of various drama shows. That segment would later be dropped in late February 2024.
International broadcasts[edit]
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs worldwide on multiple outlets. In Australia, The Comedy Channel began airing the program in September 2009; however, it was replaced in March 2010 by the return of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[73][74] The Comedy Channel resumed airing the program from September 22, 2015.[75]
In Canada, the show previously aired on BiteTV and CHCH. The show aired on Citytv from 2012 until September 20, 2014. Even after its move to 11:35, Citytv continued to tape delay the show to midnight to maintain its hour-long late night newscasts. Jimmy Kimmel Live! began airing on CTV Comedy Channel (formerly The Comedy Network) beginning on September 22, 2014, initially airing in simulcast with ABC.[76] However, in January 2015, the program was yet again tape-delayed to midnight in favor of The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.[77] Jimmy Kimmel Live! aired on The Comedy Network until the end of August 2017. The following month, the show was added to CMT Canada's schedule, initially airing in simulcast with ABC. The show aired on CMT Canada until August 2018 and has not aired on a Canadian channel since. However, the show is still available to Canadians through imported ABC stations included in standard pay-TV packages. In 2022, the show returns tape delayed to Citytv.[78]
In India Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered with its 14th season, and has aired on weeknights since at 9:00 pm (IST) STAR World India. The show airs 12 hours after the U.S. broadcast since September 23, 2015.[79]
YouTube viewers for late night shows[edit]
As of May 30, 2023, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! YouTube channel shows a cumulative of 13,100,645,796 views,[80] and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert channel shows a cumulative of 9,237,694,014 views.[81]
