‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Is Coming Back Tomorrow Night

Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to the ABC schedule effective tomorrow evening, according to a statement released by The Walt Disney Company earlier today.

Last Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr appeared on a right-wing podcast where he fiercely criticized comments made by Kimmel on the previous Monday night episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! regarding the murder of far-right political activist Charlie Kirk and the Trump administration's response to the violence. Carr urged ABC and the mega-companies that control its local affiliates to “take action” on Kimmel or else they could face consequences from the FCC, warning them, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” 

Hours later, Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast group, two companies that control most of ABC’s local affiliates, condemned Kimmel’s comments and pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from their schedules.

Following the condemnations from Nexstar and Sinclair, Disney CEO Bob Iger moved to indefinitely suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live!, sparking nationwide outrage over what the public perceived to be a grievous attack on the First Amendment and a cowardly capitulation to illegal and unconstitutional pressure by one of the most powerful organizations in the country. Now, Disney is walking back its hasty dismissal of the long-time late-night show, effective almost immediately:

After Carr implied that the FCC would pull broadcasting licenses from networks that promote views that weren’t aligned with the executive branch, Sinclair demanded that Kimmel should make a public apology to the Kirk family and “a meaningful personal donation” to the late political activist’s organization, Turning Point USA, in order to return Jimmy Kimmel Live! to Sinclair-owned stations. Sinclair also planned to air a “Charlie Kirk tribute special” during Kimmel’s usual time slot last Friday, but backed off of the event as public outcry over Kimmel’s removal continued to grow, instead adding a re-run of Celebrity Family Feud! to the schedule.

At the time of writing, it’s unclear if Sinclair and Nexstar will carry Jimmy Kimmel Live! on their hundreds of local ABC affiliates. Regardless, when Kimmel returns tomorrow night and delivers his first opening monologue post-silencing, the world will be watching.