A mere six days after being indefinitely suspended from the late-night ecosystem, Jimmy Kimmel’s long-running talk show returns to ABC tonight. But even as his comeback is being widely celebrated by some as a victory for free speech, it’s unclear how the comedian will approach such a delicate situation—the tone, the talking points, and how often he’ll be glancing over his shoulder.
It’s a complicated situation worth recapping. Last Wednesday, ABC removed Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the airwaves—a move that followed two major station-group owners, Nexstar Media Group Inc. and Sinclair Broadcast Group, announcing their refusal to air the program.
The controversy has been widely pegged to Kimmel’s monologue from the prior Monday, in which he said that "the MAGA gang" was "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."
What we know about Jimmy Kimmel's return to TV www.youtube.com
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr had criticized Kimmel during a podcast appearance, saying, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead."
Those statements were widely criticized, with top House Democrats calling for Carr to resign, and even GOP Sen.Ted Cruz sharing complaints on his podcast.
"I hate what Jimmy Kimmel said. I am thrilled that he was fired,” Cruz noted. “But let me tell you: If the government gets in the business of saying, ‘We don’t like what you, the media, have said. We’re going to ban you from the airwaves if you don’t say what we like,’ that will end up bad for conservatives." (Kimmel was clearly not fired, given that he’s already coming back)
President Trump celebrated Kimmel’s initial suspension. "Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED," he wrote on Truth Social. "Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!"
Meanwhile, over 400 celebrities—including stars like Tom Hanks and Jennifer Aniston—signed a letter published by the ACLU standing "in solidarity" with Kimmel.
Disney, which owns ABC, announced Kimmel’s return on Monday. In a statement, they addressed carrying out the suspension to "avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country," calling some of the host’s comments "ill-timed and thus insensitive." However, they also pointed to days of "thoughtful conversations" with the comedian as informing their decision to bring him back.
BREAKING: ABC announces Jimmy Kimmel will return to TV tomorrow www.youtube.com
Still, Jimmy Kimmel Live! won’t be returning everywhere—both Nexstar and Sinclair will continue to preempt the show for now.
So where does that leave us, the viewers? Here are five big questions:
1. Will Kimmel apologize?
When Sinclair initially announced it would preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the company called on the comedian to "issue a direct apology to the Kirk family" and "make a meaningful personal donation" to both the Kirk family and Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA. No one knows for sure what Kimmel will do on the air, but it’s definitely a complicated situation, given the various corporate pressures and the fact that his every word will be analyzed under a massive microscope.
Regardless, it’s worth noting that Kimmel expressed condolences after Kirk’s murder. "Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?" he wrote on Instagram. "On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents, and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence."
2) Will the writers follow The Daily Show’s satirical approach?
After the news of Kimmel’s suspension spread, other late-night hosts found themselves in an awkward spot—but one also filled with comedic potential. What tone do you strike in this environment, given what just happened to your late-night peer? The clear answer was taking a far different approach, like Jon Stewart did in a winking Daily Show segment the show described as a "Post-Kimmel Primer on Free Speech in the Glorious Trump Era." Will the Kimmel crew follow that lead? How will they find the comedy in this especially tense situation?
- YouTube www.youtube.com
3) Will Kimmel directly address Trump or other prominent critics?
Kimmel and Trump have a long history of beefing in public—for proof, consult Intelligencer’s story on this subject. But in our current climate, how much will the host want to push things? Also, given that a few days of headlines in 2025 feels like 100, he has a whole lot of news to catch up on (this is like having to explain an entire season of Lost in 20 seconds—not easy). Everyone will be watching, and many of them will be scrutinizing his every word.
4) What’s the format?
Speaking of which: Will they give him even more time for a monologue? If there’s ever been a talk show episode that could benefit from more time, this is probably it. Then again, could they take the opposite approach, moving more heavily into sketches or behind-the-desk interviews? This is very abnormal setting—should the format reflect that?
5) How quickly will we see the ripple effects?
Both fans and detractors will likely be poring through Kimmel’s monologue, looking for reasons to either champion or criticize him. There are so many other characters in this drama: the FCC, Trump, ABC and Disney, the affiliates, the media, and the wider government. Is it possible to make this controversy die down with one episode, or will this story continue to dominate headlines? One thing’s for sure: Everyone will have an opinion.
Woman fixes her hair while at the gymCanva
A woman does leg workouts at the gymCanva
A woman hugs her fatherCanva
A father and daughter share a happy embraceCanva
People hanging out at a skate parkCanva
A skater pulls off trickCanva
Upset man talking on his phoneCanva 
An exasperated man takes a break at workCanva
Gif of Jimmy Fallon saying "I Love It"
Pilot flying the planeCanva 
The happy crew exit the planeCanva 
Airplane landing while the sun setsCanva 
Two young children play with bubbles outsideCanva
Children playing outsideCanva
Baby passes out
It wasn't all that long ago that shopping malls dominated the retail scene and the local social scene in their communities. Canva
The 1954 law gave mall owners no reason to modernize their malls as time went on as they could take that tax free money for 40 years. Canva
David Letterman has a bizarre phone call with the fake FCC in a classic 'Late Show' sketch.
David Letterman takes a 'gassy' call from the FCC in resurfaced 'Late Show' sketch
David Letterman’s always had impeccable comedic timing, knowing precisely when to elevate an interview or sketch with a bizarre non-sequitur or side-splitting sidebar. But as he proved with a newly resurfaced Late Show bit—a supremely goofy 2013 segment involving a gassy phone call from the "FCC"—he also has expert cultural timing. Amid an ongoing free-speech controversy involving Jimmy Kimmel Live!, ABC, and the actual FCC, reposting this clip on YouTube scans as social commentary without uttering one new word.
The piece opens with the Late Show host at his desk, surprised by a ringing telephone. After a few one-liners about the size of the device ("That thing’s enormous…This phone is the size of an accordion"), Letterman answers to greet his seemingly disoriented caller. "Ummm, Mr. Lemmerman," a voice stammers. "I’m calling from the Federal Communications Commission. We need you to answer a few questions to renew your talk-show license." The comedian fires back, "How did you get this number? And I’ve never heard of this. And how can I get you off the phone as quickly as possible?"
- YouTube www.youtube.com
"You can make this easy, or you can make this hard"
The banter unfurls from there, as Letterman provides a fake name (he claims to be Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak) and they riff about how to spell "CBS." The call gets more surreal as it winds on: "Hold on, hold on," the caller requests, following a series of loud burps. "My damn computer froze. Grandma, get out of the sink! Last question, can you please tell me that I’m pretty?" After Letterman refuses, the "FCC" official warns, "Look, bud—you can make this easy, or you can make this hard."
That particular line raised some eyebrows in the YouTube and Reddit comments, with many users drawing parallels with remarks made by the real-life FCC chair, Brendan Carr. To recap: On Wednesday, ABC announced the "indefinite" suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show; this followed two station group owners, Nexstar Media Group Inc. and Sinclair, deciding to (at least temporarily) refused to broadcast it.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
Real-life FCC controversy
Numerous sources connect the controversy to Kimmel's Monday monologue, in which he said, "the MAGA gang" was "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." As PBS notes, Carr criticized Kimmel during a podcast appearance, saying, "[W]e can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” Reacting to the Letterman video, one YouTube user wrote, "'You can make this easy, or you can make this hard.' Looks like life just imitated art."
Gary Weitman, Nexstar’s chief communications officer, told Variety that pulling Kimmel’s show was unrelated to Carr’s comments. "The decision to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! was made unilaterally by the senior executive team at Nexstar, and they had no communication with the FCC or any government agency prior to making that decision," he said. Regardless, this whole story has sparked fierce First-Amendment debate, with many major institutions weighing in. "Trump officials are repeatedly abusing their power to stop ideas they don't like, deciding who can speak, write, and even joke," said Christopher Anders, director of the ACLU's Democracy and Technology Division, in a statement.
Letterman also addressed the situation while speaking at a festival for The Atlantic. "[W]e all see where this is going, correct? It’s managed media," he said. "And it’s no good. It’s silly. It’s ridiculous. And you can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian criminal administration in the Oval Office. That’s just not how this works."