What to know about Jimmy Kimmel's show before his return
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Jimmy Kimmel hosts a celebrity episode of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." Photo: Christopher Willard/Disney via Getty Images
Jimmy Kimmel is scheduled to return to TV this week.
The big picture: Kimmel's suspension by ABC last week over his comments about Charlie Kirk ignited a fierce national debate about freedom of speech.
- Lawmakers, teachers, media personalities and airline workers were all wrapped up in this political flashpoint. Some, like Kimmel, even faced professional repercussions for criticizing Kirk amid his death.
Driving the news: ABC said Monday "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" will broadcast live Tuesday night, after the network temporarily suspended it.
- ABC said the show was pulled "to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country."
- It added: "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."
- Kimmel has been privately negotiating his return with Disney, per Axios' Sara Fischer.
Here's what to expect from Kimmel's return.
When does Jimmy Kimmel return?
"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" airs live Tuesday, Sept. 22.
What to does Kimmel's show run?
The show airs at 11:35pm ET / 10:35pm CT. It's available for streaming on Hulu.
What's the format of Kimmel's show?
The show usually includes guest interviews, skits, videos and other segments. This includes segments like "3 ridiculous questions," "The Rabbit Hole" and "Unnecessary Censorship."
- Kimmel opens with a monologue like other late-night hosts.
Who will be the guests on Kimmel's return?
It's unclear right now. The show's site lists no guests past Thursday, Sept. 18.
- Wanda Sykes said she was set to appear before the show was suspended. She became one of the comedians backing Kimmel's comeback.
What Jimmy Kimmel said about Charlie Kirk's killing
The suspension happened soon after Kimmel commented on Kirk's death.
- During his show on Monday, Sept. 15, Kimmel said the U.S. "hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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, but in between the finger-pointing, there was grieving."
- He said the White House "flew the flags at half-staff, which got some criticism, but on a human level, you can see how hard the president is taking this."
- Kimmel added: "Yes, he's at the fourth stage of grief: construction. Demolition, construction. This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend; this is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish?"
What to know about Kimmel's suspension
ABC made the decision after facing pressure from Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr.
- The FCC chair threatened broadcasters with license revocations or fines after Kirk's comments.
- The entire situation happened amid a potential multibillion-dollar merger between Nexstar and Tegna station groups.
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