The Show That Will Replace ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ in the Schedule Revealed
This week’s stillness on late-night television isn’t due to dwindling laughing, but rather to a network decision that has left one of its most recognizable voices suddenly gone, leaving the entire business on edge.
Following growing criticism of comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s comments on Monday, September 15, 2025, about the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, ABC has removed the show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from its schedule.
The television business has been rocked by this announcement, which has also put late-night’s most divisive voice in a crisis with practical repercussions.
Kimmel made scathing remarks about Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man suspected of killing Kirk, and attacked the political reaction to Kirk’s death during his Monday night monologue. On September 17, 2025, a Wednesday, the network announced that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was being “pre-empted indefinitely.”
Reruns of Steve Harvey’s “Celebrity Family Feud,” which subtly took Kimmel’s place in the 11:35 p.m. hour on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, were the network’s quick fix.
Teams of celebrities and their families compete on Harvey’s show to choose the best answers to questions posed to a hundred people.
ABC Affiliates Are in Chaos After the Network Issues an Emergency Memo Regarding the Kimmel Scandal
While station executives received an urgent memo acknowledging the controversy and warning that “formal guidance from Disney/ABC is forthcoming,” it was made clear that the affiliate board “remains engaged with ABC” on the matter, leaving ABC affiliates nationwide caught in the middle of the storm.
After the network’s affiliates were briefed, the programming change was first reported; however, according to an insider, no official decision about Kimmel’s show’s future has been made.
Giants of Broadcasting Amid outrage, Nexstar and Sinclair terminate the late-night host.
The network’s most influential partners responded to Kimmel’s comment in the most forceful way. The first to declare that it would remove the show from all 32 of its ABC stations was Nexstar Media Group, the biggest local broadcast and digital media firm in the United States.
According to Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, “it is just not in the public interest at this time to continue to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve.”
Another significant ABC affiliate owner, Sinclair Broadcast Group, followed Nexstar’s example and removed the program from its platforms. However, Sinclair took it a step further, scathing Kimmel’s comments and calling on the host to issue a public apology.
Jason Smith, vice chairman of Sinclair, stated, “Mr. Kimmel’s comments were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country.”
The television company announced it would substitute Kimmel’s show on Friday night with a televised homage to Charlie Kirk, even though Sinclair also urged Kimmel to make a “meaningful personal donation” to Turning Point USA and provide a formal apology to Kirk’s family.
The Focus of Hollywood Shifts to Controversy
Actress Sydney Sweeney was announced by the Television Academy to present the 77th Emmy Awards, which were held on Sunday, September 14, 2025, just days before the controversy blew into the news. This moment of traditional Hollywood celebration now stands in stark contrast to the week’s growing tensions.
The news highlights the speed at which the entertainment spotlight may change within the same television environment, from celebration to tragedy.
A day after ABC announced the show’s suspension, Jimmy Kimmel, the host of the late-night series since 2003, was seen on Thursday arriving at his Los Angeles lawyer’s office.
Kimmel’s and Late-Night Television’s Uncertain Future
The show that once dominated its time slot is in indefinitely limbo, but Kimmel’s career at ABC has seen him transition from comic to cultural critic.
With both the network and its audience considering the future of late-night’s most divisive host, the stakes are no longer simply about ratings
