Jimmy Kimmel Live

ABC’s late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live! is hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and first aired in 2003. It is the longest-running talk show on the network. Despite its name, the show has not regularly aired live since 2004 due to a failure to censor a string of swear words from actor Thomas Jane. Accompanied by the house band Cleto and the Cletones, the show aired at midnight for its first 10 years but switched schedules with ABC’s Nightline in 2013 to begin at 11:35 p.m.

Kimmel went on hiatus in the summer of 2020 to spend more time with his family. During his absence, the show featured a number of guest hosts – including Anthony Anderson, Billy Eichner, George Lopez and Nikki Glaser – to stand in for 30-minute episodes until Kimmel’s return in the fall. Subsequently, this became a yearly tradition for the show.

As of 2023, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has aired for 21 seasons and earned three Emmy Awards. ABC announced in 2022 that Kimmel had extended his contract by three years and would continue to serve as host and executive producer.