A lot’s happened in the two days since Disney indefinitely paused Jimmy Kimmel Live, but the two parties may be on the path to reconciliation.
According to a Friday report from Variety, Kimmel’s legal and business representatives are “deep in discussions” with ABC to bring the show back, or at the very least, find a compromise to allow the show’s return. Kimmel himself has been silent since his show was shelved after Nexstar, one of the biggest TV station owners in the U.S., vowed to pre-empt airings and Sinclair, another equally big station owner, threatened to take the late night series off its stations entirely.
Both companies were spurred to halt Jimmy Kimmel Live after FCC chairman Brendan Carr threatened to take action against ABC for Kimmel’s comments on the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, where he said conservatives were using the death (and the subsequent capture of Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson) to gain political points. Nexstar’s currently in a bid to acquire fellow TV station owner Tegna, which requires FCC approval, something Nexstar insists had no bearing on its decision. Sinclair, meanwhile, had a list of demands before allowing Kimmel back on its stations, including a public apology and personal donation to both Kirk’s family and Turning Point USA, his organization now run by his widow, Erika.
Variety’s report notes Kimmel is aware of the effect this shutdown has on his staff, some of which remain impacted by the 2023-2024 Hollywood strikes. Deadline separately reported the show’s crew will be paid next week, a potential sign of where things are headed. Nothing is set in stone yet, though Kimmel remains employed by Disney as the host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and other projects, which will likely be impacted by the Live decision.
Regardless of which way the wind blows, the pause of Kimmel’s show has spurred a wave of reactions. While conservatives have cheered the show’s currently indefinite hiatus, there’ve been protests in recent days in front of Disney’s New York and Burbank offices, and in front of the theater where the show is filmed. Several actors and creators who’ve previously worked with Disney have come out in support of Kimmel, and Andor writer Dan Gilroy penned a short Deadline column condemning Disney’s actions, while former CEO Michael Eisner called out current head Bob Iger for succumbing to the FCC’s “out of control intimidation.” There’s also been a wave of cancelled Disney+ subscriptions and those for other affiliated networks.
io9 will continue covering the Jimmy Kimmel situation as it develops.
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