“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” returns on Tuesday night, after the host was briefly suspended by ABC last week. But will you be able to watch it?
The late night host was suspended last Wednesday, after President Trump’s FCC chair Brendan Carr publicly called on local affiliates to stop broadcasting Kimmel’s show. The issue that sparked the push was Kimmel’s comment on-air, following the killing of conservative host Charlie Kirk, about the shooter’s potential political affiliation.
The move sparked a firestorm amongst viewers, with many calling it a direct attack on free speech and the First Amendment, especially as Trump himself celebrated the move and a few days later outright called for the prosecution of his political foes.
Kimmel was suspended “indefinitely,” but on Monday, Disney announced he would return on Tuesday.
Here’s what you need to know to view it.
What time does the show start?
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” kicks off at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT, and at 10:35 p.m. CT. Kimmel begins the show with his monologue, so you’ll want to be seated right when the episode begins if you want to hear everything he says.
Am I in a city where Sinclair or Nexstar is preempting the show?
Sinclair and Nexstar are two broadcasting companies that have been vocal critics of Kimmel throughout this saga. They own 39 and 20 ABC affiliate stations, respectively, and announced this week that they will continue to preempt the show even as it returns to ABC.
You can see if your city is one of those that won’t get the broadcast here.
Is it streaming then?
Yes, but not until the next day, when you can watch the episode on Hulu. If you want to see Kimmel’s return as it happens, you’ll have to tune into ABC live. But the show also posts Kimmel’s monologue to YouTube and social channels as soon as it finishes on the East Coast.
What is he going to say?
At this point, it’s anyone’s guess how Kimmel will address what happened.
Who are his guests for the night?
Glen Powell will be on the show to promote his upcoming Hulu series “Chad Powers,” and Sarah McLachlan — who canceled a performance at an ABC event on Sunday night in protest of Kimmel’s suspension — will be the musical guest.
