Jimmy Kimmel Live
(Weeknights from 12:05-1:05 a.m., ET)
Emmy-winner Jimmy Kimmel serves as host and executive producer of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC Television Network’s distinctive late-night talk show. The show features a diverse lineup of guests, including celebrities, athletes, comedians, politicians and human interest subjects. Along with a light-hearted and recognizable cast of characters, a hip house band and comedy bits in Kimmel’s inimitable style, the show additionally offers one of the funniest, freshest monologues on television today, drawing from all forms of topical media. “Jimmy Kimmel Live” often features elaborate, innovative stunts such as having notables like J.J. Abrams and Quentin Tarantino guest-direct an entire episode; traveling the show to Detroit for a week’s worth of Super Bowl-themed shows; conducting a special episode from a hospital bed with interviews featuring the doctors on staff of ”Grey’s Anatomy,” as they tended to Jimmy’s snakebite wound; and constructing a state-of-the-art performance stage in the center of Hollywood Boulevard to showcase A-list music acts.
The show originates from Disney’s El Capitan Entertainment Center, located on Hollywood Boulevard in the heart of LA’s star studded Walk of Fame. This illustrious location is featured prominently in the show as Kimmel showcases the unique character of Hollywood. “Jimmy Kimmel Live” airs weeknights at 12:05 a.m. in most markets.
In its fourth season, “Jimmy Kimmel Live” is enjoying a ratings boost and has featured such high profile regular guests as George Clooney, Britney Spears, Jennifer Garner, Robin Williams, Shaquille O’Neal, Clay Aiken, Eva Longoria, Eminem, Diane Sawyer, Lindsay Lohan, Hillary Duff, Jessica Alba, Simon Cowell, Janet Reno, Kiefer Sutherland, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Kelly Ripa, Jack Black, Teri Hatcher, Sir Ian McKellen and Mariah Carey; plus musical guests Coldplay, 50 Cent, Foo Fighters, Blink 182, Destiny’s Child, Jane’s Addiction, Toby Keith, Gwen Stefani, Audioslave, Nelly, Motley Crue, Green Day, Barry Manilow, Franz Ferdinand, Lionel Richie, The Wiggles and Alanis Morissette since its premiere on Super Bowl Sunday, January 26, 2003.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” is taped later in the day than other late-night shows – at 7:45 p.m., PT. This allows the show to be extremely topical -- able to respond to the news of the day more quickly than the competition. Kimmel applies his irreverent wit to politics, television, the media, the FCC, popular culture – everything is a target. A weekly comedy segment called “Unnecessary Censorship” pokes fun at the FCC’s crackdown on the media by unnecessarily censoring clips from TV news, political speeches, reality TV and nature shows. Other regular comedy segments include Cousin Sal’s hidden camera pranks, number one Michael Jackson fan Jake Byrd’s “man on the street,” feisty Aunt Chippy on location, parking lot security guard Guillermo’s Hollywood Gossip Round-up and adorably clueless Uncle Frank’s coverage of red-carpet premieres.
Jimmy Kimmel and Jill Leiderman serve as executive producers and Jason Schrift and Douglas DeLuca as co-executive producers. “Jimmy Kimmel Live” is shot live in front of a studio audience and produced by Jackhole Industries in association with ABC Television Studio.