Late-night television hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert recently pulled back the curtain on their own network dramas. The two funny men, often seen trading jokes, got serious when they sat down on each other’s shows. They revealed some surprisingly similar struggles with their networks.
Kimmel, 57, shared the shocking story of his temporary suspension from ABC. His show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, went off the air for six days in September. This happened after some right-wing critics slammed his comments about the Charlie Kirk murder suspect.
The late-night veteran admitted to Colbert, 61, that he truly believed his show was over. "I thought, ‘That’s it. It’s done. It’s over,’" Kimmel confessed. "I was saying, ‘This will never be back on air.’ That was really what I thought." The show returned on September 22, after its suspension on September 17.
A Sudden Call
Kimmel explained the moment he got the news. He was in his office, busy writing, when ABC called. They wanted to speak with him, which was unusual. Kimmel joked that he didn’t even think they knew he had a show before then. With five people in his office, the only private spot was the bathroom. He took the call in there.
Kimmel explained that ABC executives told him, "Listen, we want things to calm down." They added, "We’re worried about what you might say tonight, and we’ve decided that it’s best to take the show off the air." Kimmel argued against it, saying, "I don’t think that’s a good idea." But he was told, "Well, we think it is." He ended up losing the vote.
When he went back to tell his team, his wife, Molly McNearney, noticed his pale face. She is an executive producer and writer for the show. Kimmel joked she said he was "whiter than Jim Gaffigan."
A Show Without an Audience
That night, a studio audience had already gathered, ready for the show. They all had to be sent home. Chef Christian Petroni had been cooking meatballs and polenta all day for the broadcast. Despite the chaos, singer Howard Jones was still there to record a performance. He sang "Things Can Only Get Better" for the disappointed staff.
On the other side of the late-night world, Colbert also faced a difficult situation. He asked Kimmel about his own show’s cancellation by CBS in July. Colbert learned the news from their shared manager, James "Baby Doll" Dixon. Dixon had kept the information from Colbert for about a week. He did not want to spoil Colbert’s vacation.