History of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in Timeline

Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, airing on ABC since January 26, 2003. Originally debuting after Super Bowl XXXVII, the show was initially broadcast at 12:05 a.m. ET/PT for a decade before moving to 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on January 8, 2013. Taped at the El Capitan Entertainment Centre in Hollywood, it's a nightly hour-long show. Despite its name, the show hasn't aired live regularly since April 2004, following an incident where Thomas Jane's swearing couldn't be properly censored.

1962: The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Premiere

In 1962, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson premiered on NBC and aired for thirty consecutive seasons.

1979: Nightline Premiere

In 1979, Nightline premiered during the Iran hostage crisis and initially competed with The Tonight Show.

1982: David Letterman Hosted Late Night on NBC

From 1982 to 1993, David Letterman hosted Late Night on NBC, before moving to CBS.

1992: The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Ended

In 1992, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ended on NBC after airing for thirty consecutive seasons.

1993: David Letterman Hosted Late Show on CBS

From 1993 to 2015, David Letterman hosted Late Show on CBS, after hosting Late Night on NBC.

January 26, 2003: Show Debut

On January 26, 2003, Jimmy Kimmel Live! debuted on ABC as part of the lead-out programming for Super Bowl XXXVII.

2003: Evolution of the show's intro

For the show's 20th anniversary episode, an evolution of the show's intro was presented, spanning from the 2003 version to the 2021 version and culminating in the current logo.

April 23, 2004: Switch to Taped Broadcasts

On April 23, 2004, Jimmy Kimmel Live! switched from live broadcasts to taped broadcasts after an incident involving actor Thomas Jane's profanity during an episode.

2004: Improved Ratings

In 2004, Jimmy Kimmel Live! gradually moved up in the ratings, becoming a stronger competitor and capturing about half the audience of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

January 21, 2009: Death of Veatrice Rice

On January 21, 2009, Veatrice Rice, a parking lot security guard with segments on the show, died from cancer.

April 15, 2009: Broadcast in High Definition

On April 15, 2009, Jimmy Kimmel Live! began broadcasting in 720p high definition.

September 2009: Jimmy Kimmel Live! began airing in Australia

In September 2009, The Comedy Channel in Australia began airing Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

December 2009: Uncle Frank's Absence Begins

From December 2009 through March 2010, Uncle Frank did not appear regularly on Jimmy Kimmel Live! due to illness.

January 26, 2010: Uncle Frank Appears on Anniversary Show

On January 26, 2010, Uncle Frank appeared on the seventh anniversary show, after not appearing regularly due to illness.

March 2010: Uncle Frank's Absence Ends

From December 2009 through March 2010, Uncle Frank did not appear regularly on Jimmy Kimmel Live! due to illness.

March 2010: Jimmy Kimmel Live! replaced by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in Australia

In March 2010, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was replaced in Australia by the return of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on The Comedy Channel.

August 23, 2011: Death of Uncle Frank

On August 23, 2011, Francis "Uncle Frank" Potenza, Jimmy Kimmel's uncle and a security guard for the show, died at the age of 77.

October 27, 2011: New opening sequence introduced

On October 27, 2011, Jimmy Kimmel Live! introduced a new opening sequence that depicted Kimmel zip-lining through Hollywood until he arrived at the theater.

2011: Transition to 16:9 screen ratio

For the show's 20th anniversary episode, the screen ratio transitioned from 4:3 to 16:9 with the 2011 version.

2011: Halloween candy prank

Starting in 2011, every Halloween, Jimmy Kimmel asks his viewers to take away their children's Halloween candy, videotape their kids' reactions once they tell their kids that they ate their Halloween candy, and post it on YouTube with the respective hashtag.

March 2012: "Mean Tweets" segment featured celebrities reading tweets

In March 2012, in honor of Twitter's sixth anniversary, Jimmy Kimmel Live! featured a segment called "Mean Tweets" with celebrities reading aloud actual tweets directed toward them by Twitter users while the song "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M. plays in the background.

Loading Video...

2012: Show aired on Citytv in Canada

Jimmy Kimmel Live! aired on Citytv in Canada from 2012 until September 20, 2014.

January 8, 2013: Time Slot Change

On January 8, 2013, Jimmy Kimmel Live! moved from its original 12:05 a.m. ET/PT time slot to 11:35 p.m.

February 2014: Jay Leno's Retirement

Following Jay Leno's retirement in February 2014, Jimmy Kimmel became one of the longest serving hosts in late-night television.

September 20, 2014: Citytv continued to tape delay

Even after its move to 11:35, Citytv continued to tape delay the show to midnight to maintain its hour-long late night newscasts on September 20, 2014.

September 22, 2014: Show aired on CTV Comedy Channel

On September 22, 2014, Jimmy Kimmel Live! began airing on CTV Comedy Channel (formerly The Comedy Network), initially airing in simulcast with ABC.

January 2015: New opening sequence premiered

In January 2015, Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered a new opening sequence created by Industrial Light & Magic. The sequence began with Kimmel turning on the lights of Los Angeles from the Hollywood sign, after which the background quickly changed to several locations in Los Angeles before transforming into the theater, where Kimmel led the camera inside.

January 2015: Program was tape-delayed to midnight

In January 2015, the program was yet again tape-delayed to midnight in favor of The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.

March 2015: President Obama edition of "Mean Tweets"

In March 2015, President Barack Obama, who was a guest star on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, took part in a "President Obama edition" of "Mean Tweets," during which he read tweets from people mocking his jeans and blaming him for the high price of beer.

April 2015: "Mean Tweets" segment reached 38 million views on YouTube

By April 2015, the "Mean Tweets" segment from Jimmy Kimmel Live! had reached more than 38 million views on YouTube.

May 2015: David Letterman's Retirement

Following David Letterman's retirement in May 2015, Jimmy Kimmel became one of the longest serving hosts in late-night television.

August 2015: Jon Stewart's Retirement

Following Jon Stewart's retirement in August 2015, Jimmy Kimmel became one of the longest serving hosts in late-night television.

September 22, 2015: Jimmy Kimmel Live! resumed airing in Australia

On September 22, 2015, The Comedy Channel in Australia resumed airing Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

September 23, 2015: Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered in India

In India, Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered with its 14th season and has aired on weeknights since at 9:00 pm (IST) STAR World India. The show airs 12 hours after the American broadcast since September 23, 2015.

2016: Opening sequence modified

In 2016, after Kimmel grew out his beard, the opening sequence of Jimmy Kimmel Live! was slightly modified to remove Kimmel's presence.

August 2017: Show aired on The Comedy Network until end of month

Jimmy Kimmel Live! aired on The Comedy Network until the end of August 2017.

August 2018: Show aired on CMT Canada until end of month

Jimmy Kimmel Live! aired on CMT Canada until August 2018 and has not aired on a Canadian channel since.

October 3, 2018: EAS Tone Misuse

On October 3, 2018, Jimmy Kimmel Live! misused the Emergency Alert System (EAS) tone, leading to a fine by the FCC.

May 2019: Contract Extension

In May 2019, Jimmy Kimmel and ABC agreed to extend his contract to host the show until 2022.

August 15, 2019: FCC Fine

On August 15, 2019, ABC and Jimmy Kimmel Live! were fined $395,000 by the FCC for misusing the Emergency Alert System (EAS) tone on an episode.

2019: New Affiliation Agreement

In 2019, Hearst Television's newest affiliation agreement for their ABC affiliates began, standardizing the show's air time across the network.

2019: Quiz show ordered

This segment, a quiz show between different generations of family members was spun off into its own game show produced by Kimmel and Mark Burnett was originally ordered in 2019.

March 16, 2020: Production Suspension

On March 16, 2020, Jimmy Kimmel Live! suspended production due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

June 18, 2020: Hiatus Announcement

On June 18, 2020, Jimmy Kimmel announced he was taking a hiatus from the show, with guest hosts filling in.

August 2020: Show filmed from home with unique opening sequence

From March to August 2020, while Jimmy Kimmel Live! was filmed from his home, Kimmel's kids created a unique opening sequence.

September 2020: Announcer's introduction change

From September 2020 to May 2021, Dicky Barrett, the announcer of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, would say "And now, Jimmy Kimmel." to give a lighter tone.

September 2020: Return to studio with a classic ABC ID picture in opening

Starting in late September 2020, upon Kimmel's return to the studio, a picture of the classic 1962 ABC ID, fully recreated for the widescreen format, was used, alongside the animated version in the October 30, 2020 episode.

September 21, 2020: Return to the Show

On September 21, 2020, Jimmy Kimmel returned to the show, which resumed taping from the Hollywood Masonic Temple without a studio audience and went back to its 60-minute format.

October 30, 2020: Animated version of ABC ID used in episode

On October 30, 2020, an animated version of the classic 1962 ABC ID was used in the Jimmy Kimmel Live! episode, alongside the picture of the ID.

2020: Beat The Tonight Show in total viewers

For the 2020–21 television season, Jimmy Kimmel Live! beat The Tonight Show in total viewers.

January 2021: Return to At-Home Format

In January 2021, Jimmy Kimmel Live! briefly returned to its at-home format due to a local increase in COVID-19 cases.

May 2021: Return to normal announcer's introduction

Beginning in May 2021, Dicky Barrett, the announcer of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, removed the introduction quips and instead say "And now, Jimmy Kimmel!".

May 2021: Simplified intro with the show's logo from multiple angles

Starting in May 2021, with the return of the audience, the simplified intro of Jimmy Kimmel Live! began showing the show's logo from multiple angles.

2021: Evolution of the show's intro

For the show's 20th anniversary episode, an evolution of the show's intro was presented, spanning from the 2003 version to the 2021 version and culminating in the current logo.

2021: Conan O'Brien's Show Ended

In 2021, Conan O'Brien's show ended, making Jimmy Kimmel the longest-tenured host in late-night television.

June 6, 2022: Jimmy Kimmel Live! ranked as the No. 1 late-night talk show

During the week of June 6, 2022, Jimmy Kimmel Live! ranked as the No. 1 late-night talk show for the two weeks in a row among adults 18-49 (443,000).

July 7, 2022: Quiz show premiered

This segment, a quiz show between different generations of family members was spun off into its own game show produced by Kimmel and Mark Burnett premiered on July 7, 2022, and is hosted by Kelly Ripa.

September 26, 2022: Ranked as the No. 1 late-night talk show

A ratings report for the week of September 26, 2022, showed that when broadcasting from Brooklyn, New York, Jimmy Kimmel Live! ranked as the No. 1 late-night talk show among adults aged 18–49 (301,000), beating The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon by 8% (278,000) and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert by 14% (264,000).

October 30, 2022: Increase in viewership

As of November 2022, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is the 20th most popular show on ABC and 97th overall on TV, watched by a total number of 1,746,000 people (0.56% rating, up +23% from October 23 to October 30, 2022) per episode, as of the average weekly audience measurement for the period ending January 22, 2023.

November 2022: Popularity of the show in ABC

December 2022: Classic ABC ID picture removed from the opening

In December 2022, the picture of the classic 1962 ABC ID was removed from the opening sequence of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

2022: Lou Wilson becomes the announcer

In 2022, Lou Wilson replaced Dicky Barrett as the announcer for Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

2022: Show returns tape delayed to Citytv

In 2022, the show returns tape delayed to Citytv.

2022: Contract Extension

In May 2019, Jimmy Kimmel and ABC agreed to extend his contract to host the show until 2022, which would be the show's twentieth season.

January 22, 2023: Average Weekly Audience Measurement

September 2023: "Previously on Jimmy Kimmel Live!" segment aired

Beginning in September 2023, a "Previously on Jimmy Kimmel Live!" segment, parodying recap segments from various drama shows and shared on social media, aired before the title sequence.

September 2023: Show's logo showing the sign being turned on

Starting in September 2023, the simplified intro began showing the show's logo from multiple angles, which now includes the sign being turned on after the "Previously on Jimmy Kimmel Live!" segment.

2023: Ranked as the No. 1 late-night talk show

During the week of Jan. 16, 2023, Jimmy Kimmel Live! ranked as the No. 1 late-night talk show among adults 18-49 (307,000), beating NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon by 21% (253,000) and CBS' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert by 27% (241,000).

February 2024: "Previously on Jimmy Kimmel Live!" segment discontinued

In late February 2024, the "Previously on Jimmy Kimmel Live!" segment was discontinued on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

February 21, 2024: Kimmel Hints at Contract's End

On February 21, 2024, Jimmy Kimmel hinted in an interview that he may not renew his contract after it expires in May 2026.

January 8, 2025: Suspension of Production due to Wildfires

On January 8, 2025, it was announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would suspend production due to the then-ongoing wildfires in the Southern California region, where El Capitan, the filming spot for the show, is located.

January 2025: New intro premiered

In late January 2025, a new intro premiered on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, featuring a drone flyover of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel roof, Hollywood Boulevard, and the exterior of the theater, along with other landmarks.

February 2025: Jimmy Kimmel Live YouTube channel reached over 20 million subscribers

As of February 2025, the Jimmy Kimmel Live YouTube channel reached over 20 million subscribers.

May 24, 2025: Views of Jimmy Kimmel Live! YouTube channel

As of May 24, 2025, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! YouTube channel shows a cumulative of 13,676,433,211 views.

September 17, 2025: FCC Chair Warns Action Could be Taken

On September 17, 2025, FCC chair Brendan Carr warned that action could be taken against ABC for remarks made by Kimmel during the monologue of the previous night's episode.

May 2026: Possible Contract Expiration

Jimmy Kimmel's current contract is set to expire in May 2026, potentially marking the end of his tenure as host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Mentioned in this timeline

Basketball is a team sport played on a rectangular court...

Dunkin' initially named Dunkin' Donuts is a multinational coffee baked...

Barack Obama the th U S President - was the...

California is a U S state on the Pacific Coast...

Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate and...

Robin Williams was a highly acclaimed American actor and comedian...