History of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in Timeline
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (JKL) is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, airing on ABC since January 26, 2003. Originally a post-Super Bowl XXXVII program, it was broadcast at either midnight or 12:05 a.m. ET/PT for its first decade before moving to 11:35 p.m. on January 8, 2013. The show is taped at the Hollywood Masonic Temple in Los Angeles. Though titled 'Live!', it ceased regular live broadcasts after an incident in 2004 involving uncensored swearing by actor Thomas Jane.
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: 20th anniversary episode intro evolution
For the show's 20th anniversary episode, it shows an evolution of the show's intro, which starts from the 2003 version.
2003: Jimmy Kimmel Game Night airs as lead-in to NBA Finals
From 2003 until 2022, Jimmy Kimmel Game Night aired as lead-in programming to ABC's coverage of the NBA Finals.
2004: Coors Light sponsors musical performances
From 2004 to 2006, Coors Light sponsored most of the show's musical performances.
January 2005: New Set Introduced
In January 2005, the show's original set at the Hollywood Masonic Temple was replaced with the current set, featuring a city background and moving the band to the right side of the stage.
January 2005: Tweaked Set with 3D Collage
On the February 25, 2007, special episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the set was tweaked with a 3D collage of Los Angeles and Hollywood replacing the illustrated city picture background from January 2005.
June 2005: Concerts held on the Pontiac Garage outdoor stage
In June 2005, the show partnered with Pontiac for its concerts, which were held on the "Pontiac Garage" outdoor stage in Hollywood.
September 16, 2006: Tweaked Set with 3D Collage
On the February 25, 2007, special episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the set was tweaked with a 3D collage of Los Angeles and Hollywood replacing the illustrated city picture background from January 2005.
2006: Coors Light sponsors musical performances
From 2004 to 2006, Coors Light sponsored most of the show's musical performances.
February 2007: Tweaked Set with 3D Collage
On the February 25, 2007, special episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the set was tweaked with a 3D collage of Los Angeles and Hollywood replacing the illustrated city picture background from January 2005.
February 25, 2007: Tweaked Set with 3D Collage
On the February 25, 2007, special episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the set was tweaked with a 3D collage of Los Angeles and Hollywood replacing the illustrated city picture background from January 2005.
January 31, 2008: Sarah Silverman's Music Video: "I'm Fucking Matt Damon"
On January 31, 2008, Sarah Silverman appeared on the show and announced, via a music video, that she had been "fucking Matt Damon." Damon took an additional jab at Kimmel's long-running gag by telling Kimmel at the end of the video, "Jimmy, we're out of time. Sorry."
2008: Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
In 2008, the "I'm Fucking Matt Damon" segment won a Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.
September 2009: Airing of Jimmy Kimmel Live! begins in Australia
In September 2009, The Comedy Channel in Australia began airing Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
October 2009: Bud Light replaces Pontiac as the segment's sponsor
Beginning in October 2009, Anheuser-Busch's Bud Light replaced Pontiac as the segment's sponsor for the musical performances.
January 12, 2010: Kimmel Parodies Jay Leno During Tonight Show Conflict
On January 12, 2010, during the Tonight Show conflict, Kimmel impersonated Jay Leno, complete with a wig and fake chin, and his bandleader parodied Kevin Eubanks. He referenced Conan O'Brien's "People of Earth" letter and joked about Leno's willingness to destroy The Tonight Show.
March 2010: Airing of Jimmy Kimmel Live! replaced in Australia
In March 2010, The Comedy Channel in Australia stopped airing Jimmy Kimmel Live!, replaced by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
October 27, 2011: New Opening Sequence Introduced
On October 27, 2011, the show introduced a new opening sequence featuring Kimmel zip-lining through Hollywood to the theater.
2011: Screen ratio transitioned to 16:9
In 2011, the screen ratio transitioned from 4:3 to 16:9 during the evolution of the show's intro for Jimmy Kimmel Live!'s 20th anniversary episode.
2011: Halloween Candy Prank Started
Starting in 2011, Jimmy Kimmel Live! began asking viewers every Halloween to take away their children's Halloween candy, videotape their kids' reactions, and post them on YouTube.
March 2012: "Mean Tweets" segment featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
In March 2012, Jimmy Kimmel Live! featured the first "Mean Tweets" segment, where celebrities read aloud actual tweets directed at them by Twitter users.
2012: Show airs on Citytv
In 2012, Jimmy Kimmel Live! began airing on Citytv in Canada.
2012: Kimmel Discusses Leno's Past Interest in Moving to ABC
In 2012, Kimmel discussed on a podcast how Leno had previously considered moving to ABC, initiating a friendship with Kimmel. However, after Leno remained at NBC, Kimmel felt used, believing Leno had used the ABC discussions as a bargaining tactic.
January 2013: Sony Takes Over Concert Series Sponsorship
In January 2013, Sony took over sponsorship of the Jimmy Kimmel Live Concert Series.
January 24, 2013: Matt Damon Takes Over Hosting Duties
On January 24, 2013, for the 10th anniversary episode, Damon took over hosting duties, renaming the show Jimmy Kimmel Sucks! He tied Kimmel to a chair, replaced Guillermo with Andy Garcia and Cleto with Sheryl Crow, and had Robin Williams do the monologue.
August 2013: Guillermo promotes "Estupido" and "Ass Face" movies during Matt Damon interview
In August 2013, Guillermo crashed Matt Damon's Elysium movie interview to promote his movies "Estupido" and "Ass Face", with posters pointing at Damon. Damon accused Kimmel and the promo ended with Damon's face turning into an ass.
February 2014: Matt Damon invited with the cast of The Monuments Men
In February 2014, Matt Damon was invited on the show with the cast of The Monuments Men. Damon sat in another seat, and a fake fire was activated at the end of the show when Kimmel asked Damon a question.
September 20, 2014: Show ends airing on Citytv
On September 20, 2014, Jimmy Kimmel Live! stopped airing on Citytv in Canada.
September 22, 2014: Show airs on CTV Comedy Channel
On September 22, 2014, Jimmy Kimmel Live! began airing on CTV Comedy Channel (formerly The Comedy Network) in Canada.
2014: AT&T takes over sponsorship
In 2014, AT&T took over sponsorship of the Jimmy Kimmel Live Concert Series segment.
January 2015: Tape-delayed to midnight on CTV Comedy Channel
In January 2015, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was tape-delayed to midnight on CTV Comedy Channel in Canada.
January 2015: New Opening Created by Industrial Light & Magic
In January 2015, the show premiered a new opening sequence created by Industrial Light & Magic, featuring Kimmel turning on the lights of Los Angeles from the Hollywood sign and transitioning through various locations.
February 2015: Interview with Viola Davis Using Cisco's Jabber Guest
In February 2015, actress Viola Davis was interviewed through Cisco's Jabber Guest due to weather issues preventing her travel to Los Angeles. This interview was branded under Cisco Systems's telepresence technology.
March 2015: President Obama participates in "Mean Tweets"
In March 2015, President Barack Obama participated in a "President Obama edition" of "Mean Tweets" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, reading tweets mocking him.
September 22, 2015: Return to Australian TV
On September 22, 2015, The Comedy Channel in Australia resumed airing Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
September 23, 2015: Jimmy Kimmel Live! premieres in India
On September 23, 2015, Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered in India on STAR World India, airing 12 hours after the U.S. broadcast.
2015: Samsung replaces AT&T as the segment's sponsor
In 2015, Samsung replaced AT&T as the segment's sponsor for the Jimmy Kimmel Live Concert Series.
2016: Matt Damon Emerges from Ben Affleck's Coat and Appears in Batman v Superman Sketch
During Kimmel's 2016 post-Oscar special, Matt Damon emerged from Ben Affleck's large coat. He was removed by Kimmel but later appeared in a sketch for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, reprising his role as astronaut Mark Watney.
2016: Cîroc replaced Samsung as the segment's sponsor
In 2016, Cîroc replaced Samsung as the segment's sponsor for the Jimmy Kimmel Live Concert Series.
2016: Opening Sequence Modified
In 2016, after Kimmel grew out his beard, the opening sequence was modified slightly to remove Kimmel's presence.
February 26, 2017: Kimmel renews feud with Damon at the 89th Academy Awards
On February 26, 2017, while hosting the 89th Academy Awards, Kimmel criticized Damon's film We Bought a Zoo, introduced him as Ben Affleck's "guest", and had the orchestra play him off. Damon later praised Jimmy Fallon's invitation process on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, which Kimmel mocked.
August 2017: Show ends airing on The Comedy Network
Jimmy Kimmel Live! aired on The Comedy Network until the end of August 2017.
2017: Mercedes-Benz became the segment's sponsor
In 2017, Mercedes-Benz became the segment's sponsor for the Jimmy Kimmel Live Concert Series.
August 2018: Show ends airing on CMT Canada
Jimmy Kimmel Live! aired on CMT Canada until August 2018 and has not aired on a Canadian channel since.
2019: Quiz show ordered.
In 2019, a quiz show between different generations of family members was ordered to be produced by Kimmel and Mark Burnett.
June 2020: Damon Emerges During Pandemic Show
In June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Damon emerged from Kimmel's bedroom, claiming to have been there the whole time and demanding to be on the show. It was then revealed that Kimmel's wife had been cheating on him with Damon, resulting in Kimmel refusing to have him on the show.
August 2020: Kids Created Unique Opening Sequence
From March to August 2020, while the show was filmed from his home, Kimmel's kids created a unique opening sequence.
September 2020: Introduction quips removed
In September 2020, the introduction quips were removed from Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with Dicky Barrett simply saying, "And now, Jimmy Kimmel." to give a lighter tone to what he normally say.
September 2020: Classic ABC ID Used in Opening
Starting in late September 2020, upon Kimmel's return to the studio, a picture of the classic 1962 ABC ID, fully recreated to fit the widescreen format, alongside the animated version in the October 30, 2020 episode, was used.
October 30, 2020: Classic ABC ID Used in Opening
On the October 30, 2020 episode, a picture of the classic 1962 ABC ID, fully recreated to fit the widescreen format, alongside the animated version, was used.
2020: Beat The Tonight Show in total viewers
For the 2020-21 television season, Jimmy Kimmel Live! beat The Tonight Show in total viewers.
May 2021: Dicky Barrett says "And now, Jimmy Kimmel"
From September 2020 to May 2021, Dicky Barrett would say "And now, Jimmy Kimmel."
May 2021: Simplified Intro with Show's Logo
Starting from May 2021, upon the audience returning, the simplified intro now shows the show's logo from multiple angles.
2021: Evolution of the show's intro
For Jimmy Kimmel Live!'s 20th anniversary episode in 2021, an evolution of the show's intro was showcased, ending with the show's current logo.
April 1, 2022: Justin Timberlake impersonates Matt Damon on April Fool's Day
On April 1, 2022, with Jimmy Fallon hosting in place of Kimmel for April Fool's Day, Fallon announced Matt Damon as a guest. Instead, Justin Timberlake emerged in Boston Red Sox apparel with a Dunkin' Donuts coffee cup, impersonating Damon, and spray-painted "I <3 Matt Damon" on Kimmel's desk.
June 6, 2022: Jimmy Kimmel Live! Ranked No. 1 Late-Night Talk Show
During the week of June 6, 2022, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was the No. 1 late-night talk show for two weeks in a row among adults 18-49.
July 7, 2022: Game show spin-off premieres
On July 7, 2022, the quiz show spin-off from Jimmy Kimmel Live!, produced by Kimmel and Mark Burnett and hosted by Kelly Ripa, premiered.
September 26, 2022: Ranked as No. 1 late-night talk show in New York
During the week of September 26, 2022, broadcasting from Brooklyn, New York, Jimmy Kimmel Live! ranked as the No. 1 late-night talk show among adults 18-49.
October 30, 2022: Audience measurement increase
As of October 30, 2022, Jimmy Kimmel Live! audience measurement increased by +23% from October 23.
November 2022: Ranking on ABC and overall on TV
As of November 2022, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is the 20th most popular show on ABC and 97th overall on TV.
December 2022: Classic ABC ID Removed
In December 2022, the picture of the classic 1962 ABC ID was removed from the show's opening.
2022: Jimmy Kimmel Game Night airs as lead-in to NBA Finals
From 2003 until 2022, Jimmy Kimmel Game Night aired as lead-in programming to ABC's coverage of the NBA Finals.
2022: Show returns tape delayed to Citytv
In 2022, Jimmy Kimmel Live! returns tape delayed to Citytv in Canada.
2022: Lou Wilson replaces Dicky Barrett
In 2022, Lou Wilson replaced Dicky Barrett as the show's announcer on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
January 22, 2023: Audience measurement
As of the average weekly audience measurement for the period ending January 22, 2023, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is watched by a total number of 1,746,000 people.
September 2023: Sign Being Turned On After the 'Previously On' Segment
Starting from September 2023, the intro shows the show's logo being turned on after the "Previously on Jimmy Kimmel Live!" segment.
September 2023: "Previously on Jimmy Kimmel Live!" segment starts
Starting in September 2023, Jimmy Kimmel Live! began with a "Previously on Jimmy Kimmel Live!" segment before the title sequence, parodying a recap of drama shows.
2023: Ranked as 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, beating NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and CBS' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
2023: Jimmy Kimmel Game Night discontinued due to NBA schedule change and writers' strike
In 2023, Jimmy Kimmel Game Night was discontinued due to the NBA moving up its weeknight start times and a writers' strike.
February 2024: "Previously on Jimmy Kimmel Live!" segment dropped
In late February 2024, the "Previously on Jimmy Kimmel Live!" segment was dropped from the program.
February 21, 2024: Contract Renewal Hint
On February 21, 2024, Jimmy Kimmel hinted in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that he may not renew his contract after it expires in 2026, suggesting it might be his final contract.
June 3, 2024: YouTube channel views
As of June 3, 2024, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! YouTube channel has accumulated 13,676,433,211 views.
January 8, 2025: Production Suspension Due to Wildfires
On January 8, 2025, it was announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would suspend production due to ongoing wildfires in Southern California, where the filming location, El Capitan, is located.
January 2025: New Intro Debuts
In late January 2025, Jimmy Kimmel Live! debuted a new intro featuring a drone flyover of various Hollywood landmarks and Cleto and the Cletones performing on set.
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