Overview
- On Ted Danson’s podcast, Kimmel said he once prayed his show would be canceled as early struggles left him scrambling for guests and relying on friends.
- He recounted that ABC was close to hiring Jon Stewart before executives Lloyd Braun and Bob Iger pivoted to Kimmel, who joked the network should have hired Stewart.
- Kimmel said Bob Iger later explained the choice by telling him he was picked because he was "cheaper," a line Kimmel believed was only partly a joke.
- ABC suspended and preempted the show in mid-September over Kimmel’s comments about the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, drawing affiliate preemptions from Nexstar and Sinclair and public praise from FCC Chair Brendan Carr.
- Disney returned the program after "thoughtful conversations," and Kimmel’s comeback drew roughly 6.2–6.3 million TV viewers with substantial online viewership.