Jimmy Kimmel Live has been going strong since the show returned with new episodes following a brief suspension. However, that momentum is about to come to a grinding halt.
ABC has announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live will not be airing any new episodes the week of October 20, 2025, with the show taking at least one week off with reruns. We say at least, as ABC only confirms the schedule for Jimmy Kimmel Live one week at a time, meaning that the network has not released the schedule for the week of October 27. As such, there is a chance that this hiatus could extend beyond October 25 and run into a second week.
For now, what we know is that ABC will not air new episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live from Monday, October 20 through Friday, October 24. Instead, fans will find reruns airing in the show’s usual time slot, with the following reruns planned for the week:
Monday, October 20
- Ryan Reynolds
- Josh Johnson
- Musical Guest Public Enemy
- Original Air date: September 29, 2025
Tuesday, October 21
- Stephen Colbert
- Kumail Nanjiani
- Musical Guest Reneé Rapp
- Original Air date: September 30, 2025
Wednesday, October 22
- Emily Blunt
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach
- Musical Guest Geese
- Big Daddy Kane sits in with Cleto and the Cletones
- Original Air date: October 1, 2025
Thursday, October 23
- Jeremy Allen White
- Bruce Springsteen
- Musical Guest Living Colour
- Ivan Neville sits in with Cleto and the Cletones
- Original Air date: October 2, 2025
Friday, October 24
- Tom Hanks
- Spike Lee
- Original Air date: October 3, 2025
Breaks such as the one Jimmy Kimmel Live is taking the week of October 20 are not unusual for late-night shows; however, the timing seems poorly planned.
Jimmy Kimmel Live has been enjoying quite a wave of increased viewership in recent weeks, with viewers rallying behind the show and its host following his suspension in September. One would imagine ABC would want to keep that momentum going and avoid a break in the season for as long as possible, but that doesn’t seem to be the case, which is fair.
This break was likely planned before the show’s suspension, and ABC is simply following through with the break. It just so happens to come at a time when viewers are eager to hear Kimmel’s commentary on the ongoing government shutdown and President Trump’s reactions to the No Kings protests from the weekend. We’re likely to still get this commentary when Kimmel returns, but it definitely is disappointing not to get his reaction this week.