There’s some disappointing news for Jimmy Kimmel fans this week. There isn’t a new episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! tonight, Monday, Jan. 19.
That’s right; it’s rare that Jimmy Kimmel Live! takes a Monday night off, but here we are. The series will air a rebroadcast instead, but then there is some good news.
Why isn’t Jimmy Kimmel Live! new tonight?
What’s odd is that we don’t have a reason for it. Nothing was mentioned last week about the show being off the air for a night, and there’s been nothing mentioned via any of the press releases. ABC simply made it clear that there would be a rerun of the Michael B. Jordan and Joel McHale episode from last week.
The last time Jimmy Kimmel Live was off the air unexpectedly, it came after the news of Cleto Escobedo’s untimely passing. Kimmel needed the night to process the loss of his friend, and he expectedly took the night off.
Before that, there were other personal matters that came up. It’s sure to be something similar this time, and maybe we’ll learn about it afterward, or maybe it’s just something Kimmel wants to keep private. What we do know is that this is nothing like September 2025 when Jimmy Kimmel Live! went dark due to the FCC suspending the talk show host.
There was also the time Jimmy Kimmel Live! went on its winter break, but this time, that's not the reason. So, there are all sorts of times we don't get a new episode.
It is possible that the break is due to Martin Luther King Day, which sees numerous workplaces close. Other late night shows are also taking a break tonight.
When will Jimmy Kimmel Live! return with new episodes?
There is some good news, though. Jimmy Kimmel Live! won’t be off the air for long. He will return with new episodes on Tuesday, Jan. 20. His first guest of the week is Rachel McAdams, who will promote her new movie Send Help, where she plays a vastly different role to all the romantic roles she’s played in the recent past.
There will also be new episodes on Wednesday and Thursday night this week, with the planned rebroadcast on Friday. There are some exciting guests set up for the whole week, although keep in mind that the guests are schedule to change at a moment’s notice.
All the late night talk shows have opted for rebroadcasts on Fridays, unless something special is happening, such as when NBC will air a special episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
We’ll keep an eye on the plans for Jimmy Kimmel Live! for any reasons behind tonight’s unexpected rebroadcast and if there are other changes to the schedule this week.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs on weeknights at 11:35/10:35c on ABC.