Fans tuning in for a new episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! tonight will instead find a rerun in its place. But while that news is disappointing for late-night TV audiences, ABC already has a plan to make it up to the audience.
On Thursday night, ABC is set to rebroadcast the May 27 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! featuring Jennifer Lopez, Josh Johnson, and musical guest Stella Lefty. While the temporary interruption may upset viewers looking for Kimmel's latest monologue and interviews, the late-night host won't be off the air for long.
Unlike most weeks when a preemption results in one fewer original episode, Jimmy Kimmel Live! will still deliver its usual four-show slate this week. ABC has scheduled a rare Friday night edition of the program tomorrow, allowing the series to make up for tonight's absence. Johnny Knoxville and Inde Navarrette are slated to appear on Friday's episode.
The scheduling shuffle is tied to ABC's coverage of Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Friday night. Rather than air a new episode on Thursday and a repeat after the game, the network has opted to hold Kimmel's latest installment until Friday, where it will follow the NBA Finals and post-game coverage.
The strategy gives ABC a fresh episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! to capitalize on the large audience expected to tune in for the game between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, helping keep viewers watching later into the night.
But unlike previous NBA Finals series on ABC, Kimmel won't be airing a special before the game starts. Past years have seen Kimmel welcome NBA stars and other athletes as well as put on basketball-related bits before airing a normal episode after the game.
ABC will stick with its NBA Tip-Off crew of Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith before the game. And basketball fans know that crew can be just as funny as Kimmel on any given night.
For Kimmel fans, the result is ultimately a win-win: while tonight's new episode is delayed, viewers will still receive a full week of fresh shows, capped off by an unusual Friday night edition following one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.
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