In January, Jimmy Kimmel Live will begin airing five nights a week at 11:35pm, putting it in direct competition with Jay Leno and David Letterman. It’s a risky move for ABC, as it will force Nightline, which often beats both Leno and Letterman, to move to 12:35am (a time when tons of people still want to watch the previous day’s news, right?). The move reflects Jimmy’s recent emergence. With his solid White House Correspondents Dinner performance and the Emmy Awards next month, Jimmy has never been more relevant. There’s also a bit of long term planning here. Kimmel is establishing himself at 11:30 against two competitors in their 60s. It might be two years from now or it might be ten, but at some point Kimmel will be the last man standing and his show will benefit greatly. And when Kimmel is at the top of hill, he can finally bring back his first major contribution to television: girls jumping on trampolines.
SHIT JUST GOT REAL: ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ to Move to 11:30
