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ABC aired a rerun episode of “Celebrity Family Feud” in place of Jimmy Kimmel’s axed late night talk show Wednesday night – and will play “a special in remembrance” of Charlie Kirk during the coveted time slot on Sinclair’s affiliate stations starting Friday.
The station pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air “indefinitely” following the comedian’s controversial comments about the killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
During the 11:35 p.m. time slot — where a suited-up Kimmel typically interviews celebrity guests, delivers comedic monologues, and hosts musical performances — two teams of celebrities played the Family Feud survey game with host Steve Harvey.
Actor Rob Lowe and “The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox” star Grace Van Patten were slated to appear on Kimmel’s show Wednesday night, with a musical performance by Margo Price.
Sinclair, the nation’s largest ABC affiliate conglomerate, announced in a statement that their ABC stations “will air a special in remembrance of Charlie Kirk” this Friday during Kimmel’s time slot, and will continue to offer the special “across all Sinclair stations this weekend.”
Kimmel, 57, faced backlash after he said Monday night that the “MAGA gang” was trying to score political points off Kirk’s murder after the conservative activist was shot dead on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah on Sept. 10.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” Kimmel said during his monologue.
The broadcast group affirmed they would not lift the suspension of Kimmel’s show until formal discussions are held with ABC “regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.”
Sinclair has also called on the talk show host to issue a “direct apology” to the Kirk family and make a “meaningful” personal donation to them and Kirk’s conservative group Turning Point USA.
“Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country,” Vice Chairman Jason Smith said in a statement.
“We believe broadcasters have a responsibility to educate and elevate respectful, constructive dialogue in our communities. We appreciate FCC Chairman Carr’s remarks today and this incident highlights the critical need for the FCC to take immediate regulatory action to address control held over local broadcasters by the big national networks.”
The abrupt suspension of Kimmel’s show came after Nexstar also axed the program on it’s 32 ABC affiliate stations.
“Nexstar’s owned and partner television stations affiliated with the ABC Television Network will preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight’s show,” the company said in a statement Wednesday.
“Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” has been a staple for ABC since it began airing in 2004.
