After suspension fiasco, return of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ is must-see TV

In an about-face not quite as stunning as the suspension that took the show off the air — but close — “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is scheduled to return on Tuesday, Sept. 23.

As it should.

ABC suspended Kimmel on Sept. 17, following pressure from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr over comments the late-night host made in a monologue about the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s murder. It was a gutless move, even in the current everybody’s-running-scared climate. Now, following gloating and celebration by Carr, President Donald Trump and some (though not all) of the MAGA faithful, and outrage among fans of the First Amendment, the show is coming back.

“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” the Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, said in a statement.

“It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”

When is Jimmy Kimmel coming back?

That’s good news, of course. But it also raises a number of questions. What about the network affiliates — Carr threatened them, too — that also suspended airing of the show? Will this be enough for them? Presumably, their wishes and concerns were taken into consideration. We’ll have to find out.

Sinclair, one of the largest owners of affiliates in the country, even demanded that Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family and make a “meaningful personal donation” to Turning Point USA, which Kirk co-founded.

Both Sinclair and Nexstar, which suspended the show before ABC did, are involved in deals that will require the FCC’s blessing, adding to the controversy beyond just First Amendment concerns. Paramount settled a seemingly winnable lawsuit with Trump, paving the way for its merger. It’s a dangerous precedent

What did Jimmy Kimmel say to get suspended?

These are the words that got Kimmel into trouble: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Outrage on the right was swift and strong, but it was Carr’s mobster-like threats on a right-wing podcast that really got the suspension ball rolling: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. Within hours, the show was off the air. Even some prominent Republicans decried Carr’s tactics.

FCC threatens Jimmy Kimmel: ABC shamefully caves. This is a disgrace

What will Jimmy Kimmel say when he comes back?

Now what? It’s hard to imagine Kimmel will walk on eggshells. Reports say that before the suspension, he didn’t want to apologize over his remarks, but to explain that he thought they were taken out of context.

So what will he say Tuesday? Will he take the same route as “The View,” which Carr has also suggested might be worth scrutiny, and go for broke? Or will he be more circumspect? That’s the safest route, but hardly the most satisfying.

One thing is for sure. Tuesday night’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is now must-see TV.

How to watch ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’

10:35 p.m. weeknights on ABC 15.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kimmel shouldn’t have been pulled. His return is must-see TV | Opinion