Kimmel’s 8 Best Jokes From His Return, Ranked

In case you’ve been living under a rock, which here means living in Washington D.C., Nashville, Portland (Oregon), Salt Lake City or St. Louis — all cities in which the local ABC affiliate station is still refusing to carry Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Jimmy Kimmel is back!

With laughs, tears and several standing ovations, Kimmel’s return monologue following a short-lived suspension over on-air remarks did not disappoint. As The Hollywood Reporter TV critic Angie Han wrote in her review of Tuesday’s show, Kimmel “rose to the occasion,” which, considering the occasion, was a very high bar to clear. Kimmel “expertly” deployed his “not-so-secret weapon” of sincerity, Han wrote.

But this is still a comedy show, and though I’m no critic, your friendly neighborhood THR TV editor is here to tell you that those bombs did anything but bomb. Also, I ranked them.

In descending order:

8. The Happiest…