On what date did Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiere on ABC?

Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered on ABC on January 26, 2003. The show launched as a late-night competitor built around Jimmy Kimmel’s interview style, comedy sketches, and live musical performances.

Its debut followed ABC’s effort to strengthen its late-night schedule after Nightline. Kimmel initially shared the network’s late-night landscape with Ted Koppel’s news program, and the show eventually became a long-running fixture after moving to an earlier time slot.

The title can cause a minor mix-up: although it includes the word “Live,” most episodes are recorded before broadcast rather than transmitted live. The program has also used recurring comedy segments, celebrity interviews, and outdoor stunts as major parts of its identity.

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! should not be confused with Kimmel’s earlier Comedy Central work, The Man Show, which he co-hosted before moving to network late night.