Jon Stewart’s Surprise ‘Daily Show’ Episode & Other Late-Night Changes After Kimmel Suspension
The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! has had everyone talking … except the other current hosts of late-night television. That changes tonight.
Some of Jimmy Kimmel‘s fellow “Strike Force Five” (the title that the hosts of late-night gave themselves while podcasting together during the dual Hollywood strike shutdowns) only heard about it after their Wednesday night shows were taped. Stephen Colbert, for example, reportedly found out in front of his live audience for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Kimmel’s fellow late-night hosts are expected to speak up about the suspension of his show by ABC in the wake of pressure from the Donald Trump administration’s FCC chairman on Thursday’s (September 18) broadcast.
To catch their reactions as they happen, then, here’s a guide to which late-night shows are running with new editions this evening.
The Daily Show (11/10c, Comedy Central)
Jon Stewart is anchoring a special Thursday night edition of The Daily Show on Comedy Central. Stewart traditionally hosts just the Monday shows, save for special occasions, and this appears to be just that.
Stewart’s guest will be Maria Ressa, a Nobel Laureate and author of How to Stand Up to a Dictator.
Programming Note: Jon Stewart will be hosting The Daily Show tonight at 11/10c on Comedy Central. Just don’t tell him it’s Thursday 🤫
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) September 18, 2025
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (11:35/10:35c, CBS)
Colbert knows a thing or two about the position Kimmel is in, as his own show was summarily canceled by CBS in a move that many speculate had political aims (the network’s parent company, Paramount, was engaged in a merger that needed federal approval from Trump’s administration).
The late-night host is expected to address the Kimmel suspension on his new show this evening, and his guests are CNN anchor Jake Tapper and The New Yorker‘s David Remnick.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (11:35/10:35c, NBC)
Jimmy Fallon, who Trump suggested should be next on the chopping block after Colbert and Kimmel, abruptly canceled an appearance at a New York festival to promote his new series, On Brand With Jimmy Fallon, in the wake of Kimmel’s suspension. However, his show is still expected to air with a new episode on Thursday night, with guests Jude Law, Tom Llamas, and a performance from Just in Time.
Late Night With Seth Meyers (12:35a/11:35c, NBC)
Seth Meyers will also be airing a new episode Thursday night, with Black Rabbit star Jason Bateman — a personal friend of Kimmel’s who has already spoken out about the suspension on Today — on hand alongside Jinkx Monsoon as the night’s guests.
Meyers, like Fallon, has his own personal stake in the matter, as he was named by Trump as a next target for ouster from late-night.
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Comments are closed on this story.
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G
Shades of Adolph. Control of the media is essential to destroying any semblance of a Democracy. We are there.
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Well, so they may comment on Kimmel's preemption after all. Good!
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Watch Colbert tonight. 😉
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B
This is sad sad times for TV viewers and hosts! No longer do we have the freedom to express ourselves freely to make political jokes about presidents or senators & congresspeople like they always have in the past. There’s not a single one who’s gone unscathed from comedians but that’s because we’re supposed to be free! Until now that is! Now we’re living in a police state like Russia or China or North Korea! No more freedoms or rights like we had before this last election! We’ve gone totally backwards into land of authoritarian regime! No more America land of the! 😢💔
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on guest
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O
Oh, you mean people like me who does the research to find out what's going on? Okay, let's go with that! Because it's just so much better to spew hatred without knowing the facts.
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You're SO right. The government didn't censor Kimmel. The government (via the FCC) illegally threatened to kneecap several private companies unless THEY censored Kimmel. Does that make you feel better?
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Where are you doing your research?…. Fox News or X or a podcast? Lmao 🤣
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R
They just going to all hug or something? Condemn the shooting then we can talk. Democrats need to clean the vomit up from the floor.
Condemn the radicals. You don't do that....I don't think anyone will care. Definitely not swing voters like me.
This is your insurrection moment, its' time to own it.
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O
Lmmfao. You're clearly maga, ya dink. No one wants to hear this crap. Every single last one of you are hypocrites.
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I am not maga, I am super maga, and by the way all 5 should be cancel, anyway who wants to watch a bunch of jokes telling lies 🤔
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O
It was private companies that pre-empted the show then ABC parent company followed suit. Does anyone actually do any research? Was Trump excited about it? Absolutely! But do you see Trump's name anywhere in Nexstar and Sinclair's reasons for pulling the show? No! Bad judgement on Kimmel's part. Everyone talks about division and spewing hate. This was a perfect example and some people are private owners of of corporations are tired of it. They have a right to run their companies the way they want. No one forced them to do this. FCC hasn't done anything yet, but says it can, we'll just have to wait and see what happens. Nexstar And Sinclair, Two Largest Station Groups, Wield Influence In ABC Decision To Pull Jimmy Kimmel In Light Of His Charlie Kirk Comments — Update In a statement, Nexstar said, “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. 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.”
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Private companies being extorted by the FCC, you mean.
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I just hope you all were as vocal as this, and felt the same, when Barak and Michelle Obama called Bob Iger to have Roseann Barr fired because they didn't like her tweet.
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This has nothing to do with a company being able to fire who they want and everything to do with the FCC chair Brendan Carr approving Nexstar’s
6.2 billion dollar acquisition with Tegna!! Educate yourself before you go writing a bunch of nonsense because it makes you sound stupid.
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So glad to see Kimmel be out after Colvert,. Colbert, Fallon and Kimmel have NO talent and are not a Jonnny Carson or Jay Leno , etc, individuals who would make political comments/jokes to either side or any politician but never took sides or acted as cheap politicians. Night Shows were enterntaiment shows not more policial garbage.
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Kimmel is on suspension from his late night show not fired. He has a contract through 2026 and is still doing Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Trump needs to stop being so thinskinned.
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Maybe you should focus less on political affairs and more on proper spelling. It makes you look dumb.
What do you all teach in your maga schools?!
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So you are a MAGA. Just wait until you finally realize what losing freedom of speech means to you.
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So, just now you realize that, but no when democrats shut down free speech for Republicans. Hipócrita!
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