Why is there no episode of Jimmy Kimmel tonight? (May 2)

Audiences who tune in to catch their favorite late night shows may have been a little disappointed today when a rerun of Jimmy Kimmel Live!  Why is there no new episode of the popular late night show? We break it down for you and share when Jimmy Kimmel will return to our screens.

As we reported earlier, many late night shows will not be airing live episodes. This includes Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Due to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, the majority of shows are pausing the release of new episodes as well as live TV.

What is the WGA strike? The WGA is in dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The issue is fair compensation, which hasn’t been any better with the recent impact of AI. Simply put, writers are not happy with their pay as it does not match all of the changes in the industry. Sabrina Reed explains it best:

"“Companies continue to profit and spending on content has continued to grow but, according to the WGA, “The companies have used the transition to streaming to cut writer pay and separate writing from production, worsening working conditions for series writers at all levels.”"

Why is Jimmy Kimmel Live! not on tonight? (May 2)

No. Jimmy Kimmel Live! and all late night television is going dark in solidarity with the strike, Deadline reports. As for when the late night show will return, we don’t know yet. Reports share that new episodes have been suspended indefinitely, so, unfortunately, it could be weeks before we see our favorite late night shows again, or sooner than that! It all depends on when matters get solved.

Even Saturday Night Live will be airing a rerun during its regular timeslot on Saturday. Those who were hoping to catch Pete Davidson as host will have to wait until the strike is over.