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Jimmy Kimmel posted a photo of himself with the late Norman Lear on Tuesday ahead of his first show back since “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was suspended over comments he made about late right-wing podcaster Charlie Kirk.
“Missing this guy today,” Kimmel captioned the photo.
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Lear, who died in 2023 at the age of 101, was a screenwriter and television producer, mainly known as the creator of “All in the Family” and “Sanford and Son,” sitcoms that dealt with social and political issues. Lear was a staunch advocate for the First Amendment, and in 1981, he founded People for the American Way, a progressive organization formed in response to the rise of the religious right. The organization has signed on to many amicus briefs in First Amendment cases.
In 1976, Lear and the Writers Guild of America sued the FCC after the commission pressured networks to keep all programs that aired before 9 p.m. “family-friendly.” Lear and the guild won the lawsuit, and the court ruled that the “adoption of the family viewing policy by each of the networks constituted a violation of the First Amendment.”
Lear’s outspokenness also landed him a spot on President Richard Nixon’s famous “enemies list,” and one time Nixon reportedly complained about “All in the Family,” calling it “that show that makes fun of a good man.”
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During a 2015 interview, Lear said he considered himself a “bleeding heart conservative” because “you will not fuck with my First Amendment, my Bill of Rights, my Constitution, my Declaration, the promises my country made to me and everybody else here and elsewhere.”
Kimmel’s post featuring Lear follows ABC suspending “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last week after Kimmel said of Kirk’s suspected shooter that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.” In its statement about Kimmel’s show returning, ABC’s parent company Disney called the remarks “ill-timed” and “insensitive.”
Kimmel has yet to make a public comment, but his first show back airs Tuesday night.
Even though Disney agreed to bring back the show after “having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy,” Nexstar, the largest television station owner that owns more than 200 stations throughout the country, and Sinclair, which owns multiple ABC broadcasts, will both continue to preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
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Critics argued the suspension was a First Amendment violation since it came after FCC chairman Brendan Carr threatened to penalize ABC for Kimmel’s remarks. Nexstar is seeking a merger that would require FCC approval, and Sinclair is seeking deregulation.
On top of that, ESPN, which is owned by Disney, is set to acquire the NFL Network, but needs approval from President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice.
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Trump, who appointed Carr, has long been outspoken about his disdain for Kimmel, often writing about how bad his show is on Truth Social.
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