Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart aren’t done making waves together. Just days after Stewart hijacked Kimmel’s monologue with a GrubHub gag that went viral, the late-night duo confirmed that they are officially teaming up for a special project that could reshape the late-night landscape.
The announcement came Friday during a joint appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where the two hosts shared the stage once again. This time, Stewart wasn’t in costume—he was there to make it official. “We had too much fun the other night to just leave it there,” Kimmel told the audience. “So we’re making something bigger, something that, if all goes well, will get us both fired.”
The collaboration is a limited-run late-night special titled Live From Both Coasts, set to air simultaneously on ABC and Comedy Central in December. Each episode will feature Kimmel in Los Angeles and Stewart in New York, with live crossovers, rotating guest panels, and a promise that “no politician, no billionaire, and no FCC commissioner will be spared.”
Stewart described the project as “half comedy, half chaos, and 100% free speech.” He added: “We’re not here to play it safe. We’re here to remind people that satire is a tool, and sometimes it’s the sharpest one left.”
Behind the laughs, there’s a serious purpose. Sources close to the show confirmed that the specials will dedicate time each week to highlighting issues of censorship and media freedom. “We want to keep making jokes,” Kimmel said, “but we also want to protect the right to make them. If you think about it, that’s what this is really about.”
Plans for the format include satirical sketches, live fact-checks of political speeches, and a recurring segment where both hosts respond to social media attacks in real time. “It’s therapy for us,” Kimmel joked. “And entertainment for everyone else.”
Celebrity guests are already lining up. Stewart teased that Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep have agreed to appear in the premiere, with musical performances from artists “not afraid to get a little political.”
Reaction online was immediate and overwhelming. Fans praised the unexpected partnership, with one post on X reading: “Kimmel and Stewart joining forces is the Avengers of late-night TV.” Another said, “This is the free speech special America needs.”
Kimmel closed the announcement with a jab at their critics: “If you don’t like it, you can always change the channel—though frankly, I think we’ll be on that one too.”
