The man show: Jimmy Kimmel brings the crass to ABC

This Sunday, a new late night talk show premieres on ABC right after the Super Bowl. The host?… This Sunday, a new late night talk show premieres on ABC right after the Super Bowl. The host? Jimmy Kimmel. For the uninitiated, Jimmy Kimmel is an Emmy award-winning comedian who has been making his way up through the ranks of stardom during the last few years.

Now before you roll your eyes and say, “Not another one!,” you should know that Jimmy and ABC intend to mix things up a little bit. First off, the title of the program is “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and, as the title implies, the show is filmed live every night at midnight – not in the afternoon such as Jay Leno and the other network late-night talk show hosts. Second, the show begins at midnight, starting halfway through Leno and David Letterman, and ending halfway through Conan O’Brien and Craig Kilborn. Third, the format of the show is slightly nontraditional. While the show will feature famous guests and live music acts, it also promises a variety of live stunts performed on the show every night, and a co-host position, which changes on a weekly basis. It’s going to be a little slicker than your average talk show.

Jimmy Kimmel is a comedian who is known for not being afraid to take the low road and go for the easy joke. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with the low road; it is very popular and filled with hilarious toilet jokes.

Kimmel got his big break as second banana to speechwriter turned actor turned genius game show host Ben Stein, but quickly moved on to bigger things. When “The Man Show” debuted, Jimmy Kimmel was a relative unknown next to co-host Adam Corolla, but it is Jimmy who has been the force behind the show’s success, as Adam can hardly finish his beer during the weekly ziggy-zaggy. Kimmel next struck gold with the show “Crank Yankers,” a puppet-filled rip on the old crank call prank; a show that, despite its shallow premise, has received much critical praise. Most recently, Fox sports employed Jimmy as a color commentator during Fox’s football pre-game show. His quick rise and wide exposure is what ABC sees as sure signs that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will be a success.

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” premieres directly after the Super Bowl on Sunday night before moving to its regular time, Monday through Friday at 12:05 a.m.