Bill Maher has criticised ABC's decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show, drawing parallels to his own cancellation by the same network more than two decades ago. Speaking on his HBO programme Real Time with Bill Maher, the host said: 'ABC stands for Always Be Caving.'
Maher noted that it was 24 years to the day since he made comments on ABC that led to his dismissal from Politically Incorrect. In the aftermath of 9/11, he had disagreed with calling the perpetrators 'cowards', arguing instead that the US was cowardly for 'lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away'. The remarks caused an uproar, with sponsors pulling ads and affiliates dropping the show. Kimmel later took over Maher's slot.
ABC's suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! followed a joke about Donald Trump's reaction to the killing of right-wing spokesman Charlie Kirk. The FCC chair had threatened action over the joke, and Nexstar, the largest US TV station group, pulled the show. Sinclair Broadcast Group said it would not lift the suspension until Kimmel apologised to Kirk's family and made a donation to Turning Point USA.
Maher called the move 'intimidation on the right' and 'hypocritical'. He added: 'This sh– ain't new; it's worse, we'll get to that, but ABC, they are steady. So, Jimmy, pal, I am with you, I support you, and on the bright side, you don't have to pretend anymore that you like Disneyland.'
Other late-night hosts, including David Letterman, Seth Meyers and Jay Leno, have also condemned the suspension as an infringement on free speech. Democratic leaders have vowed to investigate, while writers and actors have protested at Disney's Burbank lot. Some talent, such as Damon Lindelof and Tatiana Maslany, have announced they will not work with Disney, and calls for boycotts of Hulu and Disney+ have emerged.
