ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" To Celebrate 20th Anniversary With Guests From Inaugural Episode

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! Is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary, and will bring back the guests that appeared on the very first episode of the late night show, according to Variety.

What’s Happening:

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! Is getting ready to celebrate their 20th anniversary next week, and will air a special episode in primetime on January 26th, with special guests George Clooney, Snoop Dogg, and Coldplay – the guests from the original premiere back in 2003.
The special is set to air in primetime at 10:00 PM ET on January 26th on ABC, but will repeat at 11:35 PM, marking 20 years to the day since the show originally premiered on Sunday, January 26th, 2003.
When the show originally aired, it took the 12:05 time slot after Nightline, which replaced Politically Incorrect after a snafu with that show’s host, Bill Maher.
Regarding the 20th anniversary, Kimmel told Variety, “As everybody might imagine, it feels like it went by in the blink of an eye and it also feels like it’s been going on since the Middle Ages. But it definitely gives me a sense of accomplishment. Especially when you go back and watch some of the old shows and you’re like, ‘wow, this is very unprofessional.’ Those nights where we thought that was a pretty good show, we were extremely wrong!”
Kimmel came from Comedy Central, where he served as the co-host of the game show, Win Ben Stein’s Money, and later as the co-host of The Man Show. He was also on Fox’s NFL Sunday, and appeared in audio form as Jimmy the Sports Guy on KROQ-FM’s Kevin & Bean Show.
The first episode, all three guests were considered a “big get” at the time and remain so to this day. Kimmel told Variety, “If you watch the first show, apparently I said about Coldplay, ‘We wanted somebody that we’d still be proud we had on the show (in) 20 years. That’s kind of cool, considering that’s exactly what happened.”
Clooney was on the show to promote his film Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and has since appeared on Kimmel’s show numerous times, including Kimmel’s post-Oscars specials.
Snoop Dogg came on, someone who has known Kimmel since his KROQ days, and served as the first in an experimental guest co-host/sidekick attempt. A spot that would later be filled more permanently by Guillermo, after the experiment didn’t quite work out despite stars like Janeane Garafolo and former The Man Show partner Adam Corolla also did a stint in the co-host position.
Kimmel recently extended his contract to keep hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live through its 23rd season on ABC.

What They’re Saying:

Jimmy Kimmel: “It’s kind of perfect really is what it is.,” he says. “It’s like a do over… everybody’s schedules. We managed to piece it together. Snoop Dogg is always the funniest because he’s so laconic. You wouldn’t think he would get excited about something. But he’s interestingly sentimental and enthusiastic. I heard he was sitting in his dressing room watching the monologue and just getting really excited about the fact that this was happening.”