00:00He had no ratings.
00:02Well, I do tonight.
00:11Jimmy Kimmel's opening monologue from his Tuesday return to late night has set a new record.
00:17The episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live featured a nearly 30-minute show opening that included
00:21the host's emotional monologue where he thanked those who supported him during his suspension,
00:25attempted to clarify his controversial comments about Charlie Kirk, and, most of all,
00:30passionately defended free speech.
00:32This show is not important.
00:34What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.
00:40So far, the show's official YouTube account has clocked the video at over 14 million views in 16 hours.
00:46While many interviews and sketches from Kimmel's show have racked up tens of millions of clicks
00:50over the years, his Tuesday night monologue has set a new YouTube record as his most
00:55watched opening monologue ever.
00:57On ABC, Kimmel typically draws about 1.6 million viewers.
01:01But according to the New York Times, the network is expecting to generate far more than that
01:04in the official ratings, even with the Nextstar and Sinclair boycotts, which account for roughly
01:0920% of stations.
01:11Kimmel's monologue is largely being hailed as meeting the moment.
01:14While he stopped just short of apologizing for his comments about Kirk, something many
01:18on the right were demanding, he attempted to reach out to his detractors by thanking the
01:22many conservatives who criticized the Trump administration's efforts to push him off the
01:26air, as well as gave very sincere-sounding praise to Kirk's widow, Erica Kirk.
01:30On Sunday, Erica Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband.
01:35She forgave him.
01:37That is an example we should follow.
01:40For much more on this story and all the latest updates, go to THR.com.
01:44This is the Hollywood Reporter News.
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