Late Night TV junkies, prepare to get your fix. At last.

After months of the writer’s strike forcing many shows into repeats, Jimmy Kimmel announced his triumphant return to late night as soon as Jan. 2. On that same night, the regular night time NBC lineup is slotted to hit the airwaves at long last.

However, Kimmel is not yet permitted to use any written material submitted by the show’s writers – and will be forced to ad-lib from the top of the show to the bottom. But, it isn’t just Kimmel who might find himself in the midst of a tough crowd, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien will also be relying on their own wit to carry them through their entire shows.

In a statement made Tuesday, Kimmel expressed his anger about going on with the shows without his writers.

“Though it makes me sick to do so without my writers, there are more than a hundred people whose financial well-being depends on our show,” Kimmel stated. “It is time to go back to work. I support my colleagues and friends in the WGA completely and hope this ends both fairly and soon.”

In the past months of the strike, Kimmel’s show has been in constant repeats. Many of his own friends and family are employed as writers on staff, making this past time particularly hard for the comedian.

Leno and O’Brien are also to air on Jan. 2.






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