by Julian Spivey Monday night’s (Jan. 13) episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on ABC was a shining example of what late-night television can be and one of the finest episodes of Kimmel’s long-running show. At the moment, Kimmel’s ABC show is the only late-night television talk show that records in the Los Angeles area after James Corden’s “Late, Late Show” ended in 2023 and “The Tonight Show” moved from Burbank to New York City more than a decade ago. This makes it the only show of its kind directly impacted by the horrific wildfires that have devastated parts of Los Angeles over the last week-plus. “Jimmy Kimmel Live” canceled a show or two last week due to the fires. Kimmel, who can be quite emotional when the moments call for it (and has been unfairly maligned for it at times), was almost choked up and in tears before he could speak on Monday’s episode. His monologue mostly eschewed jokes in favor of praise for the hard-working firemen combating the fires, volunteers helping those who’ve lost everything in the fires, and generally giving the rest of the country an idea of what was happening in the area. It’s a fire that, while it hadn’t affected his home, had affected those close to him, including members of his staff. Having watched more and more of his show over the last 10 years or so, especially in moments like this, I know how caring and empathetic Kimmel is for his fellow man. It’s his most endearing quality, even over his ability to make us laugh. He’s been a member of the Los Angeles community for at least two decades, and it’s obvious he cares about the community. Monday night’s show worked in part as a fundraiser for fire relief efforts. For those locally, Kimmel’s studio lot accepted items folks needed to get by, like drinks, snacks, toiletries, etc. Throughout the broadcast, websites were mentioned and appeared on screen for viewers to donate. Kimmel’s lead guest on Monday’s episode was hip-hop legend and all-around pop culture personality Snoop Dogg, perhaps the most famous son of Los Angeles. The two commiserated on the tragedy and how much they loved the city and spoke of all the good work Snoop Dogg has done during his career, including his football league for under-advantaged children, which has led to multiple NFL players. The evening’s second guest was comedian Roy Wood Jr., who flew in from New York City to promote his new Hulu comedy special, “Lonely Flowers.” Wood showed a video of him visiting a fire station in Compton, which isn’t near the wildfires of L.A., but included a comical ride-along, which resulted in him helping to put out a literal dumpster fire, which led to a comical retort by Kimmel about the incoming President. One of the most emotional aspects of the episode for me was the night’s musical performance from L.A.’s own Dawes, the brother duo of Taylor Goldsmith (vocals and guitar) and Griffin Goldsmith (drums) to perform a stripped-down version of their 2011 song “Time Spent in Los Angeles.” Any fan of Dawes realizes how much their hometown means to them as performers and songwriters. This performance took on a more emotional tone by the fact that Taylor had lost the home he shared with his wife, actress Mandy Moore, and his children just days before in the fire. Griffin had lost a studio, which housed much of his recording equipment and instruments. The performance was to raise money for MusicCares to help musicians in need. Overall, Monday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” was an emotional and important episode that showcased what can happen when people care about each other and band together to help out in times of hardship and how television can play a role in rebuilding.
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