HOLLYWOOD, CA - ABC is moving its late-night funnyman, Jimmy Kimmel, to 11:35 p.m. starting Tuesday. The move flip-flops "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "Nightline" and pits Kimmel against long-time late-night comics David Letterman and Jay Leno.
It's a big change for ABC, but will the show change itself? In other words, will Guillermo be sober at 11:35?
"You know he's never sober at midnight ... so I don't know that this is going to help any," said Kimmel in an interview with News10.
Inside the El Capitan Theatre, prep-work is still underway to convert the extra sets and turn everything back on after a two-week hiatus.
As for going head-to-head with Leno and Letterman - Kimmel admitted Letterman was his idol when Letterman came on his show.
"I want to wish you the best of luck when you move the show. I think it'll be exciting, I think you'll be perfect at 11:30, and you and everybody that have worked so hard here at whatever time you're on now ... I think it'll be great and I couldn't be happier to have you in the running," said Lettemran.
"Thanks, I really appreciate that."
What's it going to be like going up against the man who Kimmel says is the reason he bought a television?
"I didn't technically buy the television, I stole it from my parents. You know we're on against him now, so I've kind of gotten used to it over the last 10 years because we are on against half of his show," Kimmel said. "I mean it really is strange to flip through the channels and see yourself in that lineup, you never get over it."
Everything about Kimmel's set is brand-new, from the floors to the set to the band area and the backgrounds. Kimmel himself emailed the designer and said, "Hey, I want a desk like this ..." And it shows up.
"I'm gonna have to try it [the desk] out. You look at it, but there's no substitute for actually doing the show on it. It's a little bit strange that I'm not up on a stage anymore. I'm down and the audience is actually above me now. It's a little weird, but maybe I'll love it.
Can they throw things at hij if they want to?
"Well, they always throw things if they wanted to. Hopefully they won't."
So the time difference, the set ... change is coming.
But some things on Hollywood Boulevard never change ...
Will Kimmel have time for Matt Damon now?
"You know, the show is still only an hour long. If we can squeeze him in, we will. Believe me, we try our hardest but for some reason we never seem to be able to get him on.
"I'm hopeful, but I wouldn't say I'm nervous. I'm nervous when I'm in a situation where it's an unknown. You want to make people laugh, but I don't really feel nervous."
Nick Monacelli, nick@news10.net
News10/KXTV