CBS Launches Late Show Emmy Campaign Without Jimmy Kimmel

CBS has officially launched its Emmy campaign for "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," a strategic move to garner nominations and awards for the late-night program. The campaign features a new video that includes a significant number of celebrities, aiming to highlight the show's cultural impact and appeal. However, conspicuously absent from this year's campaign efforts is any public endorsement or support from Jimmy Kimmel, host of ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!". This stands in contrast to the previous year, when Kimmel actively supported Colbert's Emmy bid by displaying a billboard that read, "I'm voting for Stephen."

The absence of Kimmel's endorsement this year is particularly noteworthy given his own recent professional challenges. Last year, Kimmel's public support for Colbert came after CBS's decision to cancel "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," a move that was widely reported at the time. This year, however, Kimmel has experienced what has been described as an "annus horribilis," a difficult year marked by various professional setbacks. Despite these personal and professional challenges, Kimmel has not extended the same public support to Colbert's Emmy campaign.

The "Late Show" Emmy campaign video, released this week, showcases a range of well-known personalities, underscoring the show's broad reach and influence within the entertainment industry. The strategy behind featuring numerous celebrities is to amplify the show's visibility and demonstrate its broad appeal to Emmy voters. This approach is a common tactic in awards season campaigns, designed to create buzz and remind voters of the program's merits.

While the exact reasons for Kimmel's lack of public support remain unstated, the shift in dynamic between the two late-night hosts is a point of interest for industry observers. Last year's public display of solidarity was seen as a significant gesture of collegiality within the competitive late-night television landscape. The current campaign, by contrast, appears to be a more solitary effort by CBS to promote "The Late Show," focusing solely on the program's own merits and celebrity connections, without relying on external endorsements from fellow hosts.

The Emmy race for late-night programming is historically competitive, with shows vying for recognition in categories such as Outstanding Talk Series and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" has been a consistent contender in these categories, and CBS's current campaign aims to reinforce its position. The effectiveness of this year's strategy, particularly in the absence of a high-profile endorsement from a peer like Kimmel, will become clearer as Emmy nominations are announced.