Emmys host Kimmel is on a roll this year

Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

For late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel, 2012 is turning out to be a busy year.

In addition to hosting the 64th annual Emmy Awards tonight on ABC, Kimmel served as emcee for the White House Correspondents Dinner in April and got engaged to girlfriend Molly McNearney, one of his show’s head writers. He persuaded Oprah Winfrey to appear on his show and orchestrated a video starring George Clooney, Meryl Streep and just about every other star in Hollywood that premiered after the Academy Awards. In late October, “Jimmy Kimmel Live” will start shooting a week’s worth of shows in Brooklyn.

But the biggest professional news came last month when ABC announced that, starting in January, Kimmel will swap time slots with “Nightline,” meaning that his “Live” will compete directly with Jay Leno and David Letterman.

Not bad for a guy once known for hosting “The Man Show,” best remembered for near-naked women bouncing on trampolines.

“Maybe it’s like the sad kid sitting outside of the house where the party is happening, and someone finally goes, ‘All right. Come in and have a drink,’” Kimmel, 44, said. “I don’t know that the world has come closer to my humor, but I think it’s just attrition more than anything. I think if you hang in there long enough, eventually you’re part of the group.”