Kimmel to go against Leno, Letterman

There’s a late-night talk show fight brewing, oh boy.
Starting in January, “Jimmy Kimmel Live” will move from the 12:05 a.m. to the 11:35 p.m. time slot long held by “Nightline.” ABC said that it wanted to take advantage of Kimmel's ratings growth and the potential for greater ad revenue.
That puts Kimmel directly up against Jay Leno on NBC, David Letterman on CBS and our bedtime. “Nightline” will move to 12:25 a.m.
“The most exciting thing is having a bigger audience,” Kimmel said. “You work all day on the show and you want as many people to see you as possible.”
Last season, Letterman averaged 3.22 million viewers; Leno, 3.71 million; “Nightline,” 3.89 million; and Kimmel, 1.8 million. The talk-show figures include the second half-hour that includes drowsy audience drop-off.
By our math that leaves about 290 million of us who’d rather sleep than watch any of it. Harrumph.
‘Idol’ chatter
Up for more “Idol” chatter? Well, here it is anyway.
Mariah Carey reportedly hit the roof when she heard our story (or some variant thereof) that Nicki Minaj was set to join her on the judging panel of Fox’s smash caterwauling, er, singing competition.
TMZ was told that Carey hung up the phone when she was told by someone on the other end of the phone that Minaj was a top candidate for the job.
Diva fight. Rrrrow!
Sources connected with “American Idol” tell the website that Carey was led to believe that she’d be the only woman on the panel. Also apparently an issue – Minaj is younger than Carey.
What will they do? Stay tuned.
Van Dyke honored
Dick Van Dyke will receive the Screen Actors Guild's highest honor -- The Life Achievement Award – then trip over an ottoman.
Screen Actors Guild & American Federation of Television and Radio Artists co-president Ken Howard made the announcement Tuesday. He called Van Dyke “an enormously talented performer whose work has crossed nearly every major category of entertainment.”
The 86-year-old entertainer will receive the honor at the annual SAG Awards ceremony in January. He has already won a Tony, a Grammy and five Emmy awards.
Van Dyke is being honored for his 60-year career, which includes his hit TV show, film credits such as “Mary Poppins,” and his philanthropic pursuits.
Swift date
Country singer Taylor Swift and a member of the Kennedy clan are an item, God help her. Their public displays of affection are all the rage online. Cute couple and all that.
Now Swift, 22, and Conor Kennedy, 18, the son of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have gone on a rip-roaring date, visiting the grave of his mother who recently committed suicide.
Swift and Kennedy held hands and at one point appeared to bow their heads in prayer, as did his siblings, while visiting the resting place of Mary Richardson Kennedy on Sunday.
The New York Daily News reports that Conor Kennedy also got down to clear some grass from the unmarked grave.
Trump card
Awww. Donald Trump really cares about Rosie O’Donnell.
Their ongoing (and tiresome) feud took a turn for the sickeningly sweet this week after O’Donnell suffered a heart attack.
“Rosie, get better fast. I'm starting to miss you!” Trump and that thing on his head tweeted.
TMZ was gobsmacked as only TMZ can be. “Rosie O’Donnell Receives Get-Well Message … From Donald Trump?!!” its headline said.
Further gobsmacking the gossip website was O’Donnell’s civil reply.
“well thank u donald - i must admit ur post was a bit of a shock ... r u trying to kill me ? xx,” O’Donnell typed.
One thing’s for sure, Trump will never have a heart attack, because it’s made of gold!
‘Office’ closure
“The Office” is closing up shop.
Producer Greg Daniels says NBC’s oddball comedy will conclude business at Dunder Mifflin after the upcoming ninth season.
He said that the final year will be exciting and memorable and will take creative chances. And it will reveal who's been making the mock documentary that has provided the show with its format.
“I think endings can be very powerful,” Daniel says.
Will former regional manager Michael Scott return as a guest? Daniels says he hopes Steve Carell will reprise his role as the socially inept boss (aren’t they all), but he isn't counting on it. Carell left in 2011.
While its ratings have slipped, it's still NBC's highest-rated scripted series.