In Case You Haven’t Heard: Jimmy Kimmel, ‘The Sitter’

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” returns to airwaves after being suspended by ABC, actor Dave Bautista calls out his contemporaries who are picky in selecting their projects, and a 14-year-old comedy film starring Jonah Hill and Sam Rockwell is gaining popularity in this edition of “In Case You Haven’t Heard.”

Well, that was fast: Jimmy Kimmel is back. ABC announced Monday that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will return, with his first day back on the air being Tuesday, Sept. 23. Turns out being suspended for an indefinite amount of time meant about a week. Disney faced protests from viewers and fans of the company, which included celebrities Martin Short and Tom Hanks, who have created very popular characters for the Mousehouse.

Even the ACLU called the move to suspend Kimmel a blow to free speech. Disney CEO Bob Iger said bringing back “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was in the best interest of Disney and ABC. As of this writing, drama manufacturers Nextar and Sinclair Broadcasting, owners of many of the ABC affiliates, say they won’t air Kimmel’s return.  

Making movies seems like a pretty good gig, but believe it or not, there are people who whine and moan about it, according to wrestler-turned-actor David Bautista. He told GQ he is getting older and more choosy about projects and says he wants to work with people he loves and respects, because he loves the business, filmmaking and the art. He also said if people don’t want to be there, he doesn’t want to be there with them. Not sure if it was whiners or go-getters who were involved with Bautistas’s latest film “Afterburn,” but it’s only received six reviews, and none of them are good. 

If you’re looking for something to rent that you might’ve forgotten about or never got around to seeing, check out a film that’s climbing the HBO charts. 2011’s “The Sitter” is more or less a remake of the Elizabeth Shue 80’s comedy “Adventures in Babysitting,” albeit a more foul-mouthed and raunchier one. Jonah Hill and Sam Rockwell star in the film that critics say might be worth a revisit. If you’re wondering why it was forgotten about, it could be because it received a 22 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but it does have Sam Rockwell. It’s worth checking out, as sometimes, history is kind to comedies.

A new superhero film is now available to stream. “Fantastic Four: First Steps” is now available on various platforms to stream, which gives people like me lots of options on how not to watch. But for those of you who are huge MCU fans, check out this pretty well-reviewed flick now in your living room as of yesterday. 

Mariska Hargitay has played Olivia Benson for over 25 years on “Law and Order: SVU,” but it was almost a much shorter run. She was almost let go after season three due to an incident involving alcohol, but it’s not what you think. Hargitay says she had a few glasses of wine with her hairstylist and requested a pixie cut. What she thought was a really cool haircut almost got her fired from the show. It’s a good thing the broccoli cut wasn’t around back then. Google it – it’s a Gen Z thing.  

Editor’s note: For more movie and entertainment talk, join host Pete Schwaba weeknights from 6 to 8 p.m. for “Nite Lite” on the Civic Media radio network.