Kimmel from Coast to Coast

Mon., Oct. 15, 2007 10:00 AM PDT by Julie Keller

Jimmy Kimmel is about to bank some serious frequent flier miles.

The late-night funnyman has signed on for double duty this month, subbing for a vacationing Regis Philbin on Live with Regis and Kelly while continuing to hold down the fort on his own ABC chatfest, Jimmy Kimmel Live.

The catch? Kimmel will fly back and forth between New York and Los Angeles twice a day for five days.

All next week, Kimmel will spend his mornings opposite Ripa hosting Live from its Manhattan studio. He'll then hop on a plan to L.A. to tape Jimmy Kimmel Live, before jetting back to the Big Apple.

"This is a ridiculous idea," says Kimmel. "The only reason I’m doing it is to try to get Kelly to make out with me on the plane."

The comic says that while he will likely be thoroughly exhausted, the TV stunt will make for some good—albeit unscripted—television. "For whatever we lose from not being able to prepare for a long time, I think we'll gain in stories and stunts as it happens," he tells the Associated Press. "People can tune in and watch me collapse on air."

Indeed, the schedule would make lesser TV personalities shudder. Kimmel will board a red-eye to New York every night after the taping of Kimmel, during which he plans to prep for the next morning on Live.

Still, he's a glass-half-full kinda guy, hoping to score some bookings for his show for his efforts. "If there's a good guest on Live with Regis and Kelly," he says, "I might force them on the plane and make them come back to L.A. with me."

Among the possible abductees who will be doing time on Regis and Kelly that week: Renée Zellweger, Steve Carell, Anderson Cooper and Carrie Underwood. Barring any last-minute kidnappings, Kimmel's scheduled guests will include Josh Hartnett, Brad Paisley, Mira Sorvino and Ben Harper.

Kimmel says he is committed to the double duty and won't be taping double shows or cutting any corner. "It will be difficult, but that's how committed I am to entertaining America," he tells the wire service. "And parts of Canada."

And don't bet on Kimmel taking time off to recover from the jet lag—November sweeps is the week after his bicoastal stunt, and the multitasker will serve as host of the American Music Awards on Nov. 18.

Adds Kimmel: "I also drive a cab on weekends."