Stephen Colbert’s Return to Television and the End of The Late Show
Stephen Colbert has made a triumphant return to television just one day after his final episode as host of The Late Show on CBS. After taking over from David Letterman in 2015, he remained at the helm of the iconic program until its cancellation was announced last May. Reports indicated that the show had been losing $40 million annually for the network, according to entertainment journalist Matthew Belloni.
Colbert’s farewell episode featured Sir Paul McCartney as the final celebrity guest, marking the end of an era for the late-night talk show. Just a day later, he appeared on local public access television in Monroe County, Michigan, hosting Only in Monroe. In his opening monologue, he joked about the long wait without being on TV: “It’s been an excruciating 23 hours without being on TV, so I am grateful to be able to be here on Monroe Community Media before they also get acquired by Paramount.”
This new TV gig was not entirely unexpected. During his final Late Show episode, Colbert hinted at the move, recalling how the first show in July 2015 was broadcast from a public access station in Monroe, Michigan, for an audience of just 12 people. He humorously noted, “Show business being what it is these days, that’s probably where you’ll see me next.”
On Saturday, he hosted Only in Monroe for the full hour, engaging with local news topics and welcoming celebrities such as Jack White and Jeff Daniels. Pre-taped comedy bits featuring Steve Buscemi and Eminem added to the show’s entertainment value.
A New Chapter for Colbert
Colbert’s public access TV appearance came shortly after President Donald Trump shared an artificial intelligence-generated video of himself assaulting Colbert and throwing him into a dumpster to celebrate the comedian’s final show. The feud between the two has been well-documented, and this AI video seemed to symbolize the end of their rivalry.
The White House posted a 22-second AI video showing Colbert giving his opening monologue while Trump approached from behind. The 79-year-old then grabbed Colbert by the collar, threw him into a dumpster, and closed the lid as the beginning of his favorite song, YMCA, started playing. The video concluded with Trump doing his signature shimmy to the 1978 song.
The White House captioned the video with the simple message: “Bye-bye.” Earlier, Trump had celebrated the finale of the late-night show on Truth Social, calling Colbert “a dead person” and stating, “You could take any person off the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone!”
Colbert shocked fans last year when he announced that Paramount/CBS would not be renewing his contract after 11 years on the air, ending the late-night program after 44 years. The network claimed the decision was purely financial, but the cancellation came days after Colbert criticized the $16 million lawsuit settlement between Paramount/CBS and Trump as “a big fat bribe.” At the time, Paramount was in the midst of a multibillion-dollar merger with Skydance, which required government approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Trump had previously sued CBS over a 60 Minutes interview with his 2024 election rival Kamala Harris, which was deceptively edited to make her answers appear more cogent ahead of the vote.
Final Jabs and a New Project
As Colbert ended his show, he took a few jabs at his former bosses at CBS and Paramount. During his “Meanwhile” segment, he discussed a recent headline about the owner of the music used in Peanuts animated specials filing lawsuits against those who played the song Linus and Lucy without permission. “Now, Peanuts is a powerful brand and corporation in and of itself,” he said. “Anyone illegally using that music is going to have to pay through the nose.”
At that point, his band began playing the tune. “Louis, is the band right now playing the same Peanuts music that I just said people were being sued for using without permission?” he asked singer Louis Cato, who nodded in response.
“Oh no, I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money,” Colbert said sarcastically.
Later, in a pre-taped bit, Colbert investigated the “technical difficulties” during his show and discovered a swirling green vortex. Famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explained that it was an “interdimensional wormhole” caused by the cancellation of his show despite it being number one in late night. He noted that the cancellation created a rift in the “comedy-variety-talk continuum” that threatened to destroy all of late-night television.
Colbert has since secured a new gig penning a new Lord of the Rings film for Warner Bros alongside his 27-year-old son Peter McGee and Philippa Boyens. The project was announced on Tolkien Reading Day, March 25.
As for Trump, he has continued his AI-generated content spree, posting an edited photo of himself peeking over the mountains of Greenland with the caption: “Hello, Greenland!” This came just hours after the U.S. special envoy to Greenland faced protests upon arriving to open a new American consulate on the island.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry received a frosty reception in downtown Nuuk, as more than 500 Greenlanders marched through the capital waving red-and-white Greenlandic flags and holding signs reading “Go Home USA,” “Make America Go Away!” and “We are not for sale.”
“Greenland belongs to us. It’s our country. It doesn’t belong to Denmark or the United States. We are a people and we live here,” said Greenland resident Grethe Kramer Berthelsen.
Trump also posted an AI photo showing a “golden dome” over the White House to protect it from future attacks. The Golden Dome is his version of Israel’s Iron Dome, a military defense mechanism. Additionally, he shared an AI-generated image of Chinese citizens smiling happily and waving both Chinese and American flags with the words “China Loves Trump.”
