First on LateNighter: Stephen Colbert told viewers exactly where they’d find him after The Late Show. Turns out he wasn’t kidding.
At the top of his final CBS monologue Thursday night, Colbert paused to mark the occasion: “Tonight is our final broadcast from the Ed Sullivan Theater.”
When the audience booed, Colbert waved them off.
“No, no, we were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years, all right? Can’t take this for granted,” he said. “Though technically our first show in July of 2015 was from a public access station in Monroe, Michigan for an audience of 12 people. Show business being what it is these days, that’s probably where you’ll see me next.”
And that, apparently, was not just a punchline.
Exactly 24 hours after Thursday night’s Late Show, at 11:35pm Friday, Colbert popped back up on Only in Monroe, the Monroe, Michigan public-access show he famously commandeered in 2015 while preparing to launch The Late Show. The new appearance, like the first one, was unannounced—a fittingly low-key encore for a host whose CBS run began with one of the strangest pre-debut stunts in late-night history.
As he did in 2015, Colbert opened the show with some local flavor: a sit-down monologue chock full of locally flavored jokes , a theme he returned to in a later segment titled “Monroe News,” which focused on a rivalry between two local hot dog shops: “Monroe’s Original” and “Vince’s.”
Colbert’s musical director for the night? None other than native Michigander Jack White, who joined Colbert for a “Lady and the Tramp”-style taste test of chilli dogs from the two shops
He also welcomed back Michelle Baumann and Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson, the regular hosts of Only in Monroe, with whom he drank shots of Cane & Grain, an 80 proof liquor from locally distillery River Raisin Distillery and discussed Baumann’s thyroid cancer battle while taking turns inhaling helium. (She’s in remission now.)
He closed out his interview with the two women by offering them the opportunity to guest host Comics Unleashed, before FaceTiming the real Byron Allen, who readily agreed.
Steve Buscemi dropped in with a commercial for a local pizza joint that he confessed he knows he knows nothing about, other than the fact that it shares his name.
A different commercial break featured a government-mandated message: a lengthy (and apparently uninformed) description of the Monroe city flag for the visually impaired.
Jeff Daniels, resident of nearby Chelsea, Michigan (and Colbert’s first-ever guest on a test episode of The Colbert Report), later made his viral Colbert Questionert sandwich while answering the host’s questions, and later helping him deliver a one last edition of “Community Calendar.”
Concluding the episode, Daniels,White and Colbert destroyed the Only in Monroe set, complete with a cameo from Eminem.
Watch the full episode above.
Back in July 2015, Colbert was between jobs: finished with The Colbert Report, but still weeks away from inheriting David Letterman’s desk. To relieve some of the pressure of launching his first network late-night show, Colbert and his team decided to make a “first show” somewhere else. That somewhere else turned out to be Monroe Public Access Cable Television, where viewers tuning in for Only in Monroe instead found Colbert watering a fern and filling in for regular hosts Michelle Baumann and Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson.
The 2015 episode went viral after Colbert interviewed Eminem as if he were merely “Marshall Mathers, a local Michigander who is making a name for himself in the competitive world of music.” It also gave Colbert one of his most charming recurring Late Show bits: Community Calendar, in which he and a guest would spotlight real events from the guest’s hometown while seated on a recreation of the Only in Monroe set inside the Ed Sullivan Theater.
So in hindsight, Colbert’s finale-night nod to Monroe was doing a lot of work. It was a callback to the fake first show before his real first show. It was a joke about the shrinking economics of late night. And, as it turns out, it was also a breadcrumb.
There was another easter egg of sorts at the end of Thursday night’s finale. As he motioned for Paul McCartney to switch off the power to the Ed Sullivan Theater, several other switches were visible beside it—including ones labeled “Applause,” “Commercial Break,” and, most tellingly, “Only in Monroe.”
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Stephen’s appearance probably made those who work at the station feel both validated and grateful. I
Very much so. On Colbert’s first episode of the “Late Show”, he demonstrated that he could watch TV stations on one of his larger video walls. It was a way for Jimmy Fallon to make an appearance on the show despite hosting the “Tonight Show” simultaneously. But Stephen switched to a couple stations before seeing Fallon, one was a sports channel that was just an old film of boxing cats, and then he switched to a news channel that was footage of “Only in Monroe”.
That was completely unhinged and extremely funny all the way through!
Probably will get more viewers than Comics Unleashed reruns from 2006
If you’re subscribed to the Late Show youtube channel be sure to check your subscription feed to find the official video and Colbert’s brand new youtube channel!
Wow things are really looking for this aging boomer
you are older tho
The whiny assed child deserves to be mocked at!
Your grammar is pathetic, Zero! And you think you deserve to be taken seriously, loser?🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Would you ever say that to a black?
Because the average black person is far more intelligent and mature than you! Plus they don’t complain when things don’t go their way, unlike you younguns, Zero!
Blacks don’t complain and of course you never dare criticize them you chickenshit
That’s just you trying to put words in my mouth again! Because you’re too stupid to think for yourself! Because everything that’s wrong about you, you project onto others!
In short, you’re a pathetic loser! Grow up, Zero!
‘Gee, why would I criticize blacks?’
Boomers are so phony
You’re an unstable, hate filled fuck that needs to grow the fuck up!
What does ‘grow up’ even mean in this context?
Pretend race isn’t real? You don’t interact with other races either you phony.
Race realism is the present and future.
You can’t stand the fact that older people are smacking you around with your agist bullshit, so you type out a word salad and tell me to suck it! That’s how ten year olds skipping their Ritalin behave!
Drop the fucking hate and go fucking do something positive and constructive with your life already, Zero!
I am taking care of my ailing boomer relative for months now and managing their property, so shut up. You don’t do anything for anybody. You’re just a parasite trying to hold on to the glory days. You’re full of hatred.
You have to look after her, because you a lazy assed loser that does bum fuck all, except complain about older people! And if you don’t do as your told, they’ll lick you out of your lives, and you’ll have no one to turn to!
So get tf away from your mommy’s computer and do as you’re fucking told!
Understand, Zero?
Don’t you fucking tell me I’m full of rage, when all you do is attack older people for living! You’ve got some fucking issues that need to be addressed, princess!
This is everything I love about Stephen Colbert. Dare I say I enjoyed this much better than his final CBS show.
I would love to be an, audience guest on a late nighter Stephen Colbert show. Please let me know. I could be there in an instant and watch. And laugh and respond appropriately to the dialogue. Glad to see Steve still on the air.!
What a coup for Monroe’s local cable channel to have SC return, even if only for one show! It was a highly entertaining hour.
It was in many respects a parody of Byron Allen’s show: group talk, one person “doing” prerecorded music, schtick, and no budget but looking for sponsors.
Nice
Absolutely hilarious!!
jack does not seem to be happy or enjoying being there.
He’s a good actor. You should see him as Elvis in “Walk Hard”. LOOK OUT, MAN!
This will mark before and after
What a great stroll down memory lane, Stephen! :96 Tears” by Question Mark & The Mysterians and Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant.” I have the 45 “96 Tears” and my album cover of “Alice’s Restaurant” has Arlo’s signature on it, when I went to see him perform there over 20 years ago. Haven’t played either in years. This show reminds me of all my TV production classes at Montclair State College, where I was in the *first* graduating class in Broadcasting! (B.A., Speech & Theater – Broadcasting, 1975) Now, my major isn’t a track, it’s a whole department! You might have seen the new building for the School of Communication & Media, where there are two Control Rooms named after our wonderful professors – Dr. Christopher Stasheff and Dr. Howard Travis. “Only in Monroe” has a better studio than I had back in the early ’70s. We were in the basement of Life Hall with such low ceilings the boom mike would get in our shots. And those tapes used by Jack remind me of our Westinghouse equipment (donated by Westinghouse, Kearny, NJ) with its VU meters. (“Don’t pin the needle!”) Thanks for the memories! (Oh! That’s Bob Hope’s line!) For all the brilliant comedy… Thank YOU, Stephen!
Public access is where Colbert belongs….anybody see his finale ratings?
Just awful and record lows
• Colbert finale: 6.74 million out of a population of 348.9 million
• Letterman finale: 13.8 million out of a population of 321.8 million
• Carson’s finale: 55 million out of a US population of 256.5 million
And that’s with the other failing talking show hosts taking the night off and encouraging their collapsing audiences to watch Colbert.
Do you and Mucky Boy take turns using the same pea sized brain?
Good point…he had the stage all to himself and did much worse than a new episode of “Blue Bloods”
Yees, good riddance to that mediocre hateful white man.
And after you claim he’d come nowhere close to cracking three million! Yet you had to go make up some excuses as to why his final numbers suck!
The only mediocre white men are you, Tell me something, the Johns, and lil Zero!
Grow tf up, Mucky Boy!
You’re making up excuses and delusions, pedo lover.
I made no prediction that Colbert’s lame show would get only 3 million viewers.
You must be thinking of somebody else in your sick and delusional mind.
It was removed because you were being an over the top MAGA loon again! None of you Drumpf licking MAGAts have any credibility here, so you had better quit while you’re behind, Mucky Boy!
NOPE…. You gotta factor other viewing outlets outside linear television/tv packages~
The media landscape is not the same compared to Letterman and Carson’s tenure
Factoring the 5million views from his final monologue on YouTube (as of the 25th), he is pretty close to reaching Letterman’s finale viewership numbers
Also…. Only in Monroe is proof that he ain’t goin anywhere, even making headlines w/CBS trying to take down his public access episode
He’s not gone, but he is gonna be harder to attack with the majority of the public backing him, myself included
Did your grandparents dodge the oven? Is that why that magic 6 million is so special to you?
‘Mucky boy’
Boomer vocabulary is so breathtakingly cringe.
So now Colbert’s numbers = letterman’s?
Haha aren’t you democrats supposed to be geniuses according to your own claims?
Colbert sucked dick. He was never funny. You can’t blame Trump for that. He failed to deliver and he had no chance because it’s an obsolete format as nobody under 70 owns a tv antenna.
Because he’s the one who ordered the Ellisons to fire him, if they wanted any deals they make to get fast tracked, like Warner Discovery! I know you Drumpf licking zeros want everyone to believe your claims, but you’re too fucking batshit and unstable to be taken seriously!
Grow up! You MAGAts won’t win!
Didn’t take you long for you to respond! That’s what not having a life leads gets you!
And no, I will not fucking apologize to you, because you refuse to apologize for constantly lying about people like Letterman, Clinton, Biden, and Obama! Nobody lies here more than you, and I can keep it up going back and forth with a hate filled turd, like you, that nobody likes!
You’re not winning this, you ugly stink hole!
You claimed Colbert’s finale wouldn’t reach three million viewers, yet he got more than double that total, so now you go move the goalpost in a lame and desperate attempt to claim you’re correct!
How’s it feel being the biggest, most pathetic loser around, Mucky Boy?
Where did I write that? Please cite the example….you can’t, so that makes you the biggest and only pedo loser here.
He didn’t even get half of Letterman’s finale….just terrible.
The people obviously removed that, because you were going off on a tangent again! Maybe not skip your meds next time, loser!
Which people removed that? Are they in your mind only? Which post was that comment in? Let’s investigate and see whether you’re lying or telling the truth. Don’t be a coward.
They’ve been know to remove posts that get out of hand, which yours have been before! It was more recent where they were talking about Colbert’s finale, and you bragged they wouldn’t crack three million!
Not my fault they removed your ignorance, Mucky Boy!
How is responding to a prediction of Colbert’s final ratings get out of hand? All we’re doing now is proving that you are a total liar.
Again, please stop deflecting and show us the post where these comments are located. Surely you can do that or you’re just plain out lying.
Not my fault LateNighter took down that post of yours, because it was stupid and ignorant, Mucky Boy! Stop trying to gaslight people here in believing your bullshit narrative, you have no brain capacity for that, boy!
Found it!
And here is 100% proof you are a liar!
Yep! LOL….
Go to news hashtag on this website and to the 5/15 post of:
late-show-stephen-colbert-series-finale-guests-mystery
The intent from you is there! You will own it, bitchboi!
You got it wrong, pedo lover. It was another person that said Colbert would get around 3 million…Yep
Yep
May 16, 2026 at 12:03 am
I’m calling it. He gets under 3.5 million views even with Kimmel and Fallon taking a knee on their ratings that night. He’s getting well under 3 million in his final month. What does that tell you? $16 million annually for an irrelevant product in an obsolete format. You cannot reason with baby boomers. They are going kicking and screaming.
So, now, we have proven that you are a liar:
You said I wrote that…wrong!
You said they deleted posts on that threat….wrong!
Grow a pair and admit you were wrong, coward.
Because you agree with that sentiment! Ergo, you WOULD say something like that!
Here’s what else you’ve said:
– You accused both David Letterman and Bill Clinton of sexually assaulting many women over the years, despite the evidence showing their indescrections were consensual and not forced.
– You accused Joe Biden of sexually molesting his granddaughter, despite the only place that lie came from was from right wing chat sites where jerks like you lie freely.
– You’ve repeatedly called Obama a baboon, while accusing others of racism.
– And you’ve slobbered up to the absolute worst president ever in Drumpf. A guy who lies like he breathes and who has assaulted women and teenage girls for years, while trying to get the Central Park 5 arrested and executed, despite being cleared of any charges.
Bitch, if you were a public figure, you’d get your ass sued off by the people you’ve accused, the way Candace Owens is getting sued by the Macrons for calling his wife a man. Be thankful you’re just a loser that nobody cares about!
In conclusion, you’re in no fucking position to call me a liar, when you do nothing but lie your fucking stupid face off hre!
Therefore, I will continue to call you out for your lying, and if you try and use that one flimsy example on me, I will slap you right back with your lies!
Don’t like it? Too fucking bad! You gonna learn, Mucky Boy!
I would say something like that? LOL….you’re a mind-reader? Bitch pedo, just admit that you were wrong and got caught lying. stop being pathetic and own up to your lies.
Yep
May 16, 2026 at 12:03 am
I’m calling it. He gets under 3.5 million views even with Kimmel and Fallon taking a knee on their ratings that night. He’s getting well under 3 million in his final month. What does that tell you? $16 million annually for an irrelevant product in an obsolete format. You cannot reason with baby boomers. They are going kicking and screaming.
So, now, we have proven that you are a liar:
You said I wrote that…wrong!
You said they deleted posts on that threat….wrong!
Grow a pair and admit you were wrong, coward.
Not when you’ve lied about Letterman, Clinton, Biden, and Obama! And, if you were a public figure, you’d get sue for slander! My accusation at you is more real than the lies you’ve spouted here!
I won’t apologize for anything, when you refuse to take back your lies, Mucky Boy! Keep attacking me with that, and I will keep reminding you and everyone what a blatant hypocrite you are!
Hey pedo bitch…..can you please provide the proof I said Colbert’s finale would get 3 million viewers?
Pedo bitch, can you please provide proof that those comments were deleted?
You can’t….pedo bitch, own up to your lies and do everybody a favor and delete yourself….lol
Are you going to apologize for lying about Letterman, Clinton, Biden, and Obama? If not, fuck you, Mucky Boy! A serial liar, like you, is in no fucking position to be calling out others for lying!
Here’s what a friend of yours thinks of you:
mac20
May 22, 2026 at 11:03 am
I grew up with Anderson…all he ever talked about was wanting to be the next Mark Zuckerberg and this is where he ended up, internet troll with no friends…just as he was as a kid
Nobody likes you! You’ll always be a Drumpf licking loser, Mucky Boy!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Never knew mac20…lmao
Hey pedo-bitch, stop deflecting.
Can you please provide the proof where I supposedly said Colbert’s finale would get 3 million viewers?
And while you’re at it, can you also show proof those comments were deleted?
You can’t, because you made it up. Just admit you were wrong instead of doubling down every time you get called out. It’s embarrassing at this point you POS simpleton.
For lying about Letterman, Clinton, Biden, and Obama! A serial liar, like you deserves nothing, but the bitchslapping from hell!
The funniest part pedo bitch is you keep arguing against stuff that only exists in your own imagination.
First the fake quote, now the imaginary deleted comments. To go along with your imaginary brain…lol
That’s the point of me putting that quote here! Because you constantly lie here, with your attacks on Letterman, Clinton, Biden, Obama, and others! You’re an insufferable loser that projects your own sins onto others! You can’t think for yourself, so you have to make shit up to make yourself feel better!
You can keep responding to me with your usual bullshit! I will keep coming back to you in spades! I can keep doing this forever! You gonna learn, bitch!
You’ve spent more time inventing fake arguments than actually proving a single thing you said you dumb pedo bitch.
Every time someone asks for receipts, you just pivot, deflect, and hope nobody notices.
It’s like watching someone lose a debate in real time but still act confident because they’re too stubborn to admit they got caught making stuff up lol
Apologize for lying about Clinton!
Apologize for lying about Biden!
Apologize for lying about Obama!
You deserve nothing from me!
BTW, get tf away from your mommy’s computer and get a life already child! It’s pathetic of you hanging around waiting for me to respond!
You argue like someone who already knows they’re wrong but thinks sounding loud and smug will distract people from noticing. The second anyone asks you to back up your claims, suddenly it’s all excuses, goalpost-moving, and “that’s not what I meant.” Waaaaah. At this point, you’re not debating — you’re just improvising damage control in real time lol
What a dumb peod bitch you are….admit you lied and then delete yourself…lol
But that’s what you are! An unstable MAGAt that lives for his racist pedophile master’s voice in Drumpf, because you want a daddy figure to rule over you! An abusive daddy that’ll beat the shit out of you for no reason!
You can accuse me of lying all you want! Doesn’t change the fact that you’re a pathetic loser that pimps your criminal toddler in chief, who lies like he breathes because those ‘other people’ give you a sad!
A pedo loving racist, like you can’t break me, bitch!
And disregarding all the viewerships across his YouTube uploads of the finale
Who cares if they don’t make money on YT? There are still people who do watch Colbert, just not through linear tv
Like…. It’s not Colbert’s fault he can’t reach Carson/Letterman’s level of viewership; it’s the media landscape altogether
Stop pretending Colbert is a failure if you can’t acknowledge other outlets to watch late night television
He IS a failure. He got canceled because he not only didn’t make CBS money, he cost them $50 million annually.
Now I know math is difficult for democrats because you guys can’t even spell your own names or tie your own shoes, but come on.
I am trolling you geriatrics every chance I get because you think you’re wise because you’re old but you’re not. The world passed you by.
Guarantee you none of these overpaid, untalented jerkoffs last beyond 2028.
You were fighting back the tears from Connie’s bitchslap of you! Because you’re a thin skinned diaper baby who does nothing but whine at people for your obvious shortcomings!
You’re too emotionally unstable to be talking here, child! Grow tf up, and go make something of your life already! Lest you get your ass whipped in public!
Hacve you met yourself, bitch! The shit you post here is why you’ll be a forever incel!
Colbert is a useless piece of shit! Couldn’t be funny if he tried! And that you may remember is what he is paid for! Good riddance to garbages
Did Colbert give you a fucking sad, loser? Good, you deserve bad things happening to you, you fuck hole!
You’re a psycho. You haven’t gotten laid in decades because you’re an old ugly boomer
That will never have a woman ever touch it, because it’s an insane loser with mental issues!
Last laugh? Lol. Nothing was lost. He went from a major network to a half bit cable show nobody even knows. Thats the Last Laugh. Good luck Colbert. (Cole Burt). We aint in France d-bag!
You are laughably pathetic! You won’t come anywhere’s close to making a positive impact on life that Colbert has accomplished, loser!
Colbert is the only joke here! What a loser beyond words! His love for terrorists is well known? Maybe he will have a few on?
Just admit you have Colbert Derangement Syndrome and go get some fucking help already!
‘Little girl’
You’re clearly some boomer Mexican
So now all Mexicans are rapists now? I can see why nobody wants anything to do with you! You’re such a fucking miserable racist loser, Zero! No wonder Drumpf loves him you poorly educated!
You just keep on making my point on why no woman will ever touch you! You’re just an emotionally unstable person that needs help! Seek it before it’s too late! Or don’t, as it will keep you from spreading your seed around!
Creepy boomers are obsessed with sex even though you haven’t gotten pussy in decades.
When you say I have no sex life, it’s because women find you creepy! That’s why you project your social failings onto others!
Because you’re a whiny ass loser that looks for excuses!
How be you fix what’s wrong with you, rather than blame others for your obvious shortcomings?
Great post! Colbert is scum!
In what way is Colbert scum? Pretty sure he isn’t implicated in the Epstein files. You know who is thousands of times? I’ll give you a hint he is three hundred pounds and puts orange makeup on badly every moring.
Get a life, little girl!
He’s not in the Epstein files to be scum~
You are not a serious commenter 👎🏽
Monroe Michigan, he can’t be serious! He will never work again! How did your hatred of America work out for you moron?
You support a treasonous pedophile in Drumpf who does nothing but shit all over America!
Why the fuck do you despise America by supporting that fat ugly America hating pedophile, bitch hole?
How do we get this Munroe channel in Ontario Canada….
Check with your terrorists first!
The only terrorists are the ones that follow your Dear Toddler Drumpf, little girl!
You MAGA losers are the ones that love your terrorists!
You’re trying to game her. God you’re insufferably creepy.
And to think you bragged about how much more pussy you claim to get. Haha we both knew that was a lie.
What tf are you talking about, Zero? You’re so fucking pathetic in getting in the last word, you have to create lies in order to feel triumphant!
You keep on proving to the world why you’re so unstable, and why nobody wants anything to do with you, Zero!
You weirdos always tell on yourselves projecting your sad lives.
What shall I do? I know! Laugh at that loser Zero for being very predictable, because its thought process is limited!
Funniest thing Colbert has ever done!
ONLY IN MONROE- you can’t be serious!
With Jack white, Jeff Daniel’s and MM as his guests! Scraping the bottom of the barrel eh Colbert!
Did Colbert say mean things about you? Like you’re a Drumpf licking loser?
Grow tf up you!
The ratings are Higher than Gutfeld. In the 18 – 49 It was more than twice as high. Is Gutfeld being cancelled? Keep cheering corporate censorship I’m sure trump will be president forever so this won’t ever backfire on you.
If Bill Carter reads the comments, consider this: Colbert started in 2015 and his show was very normal and a complete 180 of the Report show. I give credit for Colbert trying to go mainstream and bring in both audiences but the show at the start had a lot of growing pains and America had a 15 minute fascination with James Corden and Jimmy Fallon was still popular. I believe I read in 2016, CBS was considering swapping places with Colbert and Corden. I am going to state my thesis that Chris Licht is the person that ultimately killed late night television. Licht did an awesome job on CBSTM and Morning Joe but he brought politics into late night to save Colbert’s show and alienated half of America and Gutfeld and FNC figured out a way to capture them. Licht allowed Late Show to become super political and every other Guest had an ideological mission to denigrate Republicans. Gutfeld is guilty of the same with Democrats and he sold out years ago from the anti late night talk show Red Eye but when CBS moved Licht to late night, he allowed Colbert to inject politics and ultimately influenced Kimmel to do the same. Watch the finale and it was the first time in years I watched Late Shown and it was almost like the first year, just fun and wonderful guests. I hope Colbert continued success but the left wing politics influenced by Licht is what killed late night. Johnny Carson knew better
Christopher “Chris” Licht, the ZNN bomb? Say it ain’t so! Basically.. All Great Satanists are more or less the same, so of course they would hate news.
Drumpf had the Ellisons cancel Colbert’s show, if they want any deals approved by him, like WarnerDiscovery, because he’s a thin skinned diaper baby that despises being mocked!
Try and fucking spin that to make yourself feel better! The truth’s gonna kick you in the ballsack for saying differently!