Paramount has suspended takedown notices on an “Only in Monroe” episode featuring Stephen Colbert after the media giant was accused of suppressing the former CBS late night host.
Colbert appeared on the Michigan public access TV show as a surprise host at 11:30 p.m. on Friday after wrapping his 11 season-run as host of “The Late Show.” His return to the program comes after he previously hosted “Only in Monroe” back in 2015.
He appeared alongside the show’s regular hosts, Michelle Baumann and Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson, as well as guests including Jack White and Jeff Daniels. Other appearances included Steve Buscemi, Eminem and a FaceTime call with Byron Allen, who is taking over Colbert’s CBS time slot with his show “Comics Unleashed.”
“Since I was last here in Monroe, Michigan, I spent 11 years as the primary host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS, which came to an end last night,” he explained on Friday. “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.”
A CBS spokesperson confirmed to TheWrap that the episode was financed and produced by CBS Studios and was posted on Colbert’s YouTube channel in collaboration with Monroe Community Media and “The Late Show’s” YouTube channels.
After unauthorized videos of Colbert’s appearance on “Only in Monroe” surfaced online, Paramount started issuing takedown notices. But that move has since been rolled back for the time being after the company faced backlash on social media for the move and was accused of suppressing Colbert.
“As is our regular practice, we send copyright notices to unauthorized websites that post copyrighted content from CBS and our network/studio talent such as Stephen Colbert,” the spokesperson said. “However, for this episode, have decided to waive further enforcement of this standard industry practice until additional review.”
“The Late Show” was canceled in July 2025, with CBS noting at the time that the decision was purely financial.
But critics of the move are skeptical given the timing, as it came on the heels of Paramount’s $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump over former Vice President Kamala Harris’ “60 Minutes” interview.
Colbert’s show was canceled just days after he called the settlement a “big fat bribe” to secure regulatory approval for Paramount’s merger with David Ellison’s Skydance Media.
Check out Colbert’s appearance in the video below:
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