Colbert Returns to Michigan Public Access TV With Jack White
Just 24 hours after airing the final episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on CBS, the comedian made a surprise return to television — not on a network, but on a community access channel in Monroe, Michigan. Joined by rocker Jack White as his “volunteer music director,” Colbert guest-hosted “Only in Monroe” on Monroe Community Media, bringing his late-night career full circle in a characteristically unconventional fashion.
A Full-Circle Moment
Colbert’s final “Late Show” episode aired Thursday, May 21, drawing a record-setting 6.74 million viewers and ending an 11-year run at the Ed Sullivan Theater. During his closing monologue, Colbert told the audience: “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.”
He was not joking. On Friday at 11:35 p.m., exactly 24 hours after his CBS sign-off, Colbert appeared as guest host of “Only in Monroe” — the same public access program he first commandeered in July 2015 as a test run before taking over “The Late Show” from David Letterman.
A Star-Studded Community Access Show
The hour-long broadcast featured an extraordinary lineup for a small-town cable program. Jack White, a Detroit native, served as Colbert’s “volunteer music director,” sitting at the side of the stage with a boombox and reel-to-reel. Actor Jeff Daniels, a Chelsea, Michigan resident, joined for a cooking segment. Steve Buscemi appeared in a recorded commercial for Buscemi’s Pizza in Monroe, and Byron Allen — whose show “Comics Unleashed” is replacing Colbert’s “Late Show” in the 11:35 p.m. CBS slot — joined via FaceTime.
Rapper Eminem, who was raised in Detroit and appeared on Colbert’s 2015 “Only in Monroe” episode, returned as the “fire marshal” via FaceTime, giving Colbert permission to burn the set. “Stephen, Marshall here, you’re absolutely clear to burn that motherfucker down,” the rapper said, according to Rolling Stone.
Monroe-Specific Humor and Heart
Colbert shared hosting duties with the show’s regular co-hosts, Michelle Baumann and Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson (Miss America 1988). The trio drank shots of Cane & Grain from the local River Raisin Distillery, discussed Baumann’s thyroid cancer battle (she is in remission), and took turns inhaling helium from balloons. A warning on screen read: “Former professional TV host, do not try this at home.”
The episode leaned heavily into local humor, including a segment on the rivalry between two Monroe hot dog shops and a “Lady and the Tramp”-style chili cheese dog taste test with Jack White. The show closed with Colbert, White, and Daniels dismantling the set and bringing it to a dumpster.
“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,” Colbert said at the top of the program, as reported by AP News. “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.”
Industry Context and What’s Next
Colbert’s return to community access television represents a deliberate artistic choice that underscores both his comedic sensibilities and the changing landscape of late-night TV. CBS’s decision to replace the traditional talk show format with “Comics Unleashed” reflects broader industry trends: declining linear viewership, budget cuts at legacy media companies, and audience fragmentation across streaming platforms.
It remains unclear when or where Colbert recorded the episode. He told The Hollywood Reporter in an exit interview that he planned to spend Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C., for his brother’s wedding. His long-term television plans have not been announced.
Colbert closed the episode with a farewell that felt both final and open-ended: “Well, that’s a wrap. Thanks for watching in Only in Monroe, and if you watched any of my other talk shows over the years, thanks for watching those too. Until we see each other again, I’ll be only here, only on Only in Monroe.”