STEPHEN COLBERT’S “ONLY IN MONROE” VIDEO WAS ALREADY CHAOTIC, but the moments inside it are exactly why fans rushed to repost it everywhere.
Yes, it’s true, Paramount/CBS had been issuing takedown notices to YouTube users who were uploading bootleg copies of Stephen Colbert‘s recent return to hosting an episode of the public access series “Only in Monroe.” But the reason wasn’t as nefarious as one might think: It’s simply because the show is copyrighted and it already has a home — Colbert’s brand new YouTube channel.
However, given the outcry over the notices, CBS said it will stand down and stop any further action on takedowns, at least for now.
“Stephen Colbert’s return to Monroe in the ‘Only in Monroe’ episode was financed and produced by CBS Studios and was posted on Stephen Colbert’s YouTube channel in collaboration with Monroe Community Media and ‘The Late Show’s’ YouTube channels,” a CBS spokesperson said in a statement. “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. However, for this episode, we have decided to waive further enforcement of this standard industry practice until additional review.”
Colbert launched his new YouTube channel a day ago, and so far he has just one video up: His May 22 hosting gig on “Only in Monroe,” the public access show from Monroe Community Media. Here’s the rub: Others on YouTube beat him to the punch with their own uploads, including a site called “The Desk,” which has 620,621 views of Colbert’s “Only in Monroe” stint. In comparison, Colbert’s YouTube page has around 392,486 views of the same video.
In other words, this is standard copyright procedure, the same kind of takedown Paramount/CBS would also issue if you posted an episode of “Matlock.” (Why isn’t Monroe Community Media issuing the takedowns? They don’t quite have the legal resources.) Rather than watch the rips, the official video is on @Colbert and has also been shared by Monroe Community Media’s YouTube page and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” page via collaborations too, so it is easily available for anyone who wants to watch.
According to insiders, Paramount/CBS isn’t trying to silence Colbert’s “Only in Monroe” — the company actually funded the production of his episode, which included music by Jack White and a guest spot by Jeff Daniels. (And that’s why “The Late Show” owns the copyright to this episode of “Only in Monroe” and has taken lead in protecting its copyright.)
Colbert famously launched “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” by first hosting an episode of “Only in Monroe,” from the public access station studios in Monroe, Mich., in July 2015. So it was only fitting that he would bookend his “Late Show” tenure with another visit to the town.
As Variety pointed out in writing about the “Only in Monroe” return, Colbert explained it this way: “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 said at the beginning of the 11:35 p.m. local broadcast 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.”
Eminem, Steve Buscemi (in a commercial for Monroe’s Buscemi’s Pizza and Subs, which he stresses is unrelated to him) and Byron Allen (via FaceTime call) also appeared on the surprise episode. And “Only in Monroe” regular hosts Michelle Baumann and former Miss America Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson, also were back, as they appeared in 2015 as well.
The unexpected copyright dispute also revealed something larger about Stephen Colbert’s evolving relationship with audiences after the end of The Late Show. Rather than quietly stepping away from television, Colbert appeared to be rebuilding a direct connection with viewers through online platforms, smaller productions, and nostalgic returns to his creative roots.
For longtime fans, the Only in Monroe episode carried emotional significance beyond comedy. It symbolized a full-circle moment. Colbert had launched his CBS era with the quirky Michigan public-access program in 2015, and returning there after leaving late-night television felt deeply intentional.
The takedown controversy unexpectedly amplified attention around the episode itself. What began as a routine copyright enforcement process quickly transformed into a public conversation about access, ownership, and whether beloved cultural moments should remain freely available to fans online.
Many viewers expressed frustration after discovering fan-uploaded clips disappearing, especially because unofficial uploads had already spread widely across social media. Others argued that creators deserve control over how their work is distributed, particularly when major studios finance production and hold legal rights.
At the same time, Colbert’s new YouTube presence suggests he may be exploring a different chapter in entertainment—one less dependent on network television schedules and more connected to digital audiences who increasingly consume content on demand rather than traditional broadcasts.
The surprise appearance of familiar faces, including musicians, actors, and longtime Monroe personalities, reinforced the sense that the episode was designed as both celebration and farewell. Instead of a polished network finale, the atmosphere felt intentionally personal, nostalgic, and self-aware.
In many ways, the response to Only in Monroe proved something important: even after leaving nightly television, Stephen Colbert remains a figure audiences actively seek out. Whether through nostalgia, humor, or curiosity about what comes next, viewers made it clear they were still paying attention.
Here’s Colbert’s “Only in Monroe” episode, via @Colbert:
