Stephen Colbert has officially earned his first win against CBS after The Late Show‘s end.

Despite its more than three-decade legacy, the network decided to end the popular talk show as its host’s contract wrapped up after an 11-year run. It would be an understatement to say that The Late Show‘s cancellation was met with strong pushback from both fans and industry people. Per CBS, the decision was purely due to the business landscape, as the show had supposedly been losing money. However, there was an argument that it was politically-motivated, as Colbert has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump.

Various campaigns to walk back on the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert started immediately after the news broke out. Sadly, despite the support from major players in the industry, the broadcaster stuck to its decision, with the pushback doing barely anything to change its mind. Colbert ultimately closed out The Late Show on May 21, 2026, Thursday, with a star-studded send-off, including Paul McCartney’s final appearance in the historic Ed Sullivan theater. The very next day, however, the comedian/host appeared in Only in Monroe on a public access station in Michigan.

After the full episode of Only in Monroe was posted on Colbert’s new YouTube channels, with other accounts re-posting it on the platform. This prompted CBS to send takedown notices for copyright infringement. Clarifying the move after major pushback, the network explained through a statement (via TV Insider) that the segment was actually produced in partnership with them, hence why warnings that went out were simply part of their usual process. However, CBS has now decided to make this instance an exemption, allowing Colbert’s channel and others to keep the episode on their accounts. Read the full statement below:

“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.

“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, have decided to waive further enforcement of this standard industry practice until additional review.”

Ever since news of The Late Show ending broke out in 2025, discussions about what’s next for Colbert has started swirling around. The final two weeks of the show featured his reunion with some of his biggest collaborators, including the rest of Strike Force Five: John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon, as well as his long-time friend, The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, not to mention late night legend, David Letterman. Colbert appearing in Only in Munroe the next day after his show ended was such an unexpected move, that it’s curious if that’s an indication of what his next pursuits will be.

It’s worth noting that Colbert has already been announced to be co-writing the next The Lord of the Rings film with Peter Jackson. The host is a known die-hard fan of the franchise, and considering how rigorous the work schedule was for The Late Show, it’s possible that he wouldn’t have been able to pursue this new endeavor had it not been cancelled. At the very least, he’s able to work on something that he truly loves.

Beyond that, there’s an expectation that Colbert will remain relevant in the commentary space. With his YouTube channel now set up, he can create content that he solely controls creatively. There’s also the possibility of him re-teaming with his friends who remain in the late night space. Whatever the case may be, the options are currently limitless for Stephen Colbert.

The Late Show

Showrunner

Christopher Andrew Licht

Directors

Jake Plunkett, Jim Hoskinson, Ballard C. Boyd

Writers

Emmy Blotnick, Michael Brumm, Nate Charny, Aaron Cohen, Stephen Colbert