Stephen Colbert made a swift return to television on Saturday, appearing on a public access program in Monroe County, Michigan, merely 24 hours after airing his final episode of The Late Show on CBS.
A Familiar Beginning
Colbert's latest television gig came as no surprise to those who watched his farewell episode on Thursday. During that broadcast, he had foreshadowed the move, recalling that The Late Show began in July 2015 on a public access station in Monroe, Michigan, for an audience of just 12 people. 'Show business being what it is these days, that's probably where you'll see me next,' he remarked.
On Friday night, Colbert appeared on Only in Monroe, a local public access program produced by Monroe Community Media. In his opening monologue, he quipped, '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 Full Hour of Entertainment
Colbert hosted Only in Monroe for a full hour on Saturday, during which he discussed local news and welcomed celebrity guests, including musician Jack White and actor Jeff Daniels. Pre-taped comedy bits featured Steve Buscemi and Eminem. The appearance followed reports that The Late Show was losing $40 million annually for CBS, as noted by entertainment journalist Matthew Belloni at Puck.
Trump's Reaction
The White House marked Colbert's final show by posting a 22-second artificial intelligence-generated video on social media. The clip showed President Donald Trump walking up behind Colbert during his opening monologue, grabbing the comedian by the collar, and throwing him into a dumpster on set before closing the lid. The video ended with Trump performing his signature shimmy to the song 'YMCA.' The White House captioned it: 'Bye-bye.'
Earlier, Trump celebrated the show's end on Truth Social, writing: 'Stephen Colbert has no talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person. You could take any person off the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he's finally gone! Amazing that he lasted so long!'
Colbert's Final Episode
Colbert's farewell episode on Thursday featured Sir Paul McCartney as his final celebrity guest. During the show, Colbert took jabs at his former bosses at CBS and Paramount. In his 'Meanwhile' segment, he discussed a news story about lawsuits over unauthorized use of the song 'Linus and Lucy' from the Peanuts specials. As his band played the tune, Colbert sarcastically remarked, 'Oh no, I hope this doesn't cost CBS any money.'
In a pre-taped segment, Colbert investigated 'technical difficulties' and discovered a green vortex. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explained it as an 'interdimensional wormhole' caused by the cancellation of a show that was 'number one on late night,' threatening to destroy all of late-night television.
What's Next for Colbert
Colbert has already secured a new project: co-writing a Lord of the Rings film for Warner Bros. with his son Peter McGee and Philippa Boyens, announced on Tolkien Reading Day, March 25.
The feud between Trump and Colbert has been long-running. Trump has also posted other AI-generated content, including an image of himself overlooking Greenland with the caption 'Hello, Greenland!' and a photo of a 'golden dome' over the White House, referencing his proposed defense system. Another AI image showed Chinese citizens waving Chinese and American flags with the words 'China Loves Trump.'
