CBS and Paramount Won’t Restrict Access to Colbert Talk Show Spoof, for Now: NPR

CBS and parent company Paramount have backed away from efforts to restrict reposts of Stephen Colbert’s mock public-access appearance, “Only In Monroe,” after the hour-long parody spread widely across YouTube and social media. The episode, released a day after Colbert’s departure from “The Late Show,” showed the comedian joking about being “excruciating”ly off TV while appearing on Monroe Community Media in Monroe, Michigan. The segment featured musician Jack White as a deadpan sidekick and leaned into the contrast between Colbert’s status as one of late-night television’s most prominent hosts and the low-key setting of local cable access programming.

CBS initially issued copyright protection notices targeting unauthorized uploads of the program. But in a statement to NPR on Monday, the company said the episode was financed and produced by CBS Studios and was cleared for distribution only on three YouTube channels: “The Late Show,” Monroe Community Media and Colbert’s personal channel. CBS said its standard practice is to send copyright notices to unauthorized sites that post CBS-owned material and talent content, but it would waive further enforcement of that policy for this episode pending additional review.

The episode gained attention in the context of Colbert’s abrupt exit from “The Late Show,” which CBS canceled in July 2025, calling it a financial decision. The cancellation also came as Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, sought approval from the Trump administration for its $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. Colbert, a vocal critic of President Trump, signed off from the CBS late-night franchise on Friday with a farewell broadcast featuring high-profile guests including Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney.

“Only In Monroe” played up local eccentricities and small-town humor, with segments touching on Bigfoot sightings in Michigan, actor Jeff Daniels making sandwiches, and a community calendar. The appearance also included a phone call to Byron Allen, whose show “Comics Unleashed” is slated to replace “The Late Show” in the time slot. Allen responded positively, praising Colbert and saying he admired his work.

In a separate interview on NPR’s “Newsmakers” podcast, Allen called Colbert “an American treasure” and said his own show would avoid the political comedy that became a signature of Colbert’s late-night tenure. Allen said he expects his new audience will be smaller but loyal, adding that he has long understood the value of appealing strongly to a narrow segment of viewers.