Overview
- Stephen Colbert showed up on Monroe Community Media less than 24 hours after his final Late Show episode, with the special airing Friday, May 22, 2026.
- CBS Studios financed and produced the hour‑long program and Colbert posted the episode to his newly launched YouTube channel and Monroe Community Media’s channel.
- Multiple third‑party YouTube uploads beat the official upload and racked up hundreds of thousands of views, prompting CBS to send routine copyright notices that it then paused after public outcry.
- The episode included in‑studio appearances by Jack White and Jeff Daniels, taped cameos from Eminem and Steve Buscemi, and ended with a staged set‑destruction stunt.
- The episode and CBS’s takedown reversal underscore a shifting late‑night landscape since CBS announced The Late Show’s retirement in July 2025 and suggest talent and platforms will test new online distribution models.