Just days after Stephen Colbert signed off from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBS found itself in a fight over its former employee. Colbert's surprise return to television led the network to crack down on fans.
A small controversy erupted after Colbert made a surprise appearance on Only in Monroe, the Michigan-based local access show he famously guest-hosted back in 2015 before taking over for David Letterman on CBS. Colbert appeared on May 22, just one day after he bid an emotional farewell to The Late Show.
The unexpected reunion delighted fans online, especially given the timing. Clips and uploads of the episode quickly spread across YouTube. But that's when CBS stepped in and brought things to a screeching halt.
CBS reportedly issued copyright notices targeting YouTube channels that had uploaded the “Only in Monroe” episode, prompting criticism from fans who viewed the move as overly aggressive. It also didn't help that many believe the network unfairly gave Colbert the boot, adding another layer of political interference to the Late Show with Stephen Colbert legacy.
Now, CBS appears to be backing off. In a statement to USA TODAY, the network said it would pause enforcement actions while reviewing the situation further. “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,” the company said.
The broadcast company also clarified that Colbert’s return to “Only in Monroe” was actually produced by CBS itself, which helps explain why the network initially moved to protect the footage online. Still, that likely won't be enough to earn fans' forgiveness for coming down on those trying to share Colbert's final Late Show gag.
The incident may ultimately amount to nothing as both fans and the network move on from the specific incident. But given the emotional response surrounding Colbert’s departure from CBS, it didn’t take much for fans to interpret the situation as the first post-finale clash involving the network and one of the biggest late-night stars.
Chances are Colbert is happy to wipe his hands of this and let CBS deal with the fallout. He teased the "Only in Monroe" appearance during his final monologue, saying "Technically our first show back in July of 2015 was from a public access station in Monroe, Michigan, for an audience of 12 people. And show business being what it is these days, it's probably where you’ll see me next."
And considering how much attention has surrounded Colbert’s exit, CBS was always likely to face intense scrutiny over how it handled anything connected to him in the immediate aftermath of the finale. For a network facing boycott calls and questions about its politics, it maybe should have sat this one out.
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