Stephen Colbert appears on Michigan community access show broadcast night after "The Late Show" finale
Stephen Colbert made a surprise appearance hosting the "Only in Monroe" community access show broadcast in Monroe, Michigan, on Friday, one night after he recorded his final episode of "The Late Show."
Michigan native Jack White, who grew up in Detroit about 40 miles northeast of Monroe, joined Colbert as his "volunteer music director."
"Looking forward to hearing some of your music, time permitting," Colbert, 62, joked with White, as laughter could be heard from a handful of people off camera.
Colbert interviewed actor Jeff Daniels during the hour-long broadcast that leaned heavily into Michigan-centric jokes. During the segment, Colbert asked Daniels why he chooses to live in the Midwest state.
"Honestly, it's home," Daniels said. "I never bought it, fame."
Actor Steve Buscemi appeared in a recorded bit joking about Buscemi's Pizza in Monroe.
Rapper Eminem, who was raised in Detroit, appeared on tape as the "fire marshal" who approves setting fire to remnants of the set that Colbert, White and Daniels destroyed at the end of the show.
Colbert also spoke via FaceTime with comedian Byron Allen, who is hosting "Comics Unleashed," which is replacing Colbert's canceled "Late Show."
CBS said last July that it would end "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and retire "The Late Show" franchise at the end of this season. The company said it was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night."
The explanation was met with skepticism from some viewers and media critics, who questioned whether political motives were involved, given Colbert's outspoken criticism of President Trump. Colbert took over as host of "The Late Show" in September 2015 after Letterman retired from the role he'd held for 22 years.
The community access program's normal hosts, Michelle Baumann and former Miss America Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson, sucked helium from balloons with Colbert while discussing Baumann's battle with cancer. A warning on the screen said, "Former professional TV host, do not try this at home."
During Colbert's last episode of "The Late Show," Colbert turned a large power switch on the set, right next to a smaller one labeled "ONLY IN MONROE."
It marked the second time Colbert has hosted the community access program. As he said during the surprise broadcast, he previously hosted an episode in the summer of 2015 just before taking over "Late Night" from Letterman.
It was not clear where or when Colbert recorded the latest episode, which aired exactly 24 hours after his final "Late Night" show. Messages left Saturday by the Associated Press seeking comment from the community access channel were not immediately returned.