When “South Park” announced it was delaying the release of a new episode this week, fans speculated that the comedy series may have been prevented from airing by its network or because of current events that have heightened the political climate.
But co-creator Matt Stone insists that is not the case, even as other shows like “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” are being pulled off the air.
“No one pulled the episode, no one censored us, and you know we’d say so if true,” Stone said in an interview with The Denver Post. “We just didn’t get it done. When you always cut it close, sometimes you mess up. That’s the price of being a procrastinator.”
After two years off air, “South Park” is in the midst of its highly anticipated 27th season, which has generated buzz for satirical representations of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, among other political figures.
Casa Bonita will host Halloween-themed pop-up in October
In one episode, entitled “Got A Nut,” character Eric Cartman impersonates MAGA activist Charlie Kirk as he “master debates” college students on women’s rights and other issues. That episode was pulled from the show’s cable rotation after Kirk was fatally shot on Sept. 10, though it is still available to stream on Paramount+.
Because “South Park” often reflects events from politics and pop culture, fans on social media suspected Kirk’s death played a role in the delay. (“It was definitely finished. Just not allowed to air,” one commenter said on Instagram.) The decision Wednesday by Disney and ABC to suspend comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show because of comments he made about the incident only added to the speculation.
However, Stone and show co-creator Trey Parker have a famously hasty and chaotic process for developing each episode, chronicled in the aptly named 2011 documentary “6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park.” The newest episode is slated to air on Wednesday, Sept. 24. “It’s gonna be great,” Stone said.
Stone and Parker, who are both Colorado natives, also own the famous Casa Bonita restaurant. Stone additionally shared details about an upcoming Halloween- and Dia de los Muertos-themed pop-up — called Casa BOOnita — that will take over the restaurant in October.