South Park Delays New Episode Hours Before It Was Due To Air
South Park fans were left hanging this week after Comedy Central pulled the latest episode just hours before it was due to air. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone admitted they didn’t finish the episode in time, saying, “Apparently when you do everything at the last minute sometimes you don’t get it done... This one’s on us.” It’s only the second time in the show’s long history that an episode hasn’t aired on time, and the first time it has been due to production, not a technical issue.
The delay has drawn extra attention since this episode will be the first to air since conservative figure Charlie Kirk was killed on Sept. 10th. A previous episode, “Got a Nut,” mocked Kirk by having Cartman dress like him and hand out a “Charlie Kirk Award for Young Masterdebaters.” Comedy Central quietly pulled that episode from cable reruns but kept it available on streaming. While Kirk himself reacted positively to the episode, calling it “hilarious” and “a win,” some viewers connected the episode to his death saying it encouraged hate of the activist, which Comedy Central and the show's creators have not addressed.
The postponed episode is now scheduled to air on Sept. 24th, after which the show will return to its bi-weekly release format through December. Despite the delays, South Park’s 27th season has seen strong ratings and sparked heated discussion with its take-no-prisoners approach to politics and current events.
