South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker sign a new deal with ViacomCBS renewing the series for six more seasons and 14 original movies. First launched in 1997, the animated comedy has been one of Comedy Central's biggest and most iconic programs, earning the highest ratings of any basic cable program in its early run and still remaining one of the network's highest-rated in recent times. The series centers on Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflosvki, Eric Cartman and Kenny McCormick, four young boys living in the titular Colorado town and the misadventures that ensue there.
South Park has received both praise and criticism since its debut for its satirization of various social topics as well as its utilization of profanity and dark, surreal humor. Its success has seen it expand into other mediums, including the 1999 film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, which was a critical and commercial hit and garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for "Blame Canada," though would lose to Tarzan's "You'll Be in My Heart." The franchise has also spawned multiple video games, with Stone and Parker helping write the recently-acclaimed South Park: The Stick of Truth and South Park: The Fractured but Whole.
On the heels of its vaccination special becoming the highest-rated episode for the series in years, ViacomCBS has signed South Park creators Parker and Stone to a new overall creative deal for $900 million. The new deal includes both a six-season renewal for the Comedy Central series and 14 new original movies that will air exclusively on Paramount+, two of which will arrive this year. Parker and Stone wrote the following statement:
“Comedy Central has been our home for 25 years and we’re really happy that they’ve made a commitment to us for the next 75 years. When we came to ViacomCBS with a different way to produce the show during the pandemic, Chris (McCarthy), Nina (Diaz), Keyes (Hill-Edgar) and Tanya (Giles) were immediately supportive and enabled us to try something new that turned out to be really well received. We can’t wait to get back to doing traditional South Park episodes but now we can also try out new formats. It’s great to have partners who will always take a chance with us.”
In its near-25-year run on Comedy Central, South Park has become a cultural landmark, even with its numerous controversies. Between season 23's "Band in China" leveling a slew of critiques at the titular country to season 9's "Trapped in the Closet" skewering Scientology, the series has not shied away from targeting anyone and everything with its unique brand of satire, to the dismay of many but to the love of most. Though its dive into the world of politically correct culture has divided some longtime fans of the series, the critical reception has not diminished, proving ViacomCBS' large investment in South Park's future to be a smart decision.
Additionally, for those who have held out hope for another South Park film after the hilarity that was the 1999 effort, the news of 14 new films should prove an exciting draw. Though these could very well be similar to the extended vaccination and pandemic specials released over the past six months, it could also mean more feature-length adventures for the Colorado town are in the near future. In the meantime, fans can revisit the series on HBO Max while they await word of season 24.
Source: MTV Entertainment Studios
