South Park’s Mysterious Hiatus: When Will New Episodes Finally Air?

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  • ‘South Park’s 2025 Return

It seems like I might be heading to South Park for some fun, but the truth is, South Park hasn’t been airing new episodes regularly lately due to changes in its schedule and a decrease in the number of episodes produced. Despite still having a deal that extends through 2027, the show fell short of its target episode count in 2024, even skipping the 2024 presidential race – an election cycle it had never missed before in its nearly 25-year history. So, I’m not sure what’s happening with South Park these days.

Unlike other animated shows, South Park doesn’t follow a traditional multi-month production timeline. Instead, most episodes are produced within a week before they air, with co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone handling the majority of voice acting and writing. In essence, South Park could potentially release 20 to 22 episodes annually while only requiring six months of work. However, the number of episodes per season has been gradually decreasing. So, why is this happening, and when can we expect a new season of South Park?

‘South Park’s History and Hiatus

Initially, South Park didn’t adhere strictly to any particular timetable; seasons fluctuated between 14 and 18 episodes, with episodes airing throughout the year. However, around the mid-2000s, the show adopted a regular pattern of two 7-episode seasons per year in the spring and fall, each consisting of 14 episodes. The 17th season in 2013 cut this back to a single 10-episode season in the fall. Although the schedule was inconsistent, it was still quite predictable. Similar to many shows, South Park experienced production disruptions due to the COVID pandemic. The 24th season only included two episodes: one about the pandemic in late 2020 and another about vaccines in spring 2021. Contrary to expectations, the show did not return to its previous schedule following the pandemic-related interruption.

In August 2021, Parker and Stone agreed to a new contract with MTV Entertainment Studios, which extended the show until 2027 and commissioned 14 unique specials for Paramount+. The agreement stipulated that the show would continue to generate 10 new half-hours of content annually, divided between six regular TV episodes and two extended specials on Paramount+. This arrangement held true for seasons 25 and 26 in 2022 and 2023. However, contrary to this pattern, the 2024 season only released a single Paramount+ special without any linear episodes.

In September 2024, Parker and Stone announced their intention to skip the presidential election that year, as they felt they had already said everything they needed to about Donald Trump, a reasonable perspective. Interestingly, Trump himself was never depicted on the show, with Mr. Garrison serving as a substitute instead. Similar to Saturday Night Live, South Park usually gains significant attention during presidential election years. They covered every race from 2000 to 2016, including the 2020 election in their COVID-themed specials. Even the 2016 election episode was rewritten hastily after assuming that Hillary Clinton would win against Trump. This will mark the first time in the show’s history that they are skipping an entire election season. Does this mean less humor and commentary from South Park during the next presidential campaign?

‘South Park’s 2025 Return

In their announcement of a break from the election, Parker and Stone made it clear that the series would resume in the year 2025. Earlier this month, Stone also revealed that the year will start off with a new special on Paramount+, followed by traditional episodes on Comedy Central later on. This appears to suggest that they are switching up their 2022 and 2023 schedule, as previously linear episodes were shown in the spring while Paramount+ specials aired during the summer or fall.

Although we don’t have specifics or release dates yet, the swift pace at which South Park is produced often allows for new episodes to be announced mere weeks before they air. This suggests that any disruption in 2024 was merely temporary. One reason for this interruption was Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s work on a non-South Park film project. Not much information about the upcoming movie has been revealed, but it is known to be a live-action comedy featuring Kendrick Lamar, with a release expected around Independence Day.

Is there a chance that South Park might be wrapping up? It seems rather unlikely. South Park, an American cultural touchstone, holds the title of the second-longest-running animated series in U.S. history, trailing only The Simpsons. When creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker mention a break, they simply need some time to recharge. Over the past 25+ years, they’ve tackled almost every significant political and cultural event. Although their production schedule might be sporadic, dedicating such a long time to one show can undoubtedly result in some fatigue.

Fans can appreciate that they’re taking a break since overproducing could potentially lower the show’s quality, as seen in many other long-running series. Trey Parker and Matt Stone made it clear that they still enjoy working on the show, and this hiatus allows the creative team to rejuvenate, ensuring each new episode is top-notch. Additionally, these delays may extend the 2021 agreement, surpassing the original 2027 end date. So, rest assured that South Park, which is now streaming on Max, will continue entertaining fans for a while longer.

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2025-03-09 23:02