One of the most successful animated series to ever exist, South Park is in no danger of being removed from fans’ lives anytime soon, thanks to that massive $900 million deal ViacomCBS made with creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone over the summer. It was revealed at the time that the duo would be creating no less than 14 new made-for-streaming TV specials for Paramount+ on top of their usual seasonal duties. It’s been a while since we’ve heard any updates, but now Parker and Stone have removed the metaphorical orange hood from around their faces and divulged some details about what fans can expect.
For one, we now know that the first special will be debuting on Paramount+ on Thursday, November 25, though it doesn’t exactly sound like a Thanksgiving celebration. Titled South Park: Post COVID, the special’s details are still being kept mostly under wraps, but here’s what Trey Parker told THR about it:
It’s the boys dealing with a post-COVID world. They’re just trying to get back to normal. So, it is like our show. We’re just trying to get back to normal.
Sure, it’s not a whole lot to run with, but considering how much the status quo has wavered on South Park in recent years, it’ll be interesting to see what Trey Parker and Matt Stone consider “normal” these days. (I’m guessing it won’t involve the show’s versions of Elon Musk and Kanye West.) It would be subversively amazing if they just remade the first episode of the series using current animation techniques, but I’m betting what Parker and Stone come up with will be much better.
Fans won’t have to wait long to see the second South Park special, either, as Paramount+ has confirmed the next made-for-streaming installment will be released at some point in December. I doubt the streaming service will continue that once-a-month scheduling, considering the creators’ deal lasts for another six years or so, but considering Season 23 ended back in December 2019, with only the pandemic and vaccination specials in the interim, I’m betting fans would eagerly welcome all the Paramount+ specials hitting in short order.
Check out the quicker-than-quick first teaser for the Post COVID special below.
Trey Parker also wanted to clarify one of the key details of the mega-deal with ViacomCBS, regarding how the specials were being touted as “movies” in the company’s initial announcement. Here’s how the co-creator put it:
With Viacom, we realized we could make them as long or as short as we needed. And they then went and called them movies. They are the ones who said we are giving them 14 movies in seven years. All I can say is for me, personally, I am 52 years old, I have made three movies in my life. So you do the math.
It’s also been made pretty clear that these specials won’t even necessarily match the length of the previous two Comedy Central specials. I’m thinking if everyone goes into it with the mindset that they’re all just out-of-season episodes, there won’t be much confusion or disappointment.
As far as progress on Season 22 goes, Trey Parker and Matt Stone are ready to have some of the South Park crew members finally return to work in-studio starting in January, though only in part-time mode. So it’s not entirely clear when the new season might start up, but at least we already know we’ll have at least two specials to enjoy before that happens.
Set your calendars for South Park’s return for its first Paramount+ special debuting on Thursday, November 25. And you can stream some of the best South Park episodes on HBO Max!
