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South Park Creators at War with Network Over New Season

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South Park, one of Comedy Central’s longest-standing comedies with over 300 episodes, is known for its outrageous and provocative storylines that often satirize popular culture. From lampooning the latest trends to creating widely-used gifs, this animated series has maintained a strong following. As it prepares for its 27th season, a dispute over streaming rights between creators Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Comedy Central’s parent company, Paramount Global, has caused a delay in the airing of the season premiere. Similarly, the premiere date for Andy Samberg’s Digman! on the channel has been postponed as well.

The animation that follows its version of celebrities, who are archaeologists, is heading into its sophomore season. Digman!‘s premiere will now air on Wednesday, July 23, at 10:30 PM, following South Park, which will air in Comedy Central’s 10:00 PM time slot on the same day. News of South Park‘s 27th season premiere being delayed was announced on Wednesday, July 2, which, of course, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were not happy about. While Comedy Central shared the news in a press release, Parker and Stone shared their response via South Park‘s official X (formerly Twitter) account. In response to the press release from Comedy Central about the change in premiere date for South Park Trey Parker & Matt Stone said:

This merger is causing chaos, negatively affecting the production of ‘South Park’. At our studio, we’re doing our best to produce new episodes, and we sincerely hope that the fans can still enjoy them somehow.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, two shows are scheduled to debut on July 9. The proposed merger under discussion involves David Ellison’s Skydance and Paramount Global joining forces, which could be finalized by July 9, though there might be a deadline extension. However, creators of the show South Park have expressed concerns about this merger. They allege that Jeff Shell, who is set to become the President of the new Skydance-Paramount, may aim to reduce bids for the digital rights of South Park once its partnership with Paramount ends in the next two years. The creators suspect that Shell intends to secure control over the series’ library and future episodes for the merged company.

Title character Andy Samberg portrays Rip Digman, an explorer who re-enters the field of archaeology after a decade following his wife’s demise in the new series “Digman!”. Shamberg, both starring and serving as producer, collaborates with co-creator Neil Campbell on this project, with the latter taking up the role of showrunner. The initial season consists of eight episodes, and despite a 57% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it managed to secure renewal for another season. In its second season, the voices of Mitra Jouhari as Saltine, Tim Robinson as Swooper, Dale Soules as Agatha, Guz Khan as Zane, Melissa Fumero as Bella, and Tim Meadows as Quail Eegan will be featured.

‘South Park’ Creators Threatened Legal Action Over Streaming Deal Interference

Viewers will have to be patient as they wait to find out what adventures Stan, Kyle, Eric, and Kenny are embarking on next. However, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have made it clear that they are determined to safeguard their series. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the pair have issued a warning of potential legal action against incoming merger president Jeff Shell, claiming he is interfering in contract talks with Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix. In a letter sent by Park County, the creators’ production company, they demanded an immediate stop to all interference, stating, “We insist that you, Redbird, and Skydance halt your intrusion. Should these actions persist, we will be forced to take measures to protect our rights and fulfill any obligations owed to the public.

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2025-07-05 20:04

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