South Park was scheduled to return with a new episode this week, but the hiatus has been extended by at least one more week.
"Apparently, when you do everything at the last minute, sometimes you don't get it done," said series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone in a statement on social media. "This one's on us. We didn't get it done in time. Thanks to Comedy Central and South Park fans for being so understanding. Tune in next week!"
The post was accompanied by an updated schedule with new episodes of South Park scheduled for September 24th, October 15th, October 29th, November 12th, November 26th, and December 10th.
The long-running animated comedy launched its 27th season on July 23, with four episodes released so far. This season has focused heavily on Donald Trump and his time in the White House, lampooning everything from his legal troubles to the Epstein controversy and his larger-than-life public persona. Other episodes have taken on hot-button topics such as immigration and ICE, the rise of tech and AI, and more. South Park's heightened focus on politics has proven incredibly successful, with viewership ratings for Season 27 higher than previous seasons.
The season hasn’t been without controversy, though. While Donald Trump and his supporters have publicly commented on the new episodes, South Park has faced sharp criticism following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The conservative activist -- who was parodied in the second episode, “Got a Nut” -- was fatally shot on September 10th while speaking at a Turning Point USA debate at Utah Valley University. In the aftermath, many on the right have accused the series of contributing to a hostile climate toward conservatives, suggesting its portrayals may have fueled political violence.
In response, Comedy Central removed the episode poking fun at Kirk from the list of South Park reruns. However, it still remains available to stream on Paramount+. So far, neither Comedy Central nor South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have commented publicly on Charlie Kirk’s death.
Although Parker and Stone’s statement about the delay didn’t specify why the episode wasn’t completed on time, some have speculated that the extra time is being used to rework its content, perhaps even scaling back some of the satire aimed at conservatives. South Park has never been one to shy away from controversy, but given today’s charged political climate, it’s not hard to see why the creators might feel pressure to dial down the intensity.
South Park Season 27 will return with a new episode on Wednesday, September 24th at 10pm ET/PT.