South Park - Season 1 Jun 2026

This short became a viral sensation in the 1990s—not through the internet, but through people copying and sharing physical . One copy reached a Fox executive who commissioned a second short, Jesus vs. Santa , which George Clooney reportedly loved so much he sent hundreds of copies to his Hollywood friends. The Pilot: "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe"

Watch it if: You want to see how a cultural revolution started with construction paper and a dead kid in a parka. South Park - Season 1

A groundbreaking episode for its time, earning a GLAAD Award nomination for its portrayal of homosexuality. "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo": This short became a viral sensation in the

The result was a pilot that barely met broadcast standards. premiered with "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe" —an episode that established every trope of the franchise within 22 minutes: alien abductions, a singing Mr. Hankey (the Christmas Poo), and a town that treats apocalyptic events with mundane annoyance. The Pilot: "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe" Watch

The Chaos Begins: A Look Back at South Park South Park first flickered onto Comedy Central on August 13, 1997

If you have only seen the HD, crisp, Tegridy Farms-era episodes, you owe it to yourself to go back to the beginning. Watch the sun set over the rusty, simplistic mountains. Listen to the original version of "The Unplanned Opening" theme song. And say a quiet "You bastards!" for Kenny.

Before the series, there was The Spirit of Christmas , a crude animated short that was passed around Hollywood on VHS tapes like forbidden treasure. It featured the core four (Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny) fighting a demonic snowman. When Brian Graden and Comedy Central saw the buzz, they gave 24-year-old creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone $300,000 and a deadline.