Comedy Central will not air a new episode of South Park this week, marking the second time the hit animated series has taken a break since its Season 27 premiere. However, unlike an earlier, unscheduled skip, this hiatus was planned in advance.
In its place, the network has designated August 13 as “South Park Day” to celebrate the anniversary of the show’s 1997 debut. The event will feature a marathon of fan-favorite episodes, culminating in a 10 p.m. ET broadcast of the series premiere, “Cartman Gets an Anal Probe.” The special programming will also include interviews with creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, behind-the-scenes footage, and rare clips.
This scheduled pause provides the production team a brief respite from its famously demanding schedule, which sees Parker and Stone create entire episodes in just six days, often finalizing them hours before airtime.
The break comes as the series garners intense scrutiny for its sharp political commentary. This season has heavily targeted the Trump Administration and its own parent company, Paramount Global, prompting repeated public responses. The show recently intensified its feud with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, releasing a bonus scene depicting her character shooting up a pet store. After Noem criticized the show, stating, “It’s so lazy to make fun of women for how they look,” the production’s official X account changed its profile picture to an image of her “melting face” from the episode.
This heightened attention has coincided with record-breaking viewership. The Season 27 premiere attracted 6 million cross-platform viewers, achieving the show’s largest audience share in 25 years. Live viewing for the second episode reportedly jumped 25 percent from the premiere.
The 10-episode season is expected to resume with a new episode next week.
