An animated sitcom is a subgenre of a television sitcom that is animated instead of being filmed live-action , and is generally made or created for adult audiences in most cases. The Simpsons , SpongeBob SquarePants , South Park , and Family Guy are four of the longest-running animated sitcoms.
143-458: South Park is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone , and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central . The series revolves around four boys— Stan Marsh , Kyle Broflovski , Eric Cartman , and Kenny McCormick —and their exploits in and around the titular Colorado town. South Park also features many recurring characters. The series became infamous for its profanity and dark , surreal humor that satirizes
286-399: A large range of subject matter . Parker and Stone developed South Park from two animated short films, both titled The Spirit of Christmas , released in 1992 and 1995. The second short became one of the first Internet viral videos , leading to the series' production. The pilot episode was produced using cutout animation ; the remainder of the series uses computer animation recalling
429-515: A "few cult hits and flops in the '90s", with almost nothing in the 2000s and more in the 2010s. Some critics called Duckman , based on a comic of the same, a "Simpsons-inspired sitcom" which had a pilot in 1991 and premiered in 1994 on the USA Network as part of the "network's Saturday night programming." The show features humans, animals, and hybrids of both intermingling, with "every design intentionally exaggerated and distorted", looking like
572-411: A "force for adult animation." In 1999, Family Guy debuted on Fox . The series was cancelled twice in the first three years, but became one of the network's longest-running series. It would later be praised for its humor, "cynical commentary, and sci-fi adventures" while having a sincere but tragic and real relationship between Brian and Pearl Burton. Beavis and Butt-Head , which began airing in
715-532: A "surprise hit with adult audiences." Even though some argued that The Flintstones later influenced The Simpsons , other scholars said that although the show caused a boom in primetime animation and "subverted conventional TV", the result would be driving animation out of primetime "for almost three decades". Despite this, scholar John Libbey argued that the show utilized "subversive qualities of animation." From 1972 to 1974, Hanna-Barbera produced Wait Till Your Father Gets Home , an adult-oriented sitcom in
858-452: A 30-foot (9.1 m) waterfall with cliff divers . The website Roadside America mentions that the restaurant has "Wild West shootouts, brawling pirates, [and] a dancing gorilla" that "can be viewed while you eat". It also has a small puppet theater, a "haunted tunnel" (Black Bart's Cave), an arcade with a large skee-ball room, and a magic theater. Since 2023, as a nod to its new owners, the restaurant has references to South Park , such as
1001-535: A Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation , argued that culture and events of 1990s "can all be understood through a Simpsons prism." Some critics argued that The Simpsons was responsible for "popularizing adult animation" while influencing "satirical cartoons" like South Park and Family Guy . Others even said that The Simpsons opened the "door for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim" and praised it for being "extremely unique and ... constantly evolving." Andrew J. Crow of Time magazine noted
1144-504: A completed episode is sent to Comedy Central's headquarters via satellite uplink, sometimes just a few hours before its air time of 10 PM Eastern Time . Parker and Stone state that subjecting themselves to a one-week deadline creates more spontaneity amongst themselves in the creative process, which they feel results in a funnier show. The schedule also allows South Park to both stay more topical and respond more quickly to specific current events than other satiric animated shows. One of
1287-447: A family, but it gives a "new take on the typical American family." Some described The Boondocks as profound, comedic, smart, silly, has social commentary on class relations, racism, and with a unique animation style. Some said that Apple TV+ 's Central Park was one of the best shows of 2020 and described it as the network's "first foray into adult animation." Certain comedians have created their own animated sitcoms. This includes
1430-451: A feature on the restaurant and described the decor, saying, "Its pink exterior conceals a vast network of nooks and crannies inside. While the main, multilevel dining room is decorated with plastic palm trees and strings of lights, different facades and themed rooms invoke regional Mexican architectural styles, including the resort of Puerto Vallarta ." The centerpiece is a 30 foot (9.1 m) indoor waterfall with cliff divers, an imitation of
1573-537: A few days' time. Each episode used to cost $ 250,000. Scripts are not written before a season begins. Production of an episode begins on a Thursday, with the show's writing consultants brainstorming with Parker and Stone. Former staff writers include Pam Brady , who has since written scripts for the films Hot Rod , Hamlet 2 and Team America: World Police (with Parker and Stone), and Nancy Pimental , who served as co-host of Win Ben Stein's Money and wrote
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#17327723609511716-512: A fictional Colorado town in the real-life South Park basin. Fox eagerly agreed to meet with the duo about the show's premise, having prided itself on edgier products such as Cops , The Simpsons , and The X-Files . However, during the meeting at the Fox office in Century City , disagreements between the two creators and the network began to arise, mainly over the latter's refusal to air
1859-644: A fraction of the time to produce. Before computer artists begin animating an episode, a series of animatics drawn in Toon Boom are provided by the show's storyboard artists. The characters and objects are composed of simple geometrical shapes and primary and secondary colors . Most child characters are the same size and shape, and are distinguished by their clothing, hair and skin colors, and headwear. Characters are mostly presented two-dimensionally and from only one angle. Their movements are animated in an intentionally jerky fashion, as they are purposely not offered
2002-456: A group's behavior, or to educate, motivate, or indoctrinate others. The show also frequently features scenes in which its characters have disapproving reactions to the performances of certain popular musicians. Adam Berry , the show's original score composer, used sound synthesis to simulate a small orchestra, and frequently alluded to existing famous pieces of music. Berry also used signature acoustic guitar and mandolin cues as leitmotifs for
2145-528: A kid-eating monster in the season two (1998) episode " City on the Edge of Forever ". Jerry Seinfeld offered to lend his voice for the Thanksgiving episode " Starvin' Marvin ", but declined to appear when he was only offered a role as "Turkey #2". Parker says that the varying uses of music are of utmost importance to South Park . Several characters often play or sing songs in order to change or influence
2288-535: A massive hit among American audiences. In response, ABC , CBS and NBC each developed animated series to air in prime time, but none of the shows were successful. One series, Capitol Critters , focused on subjects such as gun control, interracial violence and political corruption. In his review of the series, Variety critic Brian Lowry wrote that he felt that the series' approach was "muddled", and that "the bland central character and cartoonish elements ... will likely be off-putting to many adults, who won't find
2431-507: A parody of The Real World , which follows the misadventures of the housemates in the fictional show of the same name and uses a sitcom format with a reality TV show setting, was followed by a direct-to-video film and series finale titled The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie! . Another antimated sitcom was Brickleberry which aired on Comedy Central from 2012 to 2015. It was created by Waco O'Guin and Roger Black , executive produced by O'Guin, Black, and comedian Daniel Tosh . It
2574-401: A poor family, tightly wears his parka hood to the point where it obscures most of his face and muffles his speech. During the first five seasons, Kenny died in almost every episode before reappearing in the next with no definite explanation. He was killed off in the fifth season episode " Kenny Dies ", before being reintroduced in the sixth season finale, " Red Sleigh Down ". Since then, Kenny
2717-439: A popular streaming hub. Critics praised Tuca & Bertie and Solar Opposites for their take on humor and comedy . Shaurya Thapa of Screen Rant argued that Tuca & Bertie offered "a fresh and realistic take on the sitcom formula" while Rafael Motomoyer of Collider argued that Solar Opposites not only mixes "crude humor and knack for violence ... with a long-standing tradition of animated sitcoms" centered on
2860-523: A prop of Eric Cartman having food in his iconic table and a ManBearPig meet-and-greet. The restaurant is 52,000 square feet (4,800 m ) and can seat up to 1,100 patrons. The first Casa Bonita was opened in the summer of 1968 in Oklahoma City, at a time when Mexican food was considered a novelty in the area. The restaurant was located along U.S. Route 66 at the intersection of NW 39th and Portland. On opening, it featured themed rooms, including
3003-399: A script, and from there the entire team of animators, editors, technicians, and sound engineers will each typically work 100–120 hours in the ensuing week. Since the show's fourth season (2000), Parker has assumed most of the show's directorial duties, while Stone relinquished his share of the directing to focus on handling the coordination and business aspects of the production. On Wednesday,
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#17327723609513146-413: A script, creates a score using digital audio software, and then e-mails the audio file to South Park Studios, where it is edited to fit with the completed episode. In addition to singing in an effort to explain something to the children, Chef would also sing about things relevant to what had transpired in the plot. These songs were original compositions written by Parker, and they were performed by Hayes in
3289-434: A show that included a supporting talking stool character named Mr. Hankey . Some executives at 20th Century Fox Television (which was to produce the series) agreed with its then-sister network's stance on Mr. Hankey and repeatedly requested Parker and Stone to remove the character in order for the show to proceed. Refusing to meet their demands, the duo cut ties with Fox and its sister companies all together and began shopping
3432-517: A sneak peek on Cartoon Network on December 30, 2000, the series officially premiered on Adult Swim on September 2, 2001, the night the block launched. It ended on July 22, 2007, with a total of 39 episodes , over the course of four seasons. Later, in October 2018, a special , entitled Harvey Birdman: Attorney General , premiered, and a spin-off, Birdgirl , was ordered in May 2019. Some described
3575-458: A union with Actors’ Equity and IATSE. Employees cited unsafe work conditions and pay as the primary reasons for unionization. The South Park episode " Casa Bonita " prominently features the Colorado branch of the restaurant. Other episodes that mention it briefly are: " Quest for Ratings " (where a clock is labeled as showing the time at Casa Bonita), " You Have 0 Friends ", " 201 " (where
3718-555: A unique style, and centered around "therapist discussions with real celebrities". In March 2000, the first few episodes of God, the Devil and Bob aired on NBC , with nine episodes unaired. The series didn't return until 2011, when the nine remaining episodes aired, from January to March 2011, on Adult Swim . Some said this was because Christian groups, like the American Family Association , had boycotted
3861-446: A village square with fountain, a 2-level lantern-lit cave, a tropical garden with 20 foot (6.1 m) waterfall and stream, and a room resembling an aristocratic dining hall with a porch along with strolling mariachis . The Tulsa location also included a puppet and magic show theater, a video arcade , a working carousel , and a gift shop. It closed on September 30, 2005, due to a reported inability to reach suitable lease terms with
4004-644: Is a Mexican restaurant in Lakewood, Colorado , located within the Lamar Station Plaza. It first opened in 1974, and was originally part of a chain of Mexican entertainment restaurants that started in Oklahoma City . The restaurant attracted a cult following among Coloradans since its opening, and is considered by many to be an iconic establishment of Lakewood and the greater Denver metropolitan area . In 2019, The Denver Post published
4147-455: Is a "veteran of adult animation" as he worked on Family Guy in the past. In June 2011, two scholars analyzed queer characters and themes in animated sitcoms, arguing that they create "space for queer resistance," analyzing themes, and text, in the animated series Family Guy . They also argued that analyzing the show using postmodern thematic analysis , it creates " deconstructionist instances" that, in their view, "expose and subvert
4290-404: Is changing, saying that it can be something that is "sophisticated, dramatic, beautiful and nuanced" rather than "crass and cruel." In January 2020, TZGZ , Syfy 's new adult animation block, ordered six 15-minute episodes of the series, which would later become Magical Girl Friendship Squad . At the same time, the short form version, Magical Girl Friendship Squad: Origins , began airing on
4433-455: Is depicted as dying sporadically. During the first 58 episodes, the children were in the third grade . During the fourth season , they entered the fourth grade , where they have remained ever since. Plots are often set in motion by events, ranging from the fairly typical to the supernatural and extraordinary, which frequently happen in the town. The boys often act as the voice of reason when these events cause panic or incongruous behavior among
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4576-414: Is fast in the opening and leisurely in the closing credits. It is in the minor key and it features a tritone or a diminished fifth, creating a melodic dissonance , which captures the show's surrealistic nature. In the latter parts of seasons 4 and 5, the opening tune has an electro funk arrangement with pop qualities. Seasons 6–9 have a sprightly bluegrass instrumentation with a usage of banjo and
4719-605: Is included in various publications' lists of the greatest television shows. It has received numerous accolades, including five Primetime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award . A theatrical film, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut , was released in June 1999 to commercial and critical success, garnering an Academy Award nomination. In 2013, TV Guide ranked South Park the tenth Greatest TV Cartoon of All Time. South Park centers around four boys: Stan Marsh , Kyle Broflovski , Eric Cartman and Kenny McCormick . The boys live in
4862-425: Is inspired by the paper cut-out cartoons made by Terry Gilliam for Monty Python's Flying Circus , of which Parker and Stone have been lifelong fans. Construction paper and traditional stop motion cutout animation techniques were used in the original animated shorts and in the pilot episode. Subsequent episodes have been produced by computer animation , providing a similar look to the originals while requiring
5005-436: Is modeled after Parker, while Kyle is modeled after Stone. They are best friends, and their friendship, symbolically intended to reflect Parker and Stone's friendship, is a common topic throughout the series. Cartman (as he is commonly referred to) is amoral and increasingly psychopathic , and is commonly portrayed as an antagonist . His staunch antisemitism has resulted in a progressive rivalry with Kyle. Kenny, who comes from
5148-471: Is not the only model for such animation, due to new shows coming to TV and streaming platforms like BoJack Horseman , Big Mouth , Rick and Morty and Undone , which some call a boom at the time that "high-quality adult animation shows" are being produced in France, Japan, and in other parts of the world, a new group of creators is pushing existing boundaries. Even so, fans of The Simpsons turned Hulu into
5291-743: Is said that Jeremy is actually heterosexual but left his wife and children for Richard, who offered him an easy, no-maintenance life as his trophy husband. The following year, from January to December 2012, Unsupervised , an adult animated sitcom ran on FX . Although it was cancelled in November 2012 after one season, it was praised by critics as a coming-of-age story, with two clueless and ridiculous protagonists, while having "realistic looking backgrounds," contrasting with show's look in general. Jeff & Some Aliens , an animated sitcom aired on Comedy Central from January to March 2017. The plot surrounds three aliens who travel to Earth to find
5434-449: Is set in the major key . For the later seasons, the arrangement is electro rock with a breakbeat influence, which feature electric guitars backed up by synthesized , groovy drumbeats. The opening theme song has been remixed three times during the course of the series, including a remix performed by Paul Robb . In 2006, the theme music was remixed with the song "Whamola" by Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade , from
5577-399: Is the case with Disenchantment , Final Space , Solar Opposites , Central Park , the short-lived series, Hoops , and Q-Force . This positioned Netflix as a leader of adult animation content. The creator of Bojack Horseman , Raphael Bob-Waksberg , said that the show is about "ourselves looking outwards" and argued that the voice actor for Bojack, Will Arnett , can find
5720-408: Is today Kenny, and two near-identical unnamed characters who resemble Stan and Kyle. Fox Broadcasting Company executive and mutual friend Brian Graden commissioned Parker and Stone to create a second short film as a video Christmas card. Created in 1995, the second The Spirit of Christmas short resembled the style of the later series more closely. To differentiate between the two homonymous shorts,
5863-517: The University of Colorado in 1992 and discovered a shared love of Monty Python , which they often cite as one of their primary inspirations. They created an animated short entitled The Spirit of Christmas . The film was created by animating construction paper cutouts with stop motion , and features prototypes of the main characters of South Park , including a character resembling Cartman but named "Kenny", an unnamed character resembling what
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6006-475: The fictional small town of South Park, located within the real-life South Park basin in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado , approximately a one-hour drive from Denver . The town is also home to an assortment of other characters, including students , families , elementary school staff , and other various residents . Prominent settings include South Park Elementary, various neighborhoods and
6149-493: The hegemony of heteronormativity ." Allen Gregory had a short run in 2011 and was cancelled after the first season. This series featured Richard and Jeremy De Longpre, the fathers of the title character, Allen. Jeremy is a former social worker who had a loving wife and family, although this changed after Richard became one of his clients. Richard was attracted to Jeremy to the point where he started stalking him and his family until Jeremy finally agreed to be his husband. It
6292-417: The season eight (2004) premiere " Good Times with Weapons " are done in anime style, while the season 10 episode " Make Love, Not Warcraft " is done partly in machinima . The season 12 episode " Major Boobage ", a homage to the 1981 animated film Heavy Metal , implements scenes accomplished with rotoscoping . Parker and Stone voice most of the male South Park characters. Mary Kay Bergman voiced
6435-668: The season two (1998) episode " Chef Aid ". Korn debuted their single " Falling Away from Me " as guest stars on the season three (1999) episode " Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery ". The show's theme song was a musical score performed by the band Primus , with the lyrics alternately sung by the band's lead singer, Les Claypool , and the show's four central characters during the opening title sequence. Kenny's muffled lines are altered after every few seasons. His lines are usually sexually explicit in nature, such as his original lines, "I like girls with big fat titties, I like girls with deep vaginas". The original unaired opening composition
6578-455: The "foxhole humor" in Bob's Burgers has kept it going, and even argue that the humor in the children's animation, Animaniacs was "far more adult" than the original series in the 1990s . Later in 2020, the reboot of Animaniacs , an all-ages animation had an episode pulled which included a real sex hotline number, with the series no stranger to adult humor as the showrunner, Wellesley Wild,
6721-419: The "most watched cable television series." In 2019, it was announced that a writer for Disenchantment , Shion Takeuchi, would be heading her own upcoming Netflix show titled Inside Job , with Alex Hirsch as an executive producer, With a woman named Alma as the protagonist, Takeuchi said she hoped it would "push the boundaries" of adult animation. Hirsch was also quoted as noting that adult animation
6864-617: The Casa Bonita payroll account. The restaurant's website disappeared during the summer of 2020 sometime between July 7 and July 30. On April 6, 2021, Summit Family Restaurants, Casa Bonita's owner, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona. On September 23, 2021, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone reached an agreement to purchase
7007-478: The Garden Room and El Pokey, a room themed as a Mexican jail. The Oklahoma City location closed in 1993. After housing other businesses, the building was demolished in 2015. The Tulsa location opened in 1971 near the intersection of 21st and Sheridan. The interior was designed to create the outdoor nighttime atmosphere of a Mexican village. Its various themed dining areas, with seating for over 500, included
7150-747: The UK (previously on Sky One , Channel 4 , VIVA and 5Star ), B92 in Serbia , and on Game One and NRJ 12 in France . In September 2020, SBS, which aired South Park in Australia since 1997, removed South Park from its television line-up, though reruns could air on SBS Viceland. Broadcast syndication rights to South Park were acquired by Debmar-Mercury and Tribune Entertainment in 2003 and 2004 respectively. Episodes further edited for content began running in syndication on September 19, 2005, and were aired in
7293-560: The United States with the TV-14 rating. 20th Television replaced Tribune as co-distributor in early 2008. By the time its run in syndication ended in 2015, it aired in 90 percent of the television markets across the United States and Canada, where it generated an estimated US$ 25 million a year in advertising revenue. In 2019, CBS Television Distribution (the syndication arm of ViacomCBS, now known as Paramount Global ), took over
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#17327723609517436-481: The United States, so local servers have been set up in other countries. In September 2009, a South Park Studios website with streaming episodes was launched in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In Canada, episodes were available for streaming from The Comedy Network's website, though due to digital rights restrictions, they are no longer available. In April 2010, the season five episode " Super Best Friends " and
7579-587: The Winds , and many other regionally specific characteristics. Stan is portrayed as an average American boy; however, he has many mishaps throughout the series. In the first 22 seasons, Stan lived in South Park, but in the episodes during and after season 22 , Stan resided in Tegridy Farms. Kyle is Jewish , and his portrayal as one of the few such people in South Park is often dealt with satirically. Stan
7722-467: The actions of the characters, as well as removing all references to fire from the episodes. As Beavis and Butt-Head began entered its last season in 1997, a new adult animation began airing on MTV which was titled Daria . It would praised for its "progressive characters", sense of humor, and ability to capture absurdity of teen life in suburbs. Beginning around the same time was South Park . It became an "icon for anti-censorship and free speech" and
7865-635: The adult populace, who are customarily depicted as irrational, gullible, and prone to overreaction. They are frequently confused by the contradictory and hypocritical behavior of their parents and other adults, and often perceive them as having distorted views on morality and society. Each episode opens with a tongue-in-cheek all persons fictitious disclaimer : "All characters and events in this show—even those based on real people—are entirely fictional. All celebrity voices are impersonated.....poorly. The following program contains coarse language and due to its content it should not be viewed by anyone." South Park
8008-510: The album Purple Onion . South Park is broadcast internationally in several countries and territories, including India, New Zealand, and several countries throughout Europe and Latin America on channels that are subsidiaries of Comedy Central and Paramount Media Networks , both subsidiaries of Paramount. In distribution deals with Comedy Central, other independent networks also broadcast the series in other international markets. In Australia,
8151-537: The announcement every episode remained available for free on the South Park Studios website, using the Hulu player . As of September 2014, following the premiere of the eighteenth season, only 30 select episodes would be featured for free viewing at a time on a rotating basis on the website, with new episodes being available for an entire month starting the day following their original airings. The entire series
8294-599: The bands Radiohead and Korn . Comedy team Cheech & Chong voiced characters representing their likenesses for the season four (2000) episode " Cherokee Hair Tampons ", which was the duo's first collaborative effort in 20 years. Malcolm McDowell appears in live-action sequences as the narrator of the season four episode " Pip ". Jennifer Aniston , Richard Belzer , Natasha Henstridge , Norman Lear , and Peter Serafinowicz have guest starred as other speaking characters. During South Park 's earliest seasons, several high-profile celebrities inquired about guest-starring on
8437-434: The characters speak. When the show began using computers, the cardboard cutouts were scanned and re-drawn with CorelDRAW , then imported into PowerAnimator , which was used with SGI workstations to animate the characters. The workstations were linked to a 54-processor render farm that could render 10 to 15 shots an hour. Beginning with season five , the animators began using Maya instead of PowerAnimator. As of 2012,
8580-429: The child characters, and Time described the boys as "sometimes cruel but with a core of innocence". Usually, the boys or other characters pondered over what transpired during an episode and conveyed the important lesson taken from it with a short monologue. During earlier seasons, this speech commonly began with a variation of the phrase "You know, I've learned something today...". Parker and Stone met in film class at
8723-587: The cliffs of Acapulco . The building is crowned with a gold dome and a statue of Cuauhtémoc , the last Aztec emperor of Mexico. It was designated a historic landmark of the city in March 2015. Casa Bonita temporarily closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and its owner filed for bankruptcy in April 2021. Later that year, it was acquired by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone , who gave
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#17327723609518866-422: The comedy in anything. Nasdaq argued that shows like Disenchantment were "original content" which had helped Netflix "dominate the online video streaming market," and said that demand for original content will allow Netflix to expand its base of subscribers. This allowed Netflix to gain allegiance of smaller, but more fervent, fanbases, which garnered a wide viewership. Some critics noted that The Simpsons
9009-473: The content but that ABC, and their corporate owner Disney Company , reneged on their promises, and called the show "dead" even though there were six episodes that had not aired. Six episodes of the show, based on Kevin Smith 's 1994 comedy of the same title , were produced, but only two episodes aired before the show was cancelled by ABC. While the pilot of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law first aired as
9152-520: The controversy and less than 12 hours before she died. A scene in the season seven (2003) finale " It's Christmas in Canada " references the discovery of dictator Saddam Hussein in a "spider hole" and his subsequent capture , which happened a mere three days prior to the episode airing. The season 12 (2008) episode " About Last Night... " revolves around Barack Obama 's victory in the 2008 presidential election , and aired less than 24 hours after Obama
9295-519: The corner of University Avenue and Asher Avenue (at the time U.S. Highway 67/70), just south of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock campus. This location had many of the same features as its sister locations including a Garden Room, an El Pokey (a room themed as a Mexican jail), a fully functioning video arcade, and a gift shop. In its heyday, the Little Rock location was reported to have been
9438-609: The earliest examples of this was in the season four (2000) episode " Quintuplets 2000 ", which references the United States Border Patrol 's raid of a house during the Elián González affair , an event which occurred only four days before the episode originally aired. The season nine (2005) episode " Best Friends Forever " references the Terri Schiavo case , and originally aired in the midst of
9581-449: The early 1990s, another sitcom, was also controversial. This was due to its portrayal of brief nudity, profanity and violence. Although the series was intended for adult audiences, it was shown in the afternoons, and multiple parents claimed that their children had imitated the show's characters. After an incident, MTV responded by moving the series to a later airtime and adding disclaimers to future episodes stating explicitly not to imitate
9724-399: The exhaustion of humor set around Donald Trump ), along with the proposed merger of Skydance Media and Paramount Global . In February 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery filed a lawsuit which claimed that Paramount breached its exclusivity contract with HBO Max by airing South Park on its own streaming platform. Animated sitcom The Flintstones , which debuted in 1960, is considered
9867-609: The experience in " ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor! " (2024), a makeover documentary. The restaurant had a soft opening on May 26, 2023. Casa Bonita began taking reservations for weekends beginning June 23, 2023. The Lakewood location was built in 1973 and opened in March 1974, on Colfax Avenue west of Denver, along U.S. Route 40 / I-70 Business . Similar in architecture to the Tulsa location (both were previously large retail store locations) features strolling mariachis , flame jugglers (no longer allowed in 2019 for violating fire code), and
10010-469: The few adults the boys consistently trusted. Hayes agreed to voice the character after being among Parker and Stone's ideal candidates, which also included Lou Rawls and Barry White . Hayes, who lived and hosted a radio show in New York during his tenure with South Park , recorded his dialogue on a digital audio tape while a director gave directions over the phone, after which the tape would be shipped to
10153-481: The film The Sweetest Thing after her tenure with the show during its first three seasons. Television producer and writer Norman Lear , an idol of both Parker and Stone, served as a guest writing consultant for the season seven (2003) episodes " Cancelled " and " I'm a Little Bit Country ". During the 12th and 13th seasons, Saturday Night Live actor and writer Bill Hader served as a creative consultant and co-producer. After exchanging ideas, Parker will write
10296-431: The first example of the animated sitcom genre. A similar cartoon, The Jetsons , which took place in the future rather than the past, followed in 1962. Marc Blake argued it started the " science fiction sitcom sub genre". Animated sitcoms have been more controversial than traditional cartoons from the onset. The Flintstones was originally oriented at parents, as an animated version of The Honeymooners , though it
10439-631: The first part of season 2 of Disenchantment was released on Netflix . In February 2021, it was announced that Tyler, the Creator had teamed up with Lionel Boyce and Davon 'Jasper' Wilson to develop an animated comedy named Shell Beach . In March 2021 it was reported that King of the Hill would be revived, with characters aging 15 years from the end of the series. Casa Bonita Casa Bonita ( lit. ' pretty house ' in Spanish )
10582-518: The first seasons. Now, with a staff of about 70 people, episodes are typically completed in one week, with some in as little as three to four days. Nearly the entire production of an episode is accomplished within one set of offices, which were originally at a complex in Westwood, Los Angeles, California and are now part of South Park Studios in Culver City, California . Parker and Stone have been
10725-437: The first short is often referred to as Jesus vs. Frosty , and the second short as Jesus vs. Santa . Graden sent copies of the video to several of his friends, and from there it was copied and distributed, including on the internet, where it became one of the first viral videos . As Jesus vs. Santa became more popular, Parker and Stone began talks of developing the short into a television series about four children residing in
10868-437: The full distribution rights following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox (parent of 20th Television) by The Walt Disney Company (who had employed Debmar-Mercury founder Mort Marcus as the head of their syndication division ), distributing the show in syndication. In 2021, South Park Studios struck a deal with ViacomCBS , which allows the show to be renewed all the way up to season 30 and 14 additional films, enough to carry
11011-417: The growing relationship between Fry and Leela and an "alien relationship" (Kif and Amy). John Evershed, formerly showrunner on Happy Tree Friends and current founder of Mondo Media , argued that the "enduring popularity" of this genre is a result of The Simpsons , a massive "animation franchise," and said this proves "the time-tested formula" of the genre works, even though it was "controversial" when it
11154-514: The highest volume Mexican restaurant in the United States with annual sales of up to $ 2,500,000. That distinction would later go to the Denver location which would go on to post nearly $ 8,000,000 in sales on an annual basis. The restaurant closed and rebranded under the ownership of the Waugh family as "Casa Viva" on August 2, 1993, after a reported $ 250,000 was spent in renovations. It would revert to
11297-404: The history of television," in terms of shows like Family Guy and South Park . These shows, and their subsequent franchises, were said to be part of a shift in the early 2010s toward adult animation , with darker and "more intricate animated comedies" such as Bojack Horseman and Rick and Morty released, with the latter reaching nine million viewers after the first season. Drawn Together ,
11440-704: The influence of The Simpsons on adult animation, with Family Guy , King of the Hill , and Bob's Burgers , among others, featuring some version of the same structure, while "non-family-based shows" have drawn from "Matt Groening's hyper-referential style, irreverence and slapstick humor." He quoted Alex Hirsch , creator of Gravity Falls , as describing adult animation as an "arms race of different ways to copy The Simpsons ." Two of Hirsch's friends from CalArts, Pendleton Ward (creator of Adventure Time ) and J. G. Quintel (creator of Regular Show ) were also inspired by The Simpsons. In 1989, The Simpsons began airing on Fox Broadcasting Company in prime time, becoming
11583-414: The majority of the female characters until her death in November 1999. Mona Marshall and Eliza Schneider succeeded Bergman, with Schneider leaving the show after its seventh season (2003). She was replaced by April Stewart , who, along with Marshall, continues to voice most of the female characters. Bergman was originally listed in the credits under the alias Shannen Cassidy to protect her reputation as
11726-494: The most average person to test and understand humans. Most episodes revolve around Jeff having a problem that the aliens can fix with a strange device. In December 2017, the series was canceled after one season. It was described as being "a witty and fun stoner alien romp" which is a comedy akin to Rick and Morty . Other animated sitcoms include Paradise PD , Tuca & Bertie , The Boondocks , and Momma Named Me Sheriff . Some series are on streaming platforms, as
11869-629: The most popular animated sitcoms in each U.S. state . They found that South Park is popular in Colorado , The Simpsons is popular in Oregon and Massachusetts , Family Guy popular in Connecticut , and King of the Hill popular in Kentucky and Tennessee. The report also stated The Simpsons and South Park are the two most popular animated sitcoms, while Rick and Morty is among
12012-633: The network, and 17 NBC-affiliated stations agreed, leading to the show being stopped only after four episodes had aired. Even so, some religious leaders in the United Kingdom supported the show, and critics like Caryn James called it "a little risky" but "relatively benign" when compared to South Park , The Sopranos , and Sex and the City which aired at the time. In June 2000, Kevin Smith criticized ABC over its animated sitcom, Clerks: The Animated Series , telling EW that they delivered
12155-422: The next day after their Comedy Central airing. Once that deal expires in 2025, Paramount+ will become the exclusive streaming home. In addition, the season 27 episodes would stream first on Paramount+ before hitting HBO Max. Though season 27 would have originally aired in 2024, the season was delayed due to what Parker and Stone claimed to be uncertainties about the 2024 United States presidential election (mainly
12298-461: The ongoing series, Duncanville , is airing on FOX , co-created by Amy Poehler , Mike Scully , and Julie Thacker . Poehler said the series is inspired by The Simpsons . Another animated sitcom on Fox, Bless the Harts , starred Kristen Wiig , and was created by former Saturday Night Live staff writer, Emily Spivey . A September 2018 report by AT&T , using Google Trends , identified
12441-434: The opportunity for the show to spoof both extreme sides of contentious issues, while lampooning both liberal and conservative points of view. Rebecca Raphael described the show as "an equal opportunity offender", while Parker and Stone describe their main purpose as to "be funny" and "make people laugh", while stating that no particular topic or group of people be exempt from mockery and satire. Parker and Stone insist that
12584-437: The original Casa Bonita branding in 1995, until closing permanently in 2005. In the summer of 2023, Stone and Parker amended the employee compensation system at Casa Bonita, removing the need for wait staff to earn tips, instead paying every employee $ 30 per hour, much higher than the Colorado minimum wage, $ 13.65. This came on the heels of a nationwide campaign to eliminate tipping in food service, owing to "tipping fatigue" on
12727-412: The original comics, with theme music from Frank Zappa and set its sights on "1990s incarnations of political correctness and censorship", making it, a critic argued, a precursor to Family Guy and BoJack Horseman . As for King of the Hill , some noted it had the a great example of "young, adolescent love" within adult animation, specifically between Bobby and Connie. The show was also described as
12870-602: The original name in late July 2008 but closed again in 2011, leaving the Lakewood location as the last Casa Bonita. The Lakewood Historical Society chose to designate the restaurant as a city landmark in March 2015. In March 2020, Casa Bonita closed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic , during which Colorado Governor Jared Polis had placed a ban on in-person dining during the two-month span between March 17 and May 26. In March, several employees reported that their most recent paychecks had bounced due to insufficient funds in
13013-421: The part of customers who came to oppose the practice. Just days before its much-anticipated reopening, Casa Bonita rescinded its original employment contracts and asked staff to sign new agreements that may amount to smaller wages. Casa Bonita initially advertised salaries ranging from $ 14.27 to $ 15.27 for servers and bartenders, in addition to tips. And employees signed contracts earlier in the spring agreeing to
13156-567: The political satire biting enough to merit their continued attention. Similarly, kids probably won't be as smitten with the cartoon aspects or look". The series was cancelled after one month. The Critic was somewhat more successful, but achieved low ratings because of ABC's sporadic scheduling, and was cancelled by the network. Fox picked up the series, but cancelled it four months later. While Fox allowed The Simpsons to portray animated depictions of human buttocks, ABC would not allow similar scenes to appear on The Critic . Others stated that it
13299-498: The prior technique. Since the fourth season, episodes are generally written and produced during the week preceding its broadcast, with Parker serving as the lead writer and director. Since its debut on August 13, 1997, 328 episodes of South Park have been broadcast. It debuted with great success, consistently earning the highest ratings of any basic cable program. Subsequent ratings have varied, but it remains one of Comedy Central's longest-running programs. In August 2021, South Park
13442-481: The property owner. It was reopened, as Casa Viva, in May 2006 and then closed again in December 2007. In late July 2008, the restaurant, having been sold back to its previous owner group, reopened under the original Casa Bonita name. In February 2011, the restaurant failed to reopen after lengthy snowstorms hit Tulsa, and a sign on the door said it was closed for business. The Little Rock location opened in 1969 at
13585-450: The release of season twelve . Subsequent seasons have been released in this format alongside the longer-running DVD releases. The first eleven seasons were released on Blu-ray for the first time in December 2017. In March 2008, Comedy Central made every episode of South Park available for free full-length on-demand legal streaming on the official South Park Studios website. From March 2008 until December 2013, new episodes were added to
13728-636: The restaurant a significant renovation. The restaurant held a soft relaunch beginning June 23, 2023, now billing itself as The Greatest Restaurant in the World! Founder Bill Waugh opened the first Casa Bonita restaurant in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma , in 1968. By the mid-1970s, the chain had expanded to locations in adjacent states and was known for its "all you can eat" beef or chicken plates and offering sopapillas —small squares of fried bread served with honey—with every meal. In 1982, Casa Bonita's parent company, which also owned Taco Bueno fast food restaurants,
13871-400: The restaurant for $ 3.1 million. A group named "Save Casa Bonita" filed an objection to Parker and Stone's purchase, pointing out that they had in fact made an offer first. Their objection was later withdrawn, and the sale was completed by November 19. Parker and Stone spent $ 40 million renovating the restaurant and hired Chef Dana Rodriguez to update the menu. Arthur Bradford chronicled
14014-439: The restaurant is reportedly destroyed), " Let Go, Let Gov ", and " South ParQ Vaccination Special ". Additionally, the building that houses South Park Studios was named after the restaurant. In August 2021, the show's creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone , announced they would purchase Casa Bonita. The renovations of the restaurant are documented in the 2024 film ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor! . In one of downloadable content packs to
14157-414: The same free range of motion associated with hand-drawn characters. Occasionally, some non-fictional characters are depicted with photographic cutouts of their actual head and face in lieu of a face reminiscent of the show's traditional style. Canadians on the show are often portrayed in an even more minimalist fashion; they have simple beady eyes, and the top halves of their heads simply flap up and down when
14300-424: The same late-night programming block. In February 2020, Fox released an animated sitcom produced by Seungyong Ji and Jordan Grief titled Duncanville , focusing on the story of a kid who "daydreams of making it big without having to wear a suit and tie to do so." In September 2020, Magical Girl Friendship Squad began airing on SYFY. In interviews the same month, series creator Kelsey Stephanides hoped that
14443-487: The same sexually suggestive R&B style he had used during his own music career. The band DVDA, which consists of Parker and Stone, along with show staff members Bruce Howell and D.A. Young, performed the music for these compositions and, until the character's death on the show, were listed as "Chef's Band" in the closing credits. Rick James , Elton John , Meat Loaf , Joe Strummer , Ozzy Osbourne , Primus , Rancid , and Ween all guest starred and briefly performed in
14586-495: The season fourteen episodes " 200 " and " 201 " were removed from the site; additionally, these episodes no longer air in reruns and are only available exclusively on DVD and Blu-ray. These episodes remain unavailable following the 2014 purchase by Hulu. In July 2014, it was announced that Hulu had signed a three-year deal purchasing exclusive online streaming rights to the South Park for a reported $ 80 million. Following
14729-532: The series as funny, entertaining, zany, and amusing. From August to October 2002, the final few episodes of The Oblongs , another adult animation, would air on Adult Swim after The WB did not air the last five episodes of the series. The latter, which some called a "stray gem in the early 2000s," was noted for the romance between a married couple, Bob and Pickles Oblong, who had a healthy relationship where both would "constantly support each other." In 2008, Usha M. Rodrigues and Belinda Smaill argued that bro'Town
14872-460: The series somewhere else. The two then entered negotiations with both MTV and Comedy Central . Parker preferred the show be produced by Comedy Central, fearing that MTV would turn it into a kids show. When Comedy Central executive Doug Herzog watched the short, he commissioned for it to be developed into a series. Parker and Stone assembled a small staff and spent three months creating the pilot episode " Cartman Gets an Anal Probe ". South Park
15015-438: The series would expand the "types of new animated stories" with more variety in adult animation, allowing for "different ways" to do adult animation in the future. In December 2020, Hoops was cancelled by Netflix after its first season received low ratings and negative reviews. Hoops was described as "puerile comedy ... perfect for Trump 's America," not funny, and "crude, rude, and aimless." On January 15, 2021,
15158-737: The show is broadcast on The Comedy Channel , Comedy Central and free-to-air channel SBS Viceland (before 2009), while new episodes aired on SBS . The program also airs free-to-air in Australia on 10 Shake , a sister network to Comedy Central through Paramount. The series is broadcast uncensored in Canada in English on The Comedy Network and, later, Much . The series was formerly broadcast on Global . South Park also airs in Irish on TG4 in Ireland, STV in Scotland, Comedy Central and MTV in
15301-491: The show is still more about "kids being kids" and "what it's like to be in [elementary school] in America ", stating that the introduction of a more satirical element to the series was the result of the two adding more of a "moral center" to the show so that it would rely less on simply being crude and shocking in an attempt to maintain an audience. While profane, Parker notes that there is still an "underlying sweetness" aspect to
15444-473: The show occasionally earlier on, it became more prevalent as the series progressed, with the show retaining some of its focus on the boys' fondness of scatological humor in an attempt to remind adult viewers "what it was like to be eight years old". Parker and Stone also began further developing other characters by giving them larger roles in certain storylines, and began writing plots as parables based on religion, politics, and numerous other topics. This provided
15587-449: The show to at least 2027. Complete seasons of South Park have been regularly released in their entirety on DVD since 2002, with season twenty-six being the most recently released. Several other themed DVD compilations have been released by Rhino Entertainment and Comedy Central, while the three-episode Imaginationland story arc was reissued straight-to-DVD as a full-length feature in 2008. Blu-ray releases started in 2008 with
15730-508: The show's establishing shots. After Berry left in 2001, Jamie Dunlap and Scott Nickoley of the Los Angeles-based Mad City Production Studios provided the show's original music for the next seven seasons. Since 2008, Dunlap has been credited as the show's sole score composer. Dunlap's contributions to the show are one of the few that are not achieved at the show's own production offices. Dunlap reads
15873-570: The show's executive producers throughout its entire history. Debbie Liebling , who was Senior Vice President of original programming and development for Comedy Central, also served as an executive producer during the show's first five seasons, coordinating the show's production efforts between South Park Studios and Comedy Central's headquarters in New York City. During its early stages, finished episodes of South Park were hastily recorded to D-2 to be sent to Comedy Central for airing in just
16016-405: The show's production staff. When voicing child characters, the voice actors speak within their normal vocal range while adding a childlike inflection. The recorded audio is then edited with Pro Tools , and the pitch is altered to make the voice sound more like that of a fourth grader. Isaac Hayes voiced the character of Chef , an African-American, soul-singing cafeteria worker who was one of
16159-484: The show's production studio in California. After Hayes left the show in early 2006, the character of Chef was killed off in the season 10 (2006) premiere " The Return of Chef ". Celebrities who are depicted on the show are usually impersonated, though some celebrities do their own voices for the show. Celebrities who have voiced themselves include Michael Buffer , Brent Musburger , Jay Leno , Robert Smith , and
16302-443: The show's visual effects, which are now created using Motion , a newer graphics program created by Apple, Inc. for their Mac OS X operating system . The show's visual quality has improved in recent seasons, though several other techniques are used to intentionally preserve the cheap cutout animation look. A few episodes feature sections of live-action footage, while others have incorporated other styles of animation. Portions of
16445-412: The show. As a joke, Parker and Stone responded by offering low-profile, non-speaking roles, most of which were accepted; George Clooney provided the barks for Stan's dog Sparky in the season one (1997) episode " Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride ", Leno provided the meows for Cartman's cat in the season one finale " Cartman's Mom Is a Dirty Slut ", and Henry Winkler voiced the various growls and grunts of
16588-404: The site the day following their debut, and an uncensored version was posted the following day. The episode stayed up for the remainder of the week, then taken down, and added to the site three weeks later. Within a week, the site served more than a million streams of full episodes, and the number grew to 55 million by October 2008. Legal issues prevent the U.S. content from being accessible outside
16731-538: The sole English-language mainstream adult-oriented animated sitcom until the 1990s, which saw the debuts of Beavis and Butt-Head , King of the Hill , South Park , Daria , Family Guy and Futurama . Some scholars argued that Matt Groening emulated the sci-fi genre shown in The Jetsons . Futurama would be complimented for its "intelligent, scientifically accurate, and humanized" approach to adventures, romances, and parodies of sci-fi. This included
16874-400: The studio ran a 120-processor render farm that can produce 30 or more shots an hour. PowerAnimator and Maya are high-end programs mainly used for 3D computer graphics , while co-producer and former animation director Eric Stough notes that PowerAnimator was initially chosen because its features helped animators retain the show's "homemade" look. PowerAnimator was also used for making some of
17017-747: The style of All in the Family . The series dealt with subjects such as feminism and the generation gap . In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a number of animated television programs appeared which challenged the Standards & Practices guidelines, including The Simpsons , Beavis and Butt-Head , The Critic , The Brothers Grunt , The Ren & Stimpy Show , Rocko's Modern Life , Cow and Chicken , I Am Weasel , SpongeBob SquarePants , Duckman , and All Grown Up! . In 1987, The Simpsons shorts debuted on Fox 's The Tracey Ullman Show . This show aired in prime time, meaning it
17160-657: The surrounding mountain range, actual Colorado landmarks, and the businesses along the town's main street, all of which are based on the appearance of similar locations in Fairplay, Colorado . As one of the few television programs set in the Mountain West region that takes place outside the urban core of Denver, South Park frequently features the unique culture of the region, including cattle ranchers, Old West theme parks, snowy climates, mountaineering, Mormons , real-life Colorado locations such as Casa Bonita and Cave of
17303-523: The use of software, primarily Autodesk Maya . As opposed to the pilot, which took three months to complete, and other animated sitcoms, which are traditionally hand-drawn by companies in South Korea in a process that takes roughly eight to nine months, individual episodes of South Park take significantly less time to produce. Using computers as an animation method, the show's production staff were able to generate an episode in about three weeks during
17446-564: The video game South Park: The Fractured But Whole , the restaurant plays a central role in the story. In 2009, rock band The Fray held the release party for their eponymous second album at Casa Bonita. In the reboot of Roseanne , Casa Bonita is featured as the workplace of Becky Connor in Episode 4. The music video for Collapsing Scenery's "Resort Beyond the Last Resort", directed by Kansas Bowling and starring Boyd Rice ,
17589-542: The voice of several Disney and other kid-friendly characters. Stewart was originally credited under the name Gracie Lazar, while Schneider was sometimes credited under her rock opera performance pseudonym Blue Girl. Other voice actors and members of South Park 's production staff have voiced minor characters for various episodes, while a few staff members voice recurring characters. Supervising producer Jennifer Howell voices student Bebe Stevens ; co-producer and storyboard artist Adrien Beard voices Tolkien Black , who
17732-459: The wages. In the days before public opening, the restaurant called employees to a meeting at which they were told to sign new contracts within a day or quit. Casa Bonita employees, with help from the worker center, Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United , sent a petition to management, demanding more transparency and better communication on a number of issues. In October of 2024, employees at Casa Bonita announced their intention to form
17875-428: Was a "home grown animated sitcom" that is comparable to The Simpsons . Adult animation became more popular, premiering critically acclaimed shows such as Drawn Together , Family Guy , American Dad! , Archer , Bob's Burgers , Rick and Morty , BoJack Horseman , F Is for Family , and Big Mouth . Some argued that animated sitcoms have formed some of the "most enduring and valuable franchises in
18018-411: Was available on Hulu by this point. As of July 2015, all episodes of South Park are available for streaming in Canada on the service CraveTV , which first consisted of seasons 1–18. Subsequent seasons were released the following July. In early October 2019, industry rumors suggested that the streaming rights for South Park were being offered to various services, creating an intense bidding war that
18161-699: Was called "one of the most controversial shows on television." In May 1995, another adult animated sitcom began airing on Comedy Central . It was titled Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist , featured the voice talents of Jonathan Katz , Jon Benjamin , and Laura Silverman , won a Peabody Award in 1998. and was animated in a crude, easily recognizable style produced with the software Squigglevision in which all persons and animate objects are colored and have constantly squiggling outlines, while most other inanimate objects are static and usually gray in color. Some critics stated that this series offered "plenty of cleverness and humor for those who looked", with funny lines,
18304-498: Was declared the winner, using segments of dialogue from Obama's real victory speech. On October 16, 2013, the show failed to meet their production deadline for the first time ever, after a power outage on October 15 at the production studio prevented the episode, season 17's " Goth Kids 3: Dawn of the Posers ", from being finished in time. The episode was rescheduled to air a week later on October 23, 2013. The show's style of animation
18447-408: Was described as a welcome addition to the "Sunday lineup," with passionate relationship between Bob and Linda Belcher while maintaining a large audience. In November 2020, the show was approaching its 200th episode. and that Some reviewers called Drawn Together a "bizarre and highly entertaining series" which has a unique style of humor and "level of self-parody." Some reviewers would point to how
18590-424: Was estimated to be as high as US$ 500 million . HBO and South Park Digital Studios announced that HBO had secured a multi-year deal for the exclusive streaming rights for South Park on their HBO Max service starting June 24, 2020. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, Variety reported the deal fell between US$ 500 million and US$ 550 million . Beginning with season 25 in 2022, HBO Max posts new episodes
18733-503: Was in danger of being canceled before it even aired when the show fared poorly with test audiences, particularly with women. However, the shorts were still gaining more popularity over the Internet, and Comedy Central ordered a run of six episodes. South Park debuted with "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe" on August 13, 1997. Except for the pilot episode, which was produced using cutout animation , all episodes of South Park are created with
18876-481: Was later described as one of the "more vulgar adult-animation offerings" of the 2010s, with Kaitlin Olson only staying "for the first season as the female lead," voicing a "recently transferred Yellowstone ranger named Ethel." It was also said that show had a divided reception from critics but received favorably by audiences, who appreciated the show's "shameless sense of offensive humor and fast-paced writing." Archer
19019-464: Was not self-censored as much as programs intended to air on Saturday mornings. As such, the show would have brief nudity and mild language, while dealing with mature themes and subjects such as death, gambling addiction, religion, and suicide. The first full-length episode, " Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire ", debuted on December 17, 1989. It is the first American animated sitcom not to have a laugh track , unlike other animated sitcoms prior. It remained
19162-409: Was not until the early 1990s that "cartoons specifically for adults" rather than children, did not come to "mainstream prominence" until after the success of The Simpsons , with Fox later airing King of the Hill and Family Guy both of which "generated massive audiences." As animation critic Reuben Baron described it, for a long time, "adult action/drama cartoons" were scarce on television, with only
19305-485: Was originally slower and had a length of 40 seconds. It was deemed too long for the opening sequence. So Parker and Stone sped it up for the show's opening, having Claypool re-record his vocals. The instrumental version of the original composition is often played during the show's closing credits. The opening song played in the first four seasons (and the end credits in all seasons) has a folk rock instrumentation with bass guitar , trumpets and rhythmic drums. Its beat
19448-489: Was partially filmed at Casa Bonita. Punk rock band SPELLS performed their song "A Huevo" at Casa Bonita. In 2018, the Denver Broncos announced their draft picks at Casa Bonita with the help of the resident magician. For several years, artist Andrew Novick has hosted a Casa Bonita-themed art show at Denver's NEXT Gallery. Novick has been to the restaurant more than 300 times and has given tours of it. He says of
19591-484: Was primarily popular with children. David Bennett argued that when it was originally released, it was aimed at an adult audience, and called it the "direct ancestors" of current adult animation, because it covered adult subjects. Bennett stated that it specifically influenced The Simpsons , along with animations on Adult Swim and Netflix . His argument was confirmed by the fact that The Huckleberry Hound Show , created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera , became
19734-488: Was released. Evershed also said that the show made clear that animation is "more than just kids content ." Others also argued that the show marked a turning point in U.S. attitudes "toward cartoons written primarily for adult audiences" The Simpsons would later win the Guinness World Records award for "Longest-running animated sitcom (by episode count)." Chris Turner , author of Planet Simpson: How
19877-402: Was renewed through 2027, and a series of television specials was announced for Paramount+ , the first two of which were released later that year. In October 2019, it was announced that WarnerMedia acquired exclusive streaming rights to South Park starting in June 2020 for HBO Max . The series' twenty-sixth season premiered on February 8, 2023. South Park has received critical acclaim, and
20020-478: Was said to be a "standard bearer" for adult animation and an "eclectic comedy" and praised for its "tight, fast-paced, and ever impressively intelligent dialogue," with a "power couple": Sterling Archer and Lana Kane. American Dad! was praised for breaking away from the "cynicism and formulas of its adult animation contemporaries" with the romance between Stan Smith and Francine said to be a wonderful romantic pair akin to Archie and Edith Bunker . Bob's Burgers
20163-536: Was sold to Unigate (later Uniq plc ). In 1992, Unigate sold the restaurants to CKE Restaurants , owner of Carl's Jr. In 1997, the two remaining Casa Bonita restaurants, in Tulsa, Oklahoma , and Lakewood, Colorado, were spun off by CKE as part of Star Buffet. The Tulsa location closed in September 2005, then reopened for two years as Casa Viva, and closed again in December 2007. It was reopened by Star Buffet under
20306-678: Was the first weekly program to be rated TV-MA , and is generally intended for adult audiences. The boys and most other child characters use strong profanity, with only the most taboo words being bleeped during a typical broadcast. Parker and Stone perceive this as the manner in which real-life small boys speak when they are alone. South Park commonly makes use of carnivalesque and absurdist techniques, numerous running gags , violence , sexual content , offhand pop-cultural references, and satirical portrayal of celebrities. Early episodes tended to be shock value -oriented and featured more slapstick-style humor. While social satire had been used on
20449-422: Was the school's only African-American student until the introduction of Nichole in " Cartman Finds Love "; writing consultant Vernon Chatman voices an anthropomorphic towel named Towelie ; and production supervisor John Hansen voices Mr. Slave , the former gay lover of Mr. Garrison . Throughout the show's run, the voices for toddler and kindergarten characters have been provided by various small children of
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