April 28, 2003 8:40pm CDT

Damn, is it Monday already? Well, let's get to it. Here's our thoughts on the last episode, Lil Crime Stoppers:

Girly says:
Again, a really good episode. I love it when South Park finds a way to remind me of my childhood. Cartman and Kenny playing good cop/bad cop cracked me up along with the observation room cardboard box Stan and Kyle were standing in. Clever. And, of course, the scene with Butters trying to whack off in the bathroom was funny. This episode demonstrates my favorite thing about South Park: the ability to be cute and fucked up at the same time.

Zuzu says:
I absolutely loved the first half of the episode. I'm a sucker for all those true crime shows on A&E and Court TV, so the play on that was hilarious to me. I just thought everything in the first half was adorable. I loved how Bill & Fossey got into playing with the boys. "Uh huh, we were playing gynecologists, now we're playing criminals." "Yah, that's gay." "Heh, we're gay." Cartman's slow-mo scene was another highlight for me. Unfortunately, as soon as the lieutenant (or whoever) gave the boys their Junior Deputy badges, the episode went completely downhill for me. I didn't think it was particularly bad or anything, it just ... didn't work for me.

don't bother

Episode 707: Red Man's Greed From South Park Studios: The owners of the Three Feathers Indian Casino have acquired the town of South Park. The citizens are being forced off their land to make way for a new super highway. Faced with saying goodbye to their friends and their way of life, the boys rally the townspeople to fight back against the rich and powerful Indians.

But how crazy would it be if four hundred years from now, civilizations were studying our culture through the writings of Trey Parker and Matt Stone? What if the unabridged works of "South Park" became the standard to which all-future artwork were set?

... this was a guy who had four whole sacks in his storied three-year career and suffered more physical calamities than Kenny on “South Park.”

Cleeeeck ~ 866k

Episode 706: Lil' Crime Stoppers From South Park Studios: Cartman, Kyle, Stan and Kenny start their very own South Park detective agency. After they return a missing doll to a little girl, the police department recognizes the boys' efforts and they are officially named junior deputies. Their next assignment: to break up a meth lab. From Comedy Central: The Boys Bust A Local Meth Lab In An All-New Episode Of "South Park" When Cartman, Kyle, Stan and Kenny are officially named "junior deputies" by the police department, their first assignment is to investigate a local meth lab. In the course of their investigation, Butters is brought in for questioning and the case gets really complicated when the only informant is a towel. "Lil' Crime Stoppers," premieres Wednesday, April 23 at 10:00 p.m. only on COMEDY CENTRAL.

Being a Canadian, the first thing that comes to my mind against this notion is the South Park Movie and its theme song “Blame Canada.” The song mocks Canadians for having “beady little eyes” and “flappin’ heads so full of lies.” It then urges Americans to plan a “full assault” against their evil neighbor to the north, which is “not a real country anyway.” Canadians were not offended when the movie came out—on the contrary, they were downright flattered for being mentioned. Rather than promoting a backlash against Canucks, South Park’s offbeat humor promoted a great deal of goodwill between Americans and Canadians.

Girly says:
Even though it was really really stupid, I loved this show. The songs, the diggs on Jen and Ben, Cartman. Good, good stuff. This was South Park the way I like it. Bravo!

Zuzu says:
Tacotaco. I can't stop saying that. My husband is getting kinda pissed. I thought it was just a great, funny episode. It was a nice break from the very political or moral-type episodes - not that I don't like those, because I do. It further illustrates that Matt & Trey aren't one-trick ponies.

These days, Norman Lear is collaborating on "South Park," a show that had fun at the expense of Lear’s "All in the Family" co-star Sally Struthers a few years ago.

As "South Park" fans know, the show spares no one. So when it included Struthers in an episode, she was cast as a Jabba the Hutt-like villain who was eating the food of starving children.

So what did Lear think of the episode and how "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker treated Struthers?
"I never saw the episode," he says, "but they are never easy on anyone. I’m not surprised by anything like that. They’re known for taking on people.

"But whatever they did, I’m sure it was funny."

... even the usually fearless and brutally unsubtle creators of South Park have become so terrified of public response that they get through an entire episode about the war protests without ever once letting you know which side of the debate they’re actually on ...

Saddam has long been a favorite black beastie of TV's "South Park." Fiddling in Hell while his erstwhile beau Satan burns, Saddam once battled Satan's ex-lover Barbra Streisand — "the only person on earth," Saddam mutters, "who's more of a prick than me." Creator Trey Parker's conceit is that Satan is the more conservative of the two.

Girly says:
There were some funny parts to this episode (the 100th episode mention at the end in particular), but overall I thought it was a little heavy handed. I almost always agree with whatever message they put in the shows, but lately they seem to be getting kinda preachy. Granted, it wouldn't be South Park if there wasn't a clever and intelligent spin on current events, but sometimes I miss the days of anal probes and Kathie Lee Gifford.

Zuzu says:
I loved it! Once again Matt & Trey prove that they'll make fun of everyone - pointing out the idiocy of the extreme pro-war and extreme anti-war crowds. I could completely relate to Cartman's procrastinating ways in the classroom. Many a weekday morning I make that same "meaaaaah" sound before I have to go to work. I loved the bit at the end, a little nod to cheesy television shows breaking that barrier and speaking to the audience.

Click ~315K

No Click - Full Size

From South Park Studios:
One of Cartman's body parts becomes too famous for its own good. The real Jenny From the Block is enraged to learn that a new "Diva" has stolen her record deal and her boyfriend! South Park will never be the same after Jenny & Ben meet the new "Ms. Lopez."

From Comedy Central:
Hollywood power couple Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck descend upon "South Park" in an all-new episode premiering Wednesday, April 16 At 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on COMEDY CENTRAL.
Cartman is forced to deal with the pressures of stardom when one of his body parts becomes too famous for its own good. The real Jenny From the Block is enraged to learn that a new "Diva" has stolen her record deal and her boyfriend! South Park will never be the same after Jenny & Ben meet the new "Ms. Lopez."

...today's teens are beginning to express themselves in a different cultural voice. "But if you want to see it, don't watch TV," warns Strauss. Ignore so-called "nasty" shows like Fear Factor and South Park. They're made by Gen Xers or late-Boomers trying to target Millennial teens, he says, not made by the youth themselves.

Go ahead, you can click it.

Well, I'm sure some of you have already had a look at this, but for those who haven't here's the description for the 100th episode:

From SPS.com:

South Park's 100th Episode Episode 701: I'm A Little Bit Country - The boys join some anti-war protesters because it’s a free pass out of school for the day. Their simple plan to protest their way out of class goes south when they find themselves in the middle of the two opposing sides of the war issue. Meanwhile, Cartman tries to have a flashback to 1776 to avoid studying for his American History assignment.

From the Comedy Central press release:

Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman learn about the politics of war and the consequences of homework when "South Park" premieres its 100th episode on Wednesday, April 9 at 10:00 p.m. on COMEDY CENTRAL. Completely unaffected by the war raging in the middle east, Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman join in anti-war protests in order to get out of school. Mr. Garrison, an extreme supporter of the war, retaliates by assigning them book reports on the country's founding fathers. Ever the lazy student, Cartman induces his own flashback to avoid studying and travels back to 1776 where he plays an important role in the historic signing of the Declaration of Independence.

~Girly

April 4, 2003 9:00pm CST

even smaller ~214K

Here's the teaser image for next week's 100th Episode. As of yet there is no synopsis on SPS or Comedy Central, but smartass, I mean smartguy, Corey of SP 24-7 fame (here's a link, but it's apparently down at the moment) put together a description based on the previews he's seen: The boys attempt to send Cartman back in time to meet the founding fathers, using varoius differents ways (including a smack to the head with a rock, and electricution in a mini-pool) eventually one of the attempts sends Cartman to the hospital, where he finds a way to finally get back in time to the year 1776 where he trys to change the constitution! Remember - this is not an official description of the new episode!

Timothy Bottoms is in a movie that was shot 5 years ago and is only screening in Kansas City at the moment, according to the Kansas City Star. There's a short mention of MNT.

Speaking of movies, the New York Times would rather see Stephen King's Dreamcatcher as an episode of South Park. I haven't seen it, so I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

Here's an interview Howard McGillan did with Playbill.com in which he talks about voicing Gregory in the South Park movie.

Here are a couple more indepth articles about MNT's contract renewal with Comedy Central. Check the Yahoo News/EOnline story or the Zap2it story.

Africa likes South Park - especially if it can take their mind off the war.

~~Zuzu

Girly says:
Meh. It was okay. The Timmy/Jimmy/Crips thing was cute. I want a gangsta Timmy doll with the rag on his head now. :) I don't care for the slick graphics they have been putting in. Part of the charm of the show is the rough look, but the past two shows (and a little in last season as well) they've been making it look *good*. It's not supposed to look good. It's supposed to look crappy. Crappy = good. If this continues, it will ruin the feel of the show more than Kenny being gone. I know this may seem like a drastic statement to some, but you must understand how aesthetically driven I am. These things matter to me. I hope they don't abandon one of the most unique aspects of the show. *steps off soapbox*

Zuzu says:
The episode was good, but not great - which is how I felt after the last one. My biggest disappointment was Timmy's character. Wasn't he supposed to be resentful of Jimmy? (I know, I know there's no continuity in South Park - and that's one of the things I love about the show - but ... it's TIMMEH!) Timmy was just following Jimmy around doing whatever he said. I was hoping maybe Timmy was going to end up joining the Bloods or some shit.

eency ~240KB

From SPS.com: Episode 703 Title: Toilet Paper Cartman convinces the boys to "toilet paper" their teacher's house. After the fact, Kyle is overwhelmed with guilt and on the verge of confessing his part in the prank. Officer Barbrady is hot on the perpetrators' trail, while Cartman contemplates killing Kyle so he doesn't rat them all out.

Girly says:
I like this one better than the last two. That is partly due to them not using slick computer graphics so much and partly due to me absolutely LOVING the Hannibal impersonation. It was so dead on! The wiffle bat joke was classic. The way it was repeated with the other boys was even better. This was the best one from this group yet. Good stuff.

Zuzu says:
I really liked the episode, but not quite as much as the previous two. I had tears from laughing so hard at Cartman hitting Kyle with the whiffle ball bat. Like everyone else I've heard from, I thought the Silence of the Lambs/Red Dragon references were driven into the ground, but that seems to be a theme so far this season, so I'm cool with it.

South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker renew production deal with Comedy Central
The deal will include 36 new episodes Of "South Park" with option for additional 15
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have renewed their vows in a deal that will keep the dynamic duo at the cable channel through the end of 2005 with an option for additional year, it was announced today by Larry Divney, president and CEO, Comedy Central. Anne Garefino, executive producer of the series, has also renewed her deal with the network and will remain onboard with the series. This deal has Stone and Parker completing their existing agreement with the network which will run through 2003, and an additional two years for 15 episodes of "South Park" each year. The deal also includes an option for one additional year, and another 15 episodes, that will take the arrangement through 2006. "We have a great gig here now," says Parker. "We felt that during the last two years especially, we've hit a stride and think that 'South Park' is better than ever." Stone adds: "We love doing the show and want to keep things the way they are."

NEW YORK, March 31, 2003 -- COMEDY CENTRAL and "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have renewed their vows in a deal that will keep the dynamic duo at the cable channel through the end of 2005 with an option for additional year, it was announced today by Larry Divney, president and CEO, COMEDY CENTRAL. Anne Garefino, executive producer of the series, has also renewed her deal with the network and will remain onboard with the series. Anne Garefino, executive producer of the series, has also renewed her deal with the network and will remain onboard with the series.

This deal has Stone and Parker completing their existing agreement with the network which will run through 2003, and an additional two years for 15 episodes of "South Park" each year. The deal also includes an option for one additional year, and another 15 episodes, that will take the arrangement through 2006.

"'South Park', which remains our top rated show six years after its launch, is a huge part of COMEDY CENTRAL's current and future success," says Divney "I really love working with Matt and Trey. They are brilliantly creative producers and I'm just thrilled to have them commit to continuing our relationship well into the future. It's great for our viewers, our affiliates and our advertisers".

The deal with COMEDY CENTRAL for Parker and Stone was negotiated by their attorney Kevin Morris of Barnes, Morris, Klein & Yorn and Mike Simpson and Gaby Morgerman of the William Morris Agency. Anne Garefino's deal was also negotiated by Morris and she is represented by Chris Silbermann of Broder, Webb, Chervin, Silbermann agency.