The news thatSouth Park’s first 2025 release will be a special rather than a standard season may bode badly for the long-running satirical cartoon.South Parkhas changed a lot over the years, but one consistent trend can be observed throughout the show’s 27-year history. AlthoughSouth Parkseason 1 and season 24 are minor outliers, the number of episodes in eachSouth Parkseasonhas gradually declined since the show began. Season 1 featured only 13 episodes, but seasons 2, 3, and 4 featured 18, 17, and 17 respectively.
This number dropped to 14 for season 5 but increased back up to 17 in season 6.South Parkseason 7 had 15 episodes, and seasons 8-17 featured between 15 and 14 episodes.South Parkseason 27is likely to feature only 6 new episodes, since the show decreased its output from 14 episodes per season to 10 in season 17, and from 10 to 6 in season 25. The COVID-19 pandemic meant season 24 consisted of two specials, “The Pandemic Special” and “South ParQ Vaccination Special." Subsequent shorter seasons were caused byfurtherSouth Parkspecials.
South Park’s First 2025 Release Will Be A Special
Co-Creator Matt Stone Told Bloomberg An Episode Would Arrive In Early 2025
Since 2020,South Parkhas focused on feature-length specials as much as the show’s traditional seasons. Instead of producing ten or more shorter episodes, the show’s creators have produced six normal episodes and two annual specials. Some of these, like 2023’sStreaming Wars, are two-part specials released a few months apart. Others, like 2024’sJoining the PanderverseandNot Suitable For Children, are standalone specials that run between forty minutes and an hour.
Although these specials can be fun, they have also massively decreased the show’s normal output.The End of ObesitywasSouth Park’s only new release in 2024 since the show’s co-creators didn’t want to cover the year’s election cycle.The news thatSouth Park’s first 2025 release will be another standalone special is surprising, since it has been a long time since viewers saw new episodes from the series.
South Park’s most recent special,The End of Obesity, aired in May 2024. However,South Park’s most recent episode, season 26, episode 6, “Spring Break,” aired back in March 2023. Co-creator Matt Stone toldBloombergthat the series had a big year planned, saying “We’re coming back with one episode” early in 2025. Although Stone did clarify that there would be “A bunch more in the second half of 2025,” this isn’t necessarily a relief for viewers who hoped for a more consistent release schedule from the series.
South Park’s Specials Have Been A Mixed Bag
South Park’s 2023 Specials Received Less Than Stellar Reviews
South Park’s specials are fun, but they can’t replace the show’s normal seasonsthanks to their inconsistency. What madeSouth Park’s 2024 so disappointingwasn’tThe End of Obesityitself, which was a fairly solid standalone outing, but the lack of a corresponding season. No matter how well aSouth Parkspecial tackles a specific topic, the specials can only touch on one or two satirical storylines without feeling cluttered or unfocused.
WhenSouth Park’s specials attempt to tackle multiple plots at the same time, they tend to feel disjointed and pointless, as evidenced byNot Suitable for Children’s toothless spoof of unrelated topics like Prime Energy drinks and OnlyFans. However, whenSouth Park’s specials successfully focus on a single topic, likeThe End of Obesity, this means viewers miss out on the show’s commentary on other current events.South Park’s uniquely quick production schedule means it is one of the only shows commenting on news stories as they unfold.
South Park’s Only 2024 Release Was A Single Special
The End of Obesity Didn’t Make Up For Season 27’s Delays
WhenSouth Parkis mocking its own successor its competitors like The SimpsonsandFamily Guy, the series can afford to leave its finger off the pulse of current events. However, after a long time off the air,South Parkseason 27 must return feeling fresh and vital.It will be tough forSouth Parkseason 27 to feel relevant after such a long absenceand coming back with a special instead of an ordinary season is unlikely to help in this regard.
South Park’s 24-Year-Old Christmas Special Mocked How Parker & Stone Created The Show
Not content with mocking the season itself, South Park’s season 4 Christmas episode saw the show make fun of its own origins and creators instead.
After a six-episode season and two standalone specials in 2023, it was pretty disappointing to see only one special fromSouth Parkin 2024. 2025 could have started strong with a six-episode season that used each episode to mock current events, making the series feel up to date again. This is how theinfamously controversialSouth Parkovercame its lack of output in 2020 and 2021, with early 2022’s season 25 featuring storylines about distance learning, gentrification, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and race relations that all felt relevant and timely.
South Park Season 27 Must Be Worth The Lengthy Wait
Stone Promised “A Bunch More Episodes” In The Latter Half of 2025
No matter what specific issue or trendSouth Park’s first 2025 special addresses, it can’t give the show as many chances to impress viewers as a standard season would. Even season 25 inevitably featured a dud in episode 6, “Credigree Weed St. Patrick’s Day Special,” a vague spoof of cultural appropriation that felt outdated and tired. However, this wasn’t a major letdown, since the preceding episodes had been surprisingly strong.
Stone’s comments suggest viewers shouldn’t expect a new season until at least a full year and three months after The End of Obesity’s release.
IfSouth Parkseason 27 arrived in the first half of 2025, the show could have re-established its relevance with a sextet of storylines focused on current events. Instead, Stone’s comments suggest viewers shouldn’t expect a new season until at least a full year and three months afterThe End of Obesity’s release.It is hard to imagine howSouth Parkwill come back after such a long absence, and the choice to return with a special puts much more pressure on that individual release.
South Park’s next special needs to be strong to avoid the show slipping into irrelevance and season 27’s new episodes need to be even stronger thanks to the lengthy wait between seasons. The longerSouth Parkspends off the air, the more pressure there is on its return. An ordinary season could have ameliorated this pressure with numerous episodes, but starting with a special instead means thatSouth Parktruly has to hit it out of the park when the series finally returns in 2025.
