South Park returns as 'South America' and leaves Trump out of the premiere
South Park is back for its 29th season under a joke title — “South America” — and its opener leaves Donald Trump out entirely.
The premiere aired on Wednesday, 16 September at 10pm ET/PT on Comedy Central, according to the show’s official site. It was made by the long-running animated series’ creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone. New episodes follow on Wednesdays, with the next dates listed as 30 September, 14 October, 28 October and 11 November. SouthPark.cc.com
The “South America” billing is a gag. In a statement on 8 September, Parker and Stone said they were changing the name of South Park to “SOUTH AMERICA,” citing inspiration from the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
That name is a jab at President Trump’s move to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America, according to Variety. The Hollywood Reporter had earlier described the renaming as a move to mock Trump.
Going Trump-free is a break. Seasons 27 and 28 used a season-long arc, meaning one story running across the whole series, centred on the White House and including Trump’s clandestine affair with Satan. The Season 29 premiere drops that thread and plays as a stand-alone episode, meaning a self-contained story, set inside the show’s home town.
The plot starts small. Eric Cartman fakes being bullied so his mother will buy him an e-bike. That scheme pulls in the other boys and keeps the action local, with no appearance by the show’s satirical Trump character.
The return arrived days after an awards win. The series picked up its sixth Emmy for outstanding animated programme, and its official X account marked the win with a graphic of Trump holding the trophy with his trousers around his ankles, Variety reported on 7 September.
For viewers, this means a reset and an easy entry point. No White House plot to catch up on. No second screen needed. The show can be watched live on Comedy Central without cable through live-TV streaming services, including free options, and new episodes stream on Paramount+ in the United States, Canada and Australia.
