Here, when does South Park get good, like?

[DrGreggles]

This is completely wrong. I would say seasons 5-8 are the benchmark classic South Park episodes. Season 4 begins to hint at how much it was going to improve from thereafter but season 5 is solid ground.

I didn't say it was at its peak in season 4. I was just opining that, if you're not into the show by then, it's probably not your cup of tea.

[NoSleep]

Not if you've just sat through seasons 1-3 and are wondering when it's going to get out of its rut was my point.

[magval]

When did they switch to the 'write an episode from scratch every week' model?

There's a very good documentary about it on Youtube called something like 6 Days To Air. A minor classic, it is.

[Chollis]

Not if you've just sat through seasons 1-3 and are wondering when it's going to get out of its rut was my point.

Yeah, personally I wouldn't bother with the early seasons (bit late now!) especially if you're struggling with it. Try two or three of the bangers listed in here from the later seasons, if you don't like those then you don't like South Park.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I says there are plenty of bangers from the second series on (precious little in the way of mash though).

[alan nagsworth]

If you've reached season 4 and you don't like it, then it's not for you.

Did you even read my post? Christ. Don't ever interact with me on here again.

Thanks to everyone else for posting in here. Without even reading it yet I can already tell it will be 100% more insightful and informed than what DrGreggles posted, and I appreciate that.

[alan nagsworth]

NoSleep is talking my language the most. I did not at any point say I wasn't enjoying the first three seasons. I said I found it patchy and a bit dated, although every episode had some good laughs.

I mainly wanted to put myself through this because I watched the first three or so when they first aired - I was 10 years old, it blew my mind and I loved it so much - but for whatever reason I didn't ever go beyond that. I know how much the show is revered but I'd built this opinion in my head of it being excessively preachy/toilet humour which in my head was something I thought was really lame.

Now that I've reached season four, (I'm six episodes in and I can certainly see it's on the up, although maybe still not as much as I'd like in order to deem it "classic" material in any sense of the word) I just wanted to find out how gradual the incline was into the best material. I will stick with season four onwards and maybe report back.

I will admit, though, that the previously mentioned solid early episodes like "Underpants Gnomes" and "Sexual Harassment Panda" are definitely good, but I just can't find any real connection with the dated points being made. I worry that as this becomes more of a prevalent thing as it goes on I'm just going to be not arsed about that stuff at all, as others have also noted here...

[Bazooka]

If you've reached season 4 and you don't like it, then it's not for you.

Say no more.

[Kelvin]

I'd say 4-10 were the peak years. 5 and 6 being the absolute height of the show.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Apparently it took three weeks to produce an episode in season one (except for the pilot, which was animated entirely by Parker and Stone using paper cut outs). I think pretty quickly technological advances and more staff meant that it wasn't long before they could produce episodes in less than a week. Some episodes with more elaborate production values, e.g. the World of Warcraft episode, take longer though.

Apparently some of the more satirical ones in response to then current news were knocked out in 3 days.

[big egg]

There's a very good documentary about it on Youtube called something like 6 Days To Air. A minor classic, it is.

Thank you for mentioning this. It reminded me to watch one of the funniest videos on youtube: https://youtu.be/geRtAsHuVD8

That cuttlefish and asparagus is not sitting well

[DrGreggles]

Did you even read my post? Christ. Don't ever interact with me on here again.

Thanks to everyone else for posting in here. Without even reading it yet I can already tell it will be 100% more insightful and informed than what DrGreggles posted, and I appreciate that.

I was trying to save you time, you thick cunt.
Honestly, you're the biggest twat on this site - and I've read the Brexit thread!

Now, where's that block button...

[mojo filters]

I've always been and continue to be a big South Park fan. I think it's impressively unique in the ability to capture a zeitgeist moment whilst making a bigger point, from an originally funny perspective.

I think the very nature of the show means it will have a mix of hits, misses and meh episodes. I also don't think it necessarily lends itself to the kind of modern binge viewing folks are able to indulge in these days.

There are exceptions to the latter, such as the 10 episode season arc covering the 2016 election. However generally I find extended sessions of watching successive episodes tends to exacerbate the sometimes overly crude nature of the humour, at the expense of any other clever and/or pertinent subject matter.

I think the first few seasons are definitely the worst to binge watch. It took a bit of time for the more interesting and complex storytelling to develop, but even then it's never been a particularly consistent show.

I've known several folks who had little to no interest in South Park, resulting from odd random episodes they'd seen over the years.

The key seems to be exposure to absolute stand-out episodes with near-universal appeal - for example the amazing World Of Warcraft, which tackles the easy marks of adults who fail to recognise that playing video games like a prepubescent child is somehow socially acceptable behaviour.

[monolith]

Cartman was quite cute before STMD. I'm happy with the direction his character went, but I do sometimes miss how weirdly endearing he was in the early days. I remember really rooting for him at the end of the film but after STMD, whilst it was fun watching his character be abhorrent, I could never get behind him like before.

[idunnosomename]

i fucking loved "Pip" what are they are on

"one does NOT get his penis out and examine it for scabs at the table"

[Kryton]

When it's good it's really good. I think it peaked and changed tone around series 4/5/6(?) and had a few good seasons after that. The rest are a mixed bag, you can definitely see the changes when they happen. The last few seasons have been weak. I think they never truly expected Trump to win and apparently had written some stuff for a Hilary win, and I believe a lot of the pre-Trump stuff was rushed to fuck.

[mrjava]

If you've reached season 4 and you don't like it, then it's not for you.

This guy literally couldn't be more wrong about anything.

Seasons 5 - 8.

Episode 4 of season 5, "Scott Tenorman Must Die", is when the show REALLY starts.

[ToneLa]

Scott Tenorman, really? Genuine wonder, I'm oot ay touch wi South Park

THAT POOR KID HAS CANSAH - IN HIS ASS!!

[Kryton]

The key seems to be exposure to absolute stand-out episodes with near-universal appeal - for example the amazing World Of Warcraft, which tackles the easy marks of adults who fail to recognise that playing video games like a prepubescent child is somehow socially acceptable behaviour.

Then they released several video games rated 18+.

[St_Eddie]

There was a point where South Park completely changed and - I'm sorry, this was a long time ago - but I remember reading an interview with Trey and Matt in which they were asked why there had been a sudden shift from the purely puerile to satire. The reply was that they had run out of ideas so were forced to start reading newspapers to find them - and that had changed everything.

I think this was around 2004/2005?

I don't think that it's a coincidence that I stopped watching soon after.  The last episode that I remember actively liking was season 11's 'Guitar Queer-O'.  Aside from that episode, should you care to skip ahead to some of the highlights, alan nagsworth, then my nominations would be...

SEASON 4
'Helen Keller! The Musical'
'Pip'

SEASON 5
'Scott Tenorman Must Die'

SEASON 6
'Professor Chaos'
'Simpsons Already Did It'

SEASON 7
'Fat Butt and Pancake Head'
'Casa Bonita'

SEASON 8
'Awesom-O'
'Woodland Critter Christmas'

SEASON 9
'Free Willzyx'

SEASON 10
'Cartoon Wars Part I'
'Cartoon Wars Part II'
'Make Love, Not Warcraft'

[St_Eddie]

Then they released several video games rated 18+.

Uh, mate.  Trey Parker and Matt Stone are gamers themselves.  They weren't mocking all adults who play videogames in the 'Make Love, Not Warcraft' episode but rather a particular, unhealthy and obsessive gaming lifestyle.  Are you unaware that the vast majority of gamers are above the age of 18?

[NoSleep]

It wasn't Kryton who said that.

[alan nagsworth]

I was trying to save you time, you thick cunt.
Honestly, you're the biggest twat on this site - and I've read the Brexit thread!

Now, where's that block button...

Trying to save me time when, as stated numerous times by others in here, the show gets properly good after it hits the season four mark, the same mark I'd clearly stated that I had just reached?

Maybe I'd dislike you less if you stopped saying such daft things.

[brat-sampson]

I basically echo entirely that 5-8 are fucking gold and 6 is one of my favourite seasons of literally anything ever. At least get to the end of that. Though if you still don't like it part way through I guess you can give up.

[mr. logic]

Trying to save me time when, as stated numerous times by others in here, the show gets properly good after it hits the season four mark, the same mark I'd clearly stated that I had just reached?

Maybe I'd dislike you less if you stopped saying such daft things.

What's the point of this tone?

[St_Eddie]

It wasn't Kryton who said that.

It wasn't?  Well, who said it then?  Rimmer?

Trying to save me time when, as stated numerous times by others in here, the show gets properly good after it hits the season four mark, the same mark I'd clearly stated that I had just reached?

Maybe I'd dislike you less if you stopped saying such daft things.

Bit harsh.  DrGreggles' comment was clearly put forth with the best of intentions.

[NoSleep]

It wasn't?  Well, who said it then?  Rimmer?

You were replying to the quote from mojo filters in Kryton's post, weren't you?

[St_Eddie]

You were replying to the quote from mojo filters in Kryton's post, weren't you?

Upon closer inspection, I think that the contentious bit is what mojo filters said here...

...adults who fail to recognise that playing video games like a prepubescent child is somehow socially acceptable behaviour.

You see, I read that as saying that adults who spend all of their time obsessively playing a videogame, in much the same way that a prepubescent child might, is an issue, given that adults have, or should have, certain responsibilities.  However, I may have misinterpreted it and as such not recognised Kryton's reply as a deserving jab at mojo filters, whom may have been saying that the act of an adult playing a videogame, is in of itself, something to be frowned upon.  If that is indeed the case, then Kryton is cool and mojo filters is being a numpty.

[NoSleep]

I think that clears it up.

[mojo filters]

I think that clears it up.

I reserve the right to not be designated a numpty for my admittedly limited-appeal and undoubtedly contentious opinion that there's something not quite right with grown men and women playing video games.

I'll reluctantly concede those burdened with children can be excused, in certain circumstances.

Otherwise agreed, all cleared up!