TMC
02-22-2023, 10:11 PM
https://www.looper.com/1207254/south-parks-trey-parker-talks-about-how-serialization-changed-the-shows-production-process/
Serialized storytelling flipped South Park on its head
Parker told Vanity Fair (https://www.vanityfair.com./hollywood/2016/09/south-park-20th-anniversary-interview) in 2016 that serialized stories made it so he and Stone needed to keep track of where things stood for the characters of "South Park" every week, something that would seem to be a given for all shows, but this is a cartoon where they became famous for literally killing off the same character – Kenny McCormick (https://www.looper.com/885058/the-odd-real-life-inspiration-behind-kenny-on-south-park/) – every week.
"We'd always come on a Thursday and sit down and go, 'O.K., what should we do a show about this week?" And we wouldn't say, 'O.K., where were we last week?'" Parker said. It was a welcome challenge though as Parker explained he and Stone got bored of picking up and dropping storylines in just an episode. Serialized storytelling allowed characters like PC Principal (https://www.looper.com/1150204/how-snl-alumni-bill-hader-helped-create-south-parks-pc-principal/), the head of South Park Elementary who is in constant competition with himself to see how woke he can get, to actually grow.
In a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/south-park-trey-parker-matt-stone-series-return-1235036882/) though, Parker actually admitted serialized storytelling had mixed results for "South Park" and at a certain point, they felt a need to start just having fun again. "We would like to get back to where each week we can do something totally different. We tried to experiment with serialization. That had mixed results," he said.
Serialized storytelling flipped South Park on its head
Parker told Vanity Fair (https://www.vanityfair.com./hollywood/2016/09/south-park-20th-anniversary-interview) in 2016 that serialized stories made it so he and Stone needed to keep track of where things stood for the characters of "South Park" every week, something that would seem to be a given for all shows, but this is a cartoon where they became famous for literally killing off the same character – Kenny McCormick (https://www.looper.com/885058/the-odd-real-life-inspiration-behind-kenny-on-south-park/) – every week.
"We'd always come on a Thursday and sit down and go, 'O.K., what should we do a show about this week?" And we wouldn't say, 'O.K., where were we last week?'" Parker said. It was a welcome challenge though as Parker explained he and Stone got bored of picking up and dropping storylines in just an episode. Serialized storytelling allowed characters like PC Principal (https://www.looper.com/1150204/how-snl-alumni-bill-hader-helped-create-south-parks-pc-principal/), the head of South Park Elementary who is in constant competition with himself to see how woke he can get, to actually grow.
In a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/south-park-trey-parker-matt-stone-series-return-1235036882/) though, Parker actually admitted serialized storytelling had mixed results for "South Park" and at a certain point, they felt a need to start just having fun again. "We would like to get back to where each week we can do something totally different. We tried to experiment with serialization. That had mixed results," he said.