Kenny, who comes from a poor family, wears his parka hood so tightly that it covers most of his face and muffles his speech. His anti-Semitic attitude has resulted in a progressive rivalry with Kyle, although the deeper reason is the strong clash between Kyle's strong morality and Cartman's complete lack of such. Eric Cartman (usually nicknamed by his surname only) is loud, obnoxious, and amoral, often portrayed as an antagonist. They are best friends, and their friendship, symbolically intended to reflect Parker and Stone's friendship, is a common topic throughout the series. Stan is modeled after Parker, while Kyle is modeled after Stone. Kyle is the lone Jew among the group, and his portrayal in this role is often dealt with satirically. Stan is portrayed as the everyman of the group, as the show's website describes him as an "average, American 4th grader". South Park title image which features the four main characters and most of the recurring, supporting characters in the background
In 2013, TV Guide ranked South Park the tenth Greatest TV Cartoon of All Time. The show's popularity resulted in a feature-length theatrical film, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut which was released in June 1999, less than two years after the show's premiere, and became a commercial and critical success, and garnered a nomination for an Academy Award. South Park has received numerous accolades, including five Primetime Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and numerous inclusions in various publications' lists of greatest television shows.
Another one-hour special episode, titled "South ParQ Vaccination Special" premiered on March 10, 2021. A one-hour special episode, titled "The Pandemic Special", premiered on September 30, 2020. Since 2000, each episode has typically been written and produced in the week preceding its broadcast, with Parker serving as the primary writer and director. Subsequent ratings have varied but it remains one of Comedy Central's highest-rated shows and is slated to air new episodes through 2022.
It debuted with great success, consistently earning the highest ratings of any basic cable program. Since its debut on August 13, 1997, 309 episodes of South Park have been broadcast. South Park features a very large ensemble cast of recurring characters. The pilot episode was produced using cutout animation, leading to all subsequent episodes being produced with computer animation that emulated the cutout technique. The latter became one of the first Internet viral videos, ultimately leading to South Park 's production. Parker and Stone developed the show from The Spirit of Christmas, two consecutive animated shorts.