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How to watch South Park in release and chronological order

Everything you need to know about watching South Park, including the banned episodes and streaming specials

Guides by Joshua Lapin-Bertone, Contributing writer

Published on Fri Jul 11 2025

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Come on down to South Park and meet some friends of mine…

In 1997 television viewers took a trip to South Park for the first time, and animation hasn’t been the same since. The Comedy Central series featured foul mouths and some of the most adult situations that have ever been depicted on television. The fact that this was happening in a cartoon starring children was even more shocking. Some viewers were aghast, but people tuned in and liked what they saw.

It's been almost 30 years since Matt Stone and Trey Parker first brought South Park to television, and now it’s hard to imagine life without it. The television show has been with us through multiple historical events, poking fun at every political group, religious organization, and celebrity imaginable. On South Park, nobody is safe.

If you’re looking to watch South Park, but aren’t sure where to start, Popverse has you covered. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about watching the provocative (and often lewd) animated series.

How to watch South Park in release order

South Park premiered on Comedy Central in 1997 and has been running ever since. Just start with the first season and work your way forward. In 1999 a theatrical film was released between seasons 3 and 4. From there, it was just the television show until Paramount+ began their streaming specials in 2021. Don’t worry, this watch order lets you know where all the streaming specials fit in relation to the regular seasons. With that, let’s head on down to South Park…

Does South Park have a chronological order?

Yes and no. South Park’s chronological order is more or less the same as the release order. Many of the early episodes have little to no continuity, but later seasons would incorporate more serialized storytelling, such as the Skank Hunt storyline in season 20 or Tegridy Farms era that began with season 22.

Aside from that, watching in chronological order is the same as watching in release order, with the exception of the Paramount+ specials South Park: Post COVID and South Park: Post COVID: The Return of COVID, which are set 40 years into the future. However, the timeline is reset at the end of the second special, which makes the whole thing moot.

Don’t think too hard about the South Park timeline, because it doesn’t make sense, nor is it meant to. For example, early episodes portray Bill Clinton as president, while later episodes show historical events like 9/11, the election of Obama, the 2016 election, and the COVID-19 pandemic. There have also been multiple Christmas holidays and other seasonal events. Despite all this, the boys are still in elementary school.

(Plus, there’s all those times Kenny died and came back from the dead)

Just sit back, have fun, and try not to worry too much about continuity.

Is South Park ending in 2027?

As of this writing, there has been no announcement that South Park will be ending in 2027. South Park’s last renewal contract is up in 2027, but that doesn’t mean the show won’t be offered another extension. Even though it’s nearly 30 years old, South Park still gets strong viewership numbers on Comedy Central and Paramount+, making it highly likely that it will be renewed once more. Unless Trey Parker and Matt Stone decide otherwise, it looks like we’ll be enjoying South Park for years to come.

What episodes of South Park were banned?

Various episodes of South Park have been banned by multiple countries over the years, with some being temporarily pulled from streaming or digital release. However, the most notable banned South Park episodes were the season 14 two-parter ‘200’ and ‘201.’ The episodes depict the Prophet Muhammad. The religious figure had previously been seen in the episode ‘Super Best Friends’ with little media attention but plans to show the Prophet (and speak their name) in the two-parter upset religious groups, who threatened Comedy Central.

The episode, along with other Muhammad episodes (‘Super Best Friends,’ ‘Cartoon Wars,’ and ‘Cartoon Wars Part II’) have been pulled from the digital marketplace and are currently unavailable on HBO Max and Paramount+. However, ‘200’ and ‘201’ are available on the original South Park season 14 DVD.

Is South Park ok for a 12-year-old?

Popverse isn’t here to give you parenting advice, as every parent has a different idea of what is appropriate for their child. That being said, South Park is filled with tons of adult content that you might find inappropriate for your child. The show contains excessive cursing, onscreen sexual acts, depictions of rape, depictions of child molestation, racism, drug use, and countless other adult themes. Unless you have a very mature 12-year-old, I wouldn’t recommend letting your child watch South Park until they’re in high school.

Did South Park have a 9/11 episode?

It’s South Park, of course there is a 9/11 episode. In fact, there are multiple 9/11 episodes. The season five episode ‘Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants’ aired on November 7, 2001, not long after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The episode features the citizens of South Park dealing with the aftermath of the attacks, as Cartman winds up in the Middle East, where he confronts Osama bin Laden.

The season ten episode ‘Mystery of the Urinal Deuce’ references various 9/11 conspiracy theories. This includes a bit where Cartman does a class presentation on 9/11, which concludes with him pinning the terrorist attack on Kyle.

Who is Eric Cartman’s father?

This answer has changed over the years. The mystery surrounding the identity of Eric Cartman’s father was the focus of season one episode 13 ‘Cartman’s Mom Is a Dirty Slut,’ which ends in a cliffhanger. The cliffhanger was resolved in season two episode two ‘Cartman’s Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut,’ which reveals that Cartman’s mother is a hermaphrodite, and that she’s actually his father.

However, season 14 episode six ‘201’ reveals that Cartman’s actual father was Jack Tenorman, the father of Cartman’s former bully Scott Tenorman. Cartman had previously engineered Jack’s death to get revenge on Scott in season five episode four ‘Scott Tenorman Must Die,’ which means that Cartman had unknowingly been responsible for the murder of his own father.

Where can I watch South Park?

If you want to watch South Park, then your best bet is to get your hands on a Paramount+ subscription. The streaming service is the current home to the South Park streaming specials and the 1999 film. The streamer will also be adding the complete series (minus the banned episodes) in July 2025. As of now, the series is streaming on HBO Max, and it’s not known if it will continue to do so after Paramount+ gets the license. Please note, the availability of South Park might change as streaming licenses expire and new deals are made.

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Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.

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