South Park Skips New Episode Tonight Amid Last-Minute Production Delay

Comedy Central’s hit satire South Park did not air a new installment on Wednesday, September 18, after co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone announced the fifth episode of Season 27 was not finished in time.

In a brief statement, Parker and Stone took responsibility for the postponement, emphasizing the show’s famously rapid production schedule and promising fans the episode will debut next Wednesday.

The decision marks only the second time in South Park’s 27-year history that a scheduled episode failed to broadcast as planned. Normally produced within days of airdate to remain topical, Season 27 shifted to a biweekly format this summer to accommodate complex political storylines. Despite this, the tight turnaround proved too ambitious for the September 18 slot.

Creators’ Statement “Apparently when you do everything at the last minute, sometimes you don’t get it done,” Parker and Stone said. “This one’s on us. We didn’t finish it in time. Thanks to Comedy Central and South Park fans for being so understanding. Tune in next week!”

Updated Schedule

• September 24: Season 27, Episode 5
• October 15, October 29, November 12, November 26, December 10: Remaining biweekly episodes

Season 27 has courted controversy by lampooning figures from former President Donald Trump to conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Parker and Stone acknowledged that navigating real-world events can complicate their fly-by-night animation process. Tonight’s delay underscores the challenge of marrying immediacy with creative execution in modern satire.