Review: Nine Lives Of…South Park

The infamous “Chewbacca Defense” has been used in actual court cases. Every religion including Mormonism, Christianity, Islam, and Scientology have felt the show’s wrath. There is no denying that South Park is the greatest television show of all-time and has withstood the test of time.

To help recount those tests of time, we have Vice’s season one finale for Nine Lives Of…South Park. The premise of the series revolves around controversial figures in entertainment that have been canceled by the left, the right, and even from down the middle but due to sheer force, and usually fan outcry, the series comes back better than ever. And while South Park has never been taken off the air, the series has definitely seen it’s fair share of enemies over the decades its been on television and on the big screen.

During the course of the 44-minute episode we get first-hand accounts from the likes of Susan Hurwitz Arneson, Jack Shih, and former Comedy Central executives on what it was like seeing the series go from a fledgling operation on a newly-formed network to the multi-billion dollar operation it is today. Sure, we get some oddball choices for contributions (why the hell would Eric Deggan from NPR even be a resource here is beyond me), but overall the documentary is solid in showcasing all sides of the discourse that South Park has received over the years which is more than I can say for other documentaries that have to do with controversial figures.

The doc hits on some important points in South Park’s history, from the early seasons that Matt Stone and Trey Parker would even admit they would like to forget from a production standpoint, to when the show went through a soft reboot for the episode ‘You’re Getting Old’,and of course the popular “Cartoon Wars” episodes that even writers from King of the Hill and The Simpsons were happy to raise their fists in a triumphant celebration to, Nine Lives Of…South Park pretty much covers all of the bases one would look to see covered with the exception of any mention of the fandom that has led to huge releases of merchandise that has included gaming, apparel, and more. That said, I suppose there’s only so much you can fit in 44-minutes, maybe a sequel episode could be in store?